Elf Sternberg

Actually, Italians are, by and large, er, large; even a century ago the French mocked the Italians for their voluminousness. The Chinese and Indians actually don't eat as much rice, and not nearly as much milled rice, as we think they do, they do get much of their caloric intake from vegetables, and their environment isn't nearly as conducive the relaxed lifestyles of south Italy. Middle to south Italy is really lush, agriculturally, as is parts of France and Greece. Wheat farming is significantly less physically demanding than in rice-growing regions. Whereas the French and Greeks put vegetables on their plates, the Italians put starches, and as a result have the highest rates of obesity (and obesity-related death) in Europe.

And yes, vegetables have carbohydrates. That's a duh. But they're qualitatively different from the simple carbohydrates in sugar. When you go to a grocery store and see yogurt bins advertising how healthy they are for you, only to realize that more than half their calories come from added sugar, you realize that you're eating dessert, not a healthy snack.