Next time you are hungry try 1 teaspoon of a good olive oil. The essential fatty acids in it will kill your hunger for hours.
I read where Italians typically consume 2/3 cup a day. I don't know about that but uncooked olive oil is a key to satiation in their diets I expect.
I think you are correct, the Italians use a lot of olive oil and always have a bottle on the table. And the fats in olive oil are the good kind of fats (poly and monounsaturated). I've been using olive oil for two years now and I swear by it. I pour it on rice, vegetables, fish, breads, etc. In fact I eat a tin of sardines almost daily and they are packed in olive oil as well. My butter consumption has been reduced by 2/3 in favor of olive oil.
Don't forget the garlic!