Italy

Diners are served in an upscale Caffe Platti restaurant in the northern Italian city of Turin in this December 14, 2005 file photo. Food-loving Italy responded with indignation November 24, 2009 to a minister's comments that lunchbreaks -- still a sit-down ritual for many Italian workers -- are bad for waistlines and the economy, and should be skipped. While many European peers nibble a sandwich at their desk, most Italian workers still retire en masse to a 'tavola calda' (buffet restaurant) or a works canteen for a slap-up meal, often an hour-long affair involving pasta or meat, a vegetable dish, fruit and coffee. But cabinet minister Gianfranco Rotondi said this encourages shirking and obesity, and makes the working day unnecessarily long, meaning parents get home later to see their children.