Notice one important thing about Italian culture: they eat slow. Lunch time takes more than one hour and includes several dishes (antipasto, pasta, meat, then fresh fruit). Same for dinner. So they do eat spaced and having time to chew does increase satiety.

Now compare that to having to lunch in 15 minutes when you are starving. You want to swallow a Whooper and grab a Coke that you can drink while walking back to the office.