Deconstructing perceptions on mediterranean diet with Q-methodology: Myth versus truths

Mediterranean diet has been defined in the light of preventing of noncommunicable diseases. Although based on Mediterranean food behaviors, it is frequently at the center of myths. They stem from an oversimplified model that ignores history, culture, and food availability within the Mediterranean area. By applying the Q-methodology, we analyzed the opinions of a sample of consumers in Southern Italy to measure the diffusion of real and biased information, since a good understanding may favor a higher adherence in the future. The results yielded three groups of respondents: health-conscious patriots, aware of health benefits but incorrectly overlap Mediterranean with the Italian diet, savvy gastronomes who highlight the conviviality, and flavor explorers who believe in flexibility and have an optimistic taste attitude. Crosscutting opinions are about the importance of carbohydrates and the need to exclude cured meats. Also, negative attitudes are about a lack of convenience and taste, and a misbelief of Mediterranean diet as an older tradition than what actually is.