age of killer fast food . '' The UNESCO list is famous for including historic and cultural sites but in recent years the UN body has opened its register to include '' intangible heritage , '' such as endangered languages or vanishing traditions . `` The Mediterranean diet is a heritage that should be protected and shared , '' Paolo de Castro , a former Italian Agriculture minister , said earlier this year . `` Science has long recognized the unusual health properties of the diet , which has strengthened and accompanied the common cultural identity of Mediterranean countries , '' he said , according to Italian news agency ANSA . `` The diet is an integral part of the historical and cultural identity of the Mediterranean , and an opportunity for growth for the countries in the area . '' Originally considered the diet of the poor , who did n't have much money to buy meat , the `` Mediterranean diet '' is rich in fruits , vegetables , nuts , cereals , whole grains , fish and olive oil . Numerous studies have associated it with long life-spans and low rates of cancer , heart disease and
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Famed for keeping people slim , healthy and living longer , the Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world . Cultural treat ? Moves are underway to get the Mediterranean diet on UNESCO 's world heritage list . However , the diet is being increasingly shunned by people who live in the Med as the convenience of fast food gains popularity . The renowned low-fat , high-fiber diet has `` decayed into a moribund state '' in its traditional regions , according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization -LRB- FAO -RRB- . So sharp is the decline that governments from the region are scrambling to protect their traditional fare from becoming an `` endangered '' species . Populations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea , such as Greece , Spain and Italy , tend to eat these foods , and governments there have joined forces to apply for their diet to be placed on the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization 's -LRB- UNESCO -RRB- Heritage list . Those lobbying for UNESCO protection have argued that its inclusion would '' fend off the watered-down clones assailing its integrity worldwide in this