Research

Mixed

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of developing abdominal obesity (increased waist circumference) in normal weight individuals, driven primarily by low red meat intake and high vegetable consumption.

To prevent belly fat accumulation, focus on the entire Mediterranean pattern: eat plenty of vegetables, limit red meat and sugary drinks, and choose whole grains. Simply adding 'healthy' fats without addressing other dietary components may not provide the same protection against abdominal obesity.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
High adherence was also associated with... smaller 5-year change in waist circumference... and lower risk of abdominal obesity
Claudia Agnoli et al. · Nutrition and Diabetes · 2018

Why this rating

Large cohort, but waist circumference was self-reported for some centers.

Source

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and long-term changes in weight and waist circumference in the EPIC-Italy cohort

Claudia Agnoli et al. · Nutrition and Diabetes · 2018

cohort · n=32119Cited 121×
Read the paper

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →