How Do Europeans React At Being Told What To Eat?

By continuing to eat whatever they darn well please.

As part of the larger EATWELL Project, which is focused on effective policy interventions to promote healthy nutrition for all in the EU, the EATWELL survey is an international study based on random samples of more than 3,000 computer-aided web interviews that assessed public acceptance of nutrition policies in the UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Poland depending on age, economic wealth, political views, obesity attributions, and the willingness to pay for such policies. Dr Mario Mazzocchi presented the preliminary survey results of the project, which was funded by the EU Commission, on October 27 at the University of Bologna during the 11th FENS European Nutrition Conference in Madrid...

The way people perceive what causes obesity is highly significant when explaining support of healthy eating policies. Researchers found that the most accepted cause in all respondents was reported as obesity due to lack of personal willpower of changing food habits and exercise. The second highest perceived cause was 'discounting', or the tendency to succumb to immediate satisfaction rather than thinking of future health implications.

At least the respondents are right about the causes.