( dpa ) - More and more Greeks are showing a preference for meat rather than following the regimes of the Mediterranean diet preferred by their ancestors, a recent study has shown.
The average Greek has a keen appetite for meat, with more than a third or 37 per cent of the population eating it three or four times a week, according to a study carried out for the Agriculture Ministry.
The study, published in the Greek daily Kathimerini newspaper, shows men are regular consumers of meat, with 72 per cent of men eating meat between three and seven times per week.
The consumption of meat, particularly red meat, is significantly higher in provincial areas, the study showed.
A number of studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, fruits and vegetables and nuts and low in dairy foods and red meat, to health benefits.