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The Double Pyramid: bridging nutrition and sustainability recommendations with traditional ways of eating

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 77, pages 841–842 (2023)Cite this article

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We have read with interest the article by Bonaccio et al. [1]. The authors underline how the UNESCO recognition of the Mediterranean Diet (MD) as a cultural heritage can be an invitation for each country to rediscover its own eating traditions and bind food choices to its territory, with notable advantages not only for people’s health but also for environmental preservation.

With less than ten years left to reach the Sustainable Development Goals [2], much still must be done to improve the way we produce and consume food and achieve global commitments making our food systems able to safeguard our health and the ecosystem by delivering affordable diets to everyone, everywhere and at all times [3]. In fact, unhealthy diets contribute to disability and death worldwide [4, 5], and food systems account to up to 37% of anthropogenic GHG emissions and other environmental pressures [6, 7].

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Fig. 1: The Double Health and Climate Pyramid illustrates how foods recommended for our health are generally also those with a low climate impact.

Data availability

Data described in the manuscript are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

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Funding

Funding

GR is member of the Barilla Health and Well-being Advisory Board, of the Nutrition Foundation of Italy and of ‘Istituto Nutrizionale Carapelli’. The “Barilla Foundation” supported the Double Pyramid with a grant aimed at the development of an evidence-based reformulation of the Food Pyramid for the prevention of cardiovascular disease for the University of Naples Federico II. The funder had no role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. MA is a consultant of the Barilla Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Barilla Foundation, Via Madre Teresa di Calcutta, 3/a, Parma, Italy

    Katarzyna Dembska & Marta Antonelli

  2. Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, Naples, Italy

    Annalisa Giosuè, Ilaria Calabrese & Gabriele Riccardi

  3. Department of Pharmacy, “Federico II” University of Naples, Via Domenico Montesano, 49, Naples, Italy

    Olga Vaccaro

Authors
  1. Katarzyna Dembska
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  2. Marta Antonelli
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  3. Annalisa Giosuè
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  4. Ilaria Calabrese
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  5. Olga Vaccaro
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  6. Gabriele Riccardi
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Contributions

All authors contributed to acquiring data and interpreting results, drafted and revised the manuscript and approved the final version. All authors ensure any questions related to accuracy and integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.

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Correspondence to Katarzyna Dembska.

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KD, MA, AG, IC, OV declare no competing interests.

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Dembska, K., Antonelli, M., Giosuè, A. et al. The Double Pyramid: bridging nutrition and sustainability recommendations with traditional ways of eating. Eur J Clin Nutr 77, 841–842 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-023-01278-8

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