Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Southern Europe is closest to planetary diet targets, study says
Researchers compared food supplies, diabetes rates and temperatures across four European regions and Italy.
The study used national food-supply data, which show what is available, not what people actually eat.
It compared the available calories in different food groups with the Planetary Health Diet, a set of targets for healthier, more sustainable diets.
Southern Europe was closest to the diet targets, according to the study headline, but the findings also show gaps across Europe: supplies of nuts and legumes were below targets, while meat, sugar and dairy were above them.
Temperatures rose most strongly in Southern Europe, which the researchers say may add heat-related risks for people with diabetes.
The study links diet and climate to population health, while noting that the data do not establish what individuals eat or prove that these patterns cause diabetes.
The researchers also examined changes in diabetes prevalence, but the available findings do not give the results of that comparison or describe any next steps.
A study says Southern Europe’s food supply comes closest among Europe’s regions to the Planetary Health Diet targets.
Researchers compared regional food supplies, diabetes prevalence and temperature trends across Europe and examined Italy separately.
The study found generally rising average temperatures across Europe, with the strongest warming in Southern Europe.
Across the four regions, food supplies were low in tree nuts and legumes and high in milk and butter, meat, and sugar and sweeteners compared with the diet’s recommendations.
The researchers used national food-supply estimates, which do not represent what individuals actually eat.
- Who
- Researchers from the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy’s National Research Council, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and San Giovanni Addolorata Hospital.
- What
- They compared regional food supplies, diabetes prevalence and temperature trends across Europe, with a particular focus on Italy.
- When
- The article was published on November 6, 2026. The study examined food availability from 2010 to 2023 and temperatures from 2014 to 2024.
- Where
- Four European regions: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe; Italy was also analyzed separately.
- Why
- To investigate how climate, dietary patterns and diabetes intersect, and how regional food supplies compare with Planetary Health Diet recommendations.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers examined food-availability data across 62 countries in four European regions.
The study used European diabetes-prevalence data from the International Diabetes Federation for these years.
Researchers analyzed regional temperature data for Europe.
UNESCO recognized Italian cuisine as intangible cultural heritage.
News-Medical published its report on the study.
- Regions compared
- Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe
- Countries covered by food data
- 62
- Tree nuts and legumes
- 1.3% and 0.8% of available dietary energy, compared with 11.5% recommended for each
- Milk and butter, meat
- 14.3% and 10.8%, compared with recommendations of 6.1% and 1.9%
- Sugar and sweeteners
- 12% of available dietary energy, compared with 4.8% recommended