(ANSA) - Milan, September 7 - The most powerful tools that exist in the United States for changing American dietary habits come from Hollywood: satire, and, more generally, entertainment.
    Research by the Norman Lear Center of Los Angeles, presented at the Casa America cultural centre in Milan, confirms this fact.
    The study, presented by center director Martin Kaplan and titled "Hollywood and Dine: The Image and Impact of Food in Entertainment", was organized by the USA Pavilion at Expo.
    Two exceptional guests of honor participated in the event: producer Norman Lear (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafè, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride) and TV writer and producer Phil Rosenthal (winner of 15 Emmy Awards). Maria Grazia Cucinotta represented Italian cinema at the event.
    The study, completed thanks to the program "Hollywood, Health and Society", analyzed the behavior of 1,600 people, divided into two groups: one followed the satirical reports on the food industry shown on "The Daily Show", the other followed news reports on the food industry from TV news and newspaper articles. The study found that the satirical show viewers remembered the information better, but with an optimistic approach, and, after one month they had improved their eating habits, eating more fruit and vegetables.
    The researchers also analyzed the presence of food in over 1,300 episodes of the most-watched American TV shows of the last 10 years, concluding that food appeared in eight of every 10 episodes. Fruit and vegetables were as present as sweets, but the latter were consumed more often. Particularly in sitcoms, the characters ate sweets 2.5 times more than fruit and vegetables.
    "We know that viewers are influenced by the behaviors of the characters on our shows," Kaplan said. "Knowing the power that we have on the public's lifestyle, those of us in the entertainment industry strive to do our part, bringing the stories and demands of the real world to the big and small screen, so that they have a positive effect on daily life".
    "It's an honor to welcome you here in Italy, because in our films too, food has always been a main character," said Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Italian "spokeswoman" for Expo. "We grew up with Totò in Poverty and Nobility and Alberto Sordi in An American in Rome, who tucked into spaghetti. Cinema is also food and food is life, and this year Expo is showing how we can create a better future thanks to what we bring to the table," Cucinotta said.