if it s not fresh, we re not buying it. the hours off in the afternoon might no longer facilitate an enormous meal and nap. the point is it s a food and lifestyle issue. the food reflects the lifestyle. their priorities are different than ours. when i got home i checked on the italian life expectancy and rate of obesity. in italy it was 82.09 years in 2011 according to the world health organization compared to 78.64 in america. and our rate of obesity is double italy s of 17.2%. the explanation from my italian friend was confirmed by dr. kenneth thorpe, the chair in the department of health policy and management at rawlins school of public health. he told me, yes, we eat more processed food heavier on fat, sugar, and corn. and the europeans generally eat fresher food and smaller portions. it s the difference between fresh food versus processed