Britons are the world's biggest fans of fast food, just ahead of Americans, while the famously gastronomic French are the least attracted to quick meals, according to a study published last week.

The survey of 13 countries also confirmed growing concern over obesity worldwide, but noted different priorities and strategies in different parts of the world for tackling it.

"People are inherently contradictory and nowhere is it more obvious than on such a sensitive and important issue as their weight," says Steve Garton of polling body Synovate, who produced the survey jointly with the BBC.

"The results show there's a world of people who cannot deny themselves that hamburger or extra piece of pizza, but probably make themselves feel better by washing it down with a diet cola."

In terms of fast food, 45 percent of Britons agreed with the statement "I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up" ahead of 44 percent for Americans and Canadians at 37 percent.

The French, long proud of their reputation for high-class cuisine, strongly disagree: 81 percent rejected the statement, followed by 75 percent of Singaporeans and 73 percent of people from Romania.

"Britons love their fish and chips," Garton says.

"French people take care of their image as a matter of course. Being thin is part of our culture and a point of pride," he says. "On top of this there is increasing awareness of the devastation obesity can cause to one's health."

Overall the obesity problem is fuelling increasing concern worldwide - although some are more concerned than others.

Fifteen percent of French people and 12 percent of Americans weigh themselves every single day.

In terms of how to shed weight there are also different strategies. Globally most people say cutting food intake is the best answer, followed by 43 percent who do more exercise.

But there are regional variations: 57 percent of Americans, 56 percent of French and 54 percent of Britons cut down on food to shed weight, while 14 percent of Malaysians opt for herbs and supplements to cut their weight.

上周公布的一項調查表明，全世界最愛吃快餐的是英國人，其次是美國人；而以高超烹飪技藝而著稱的法國人最不喜愛快餐。

此外，該項針對13個國家的調查證實，世界各地的人們越來越關注肥胖問題，但各國對這個問題的關注程度和應對方法不盡相同。

該調查由Synovate民調機構與BBC聯合開展。Synovate民調機構的史蒂夫•加頓說：“人天生矛盾，而在體重這個敏感重要的問題上體現的尤為明顯。”

“調查結果顯示，全世界的人們似乎都無法抗拒漢堡或皮薩餅的誘惑，但可能用杯減肥可樂將它們沖下肚感覺會好些。”

就快餐而言，45%的英國人選擇的是“我太喜歡快餐的味道了，簡直無法割舍。”；44%的美國人和37%的加拿大人同意該說法。

向來以高品位烹飪技藝而著稱的法國人強烈反對這一說法，81%的受訪者不同意該觀點；新加坡和羅馬尼亞的這一比例分別為75%和73%。

加頓說：“英國人深愛他們的炸魚和炸薯條。”

他說：“法國人很注重自己的形象，這是件很自然的事。保持苗條的身材是我們文化的一部分，也是一種驕傲。此外，人們也越來越意識到肥胖給健康造成的危害。”

總體來看，全世界對于肥胖問題的擔憂日益加劇，不過有些人對此尤為擔心。

15%的法國人和美國人每天都稱體重。

人們的減肥方法也不盡相同。從全世界范圍看，多數人稱節食是最佳減肥法，其次是運動減肥，43%的人選擇運動減肥。

但同時還存在一些地域差別：57%的美國人、56%的法國人和54%的英國人通過節食減肥，14%的馬來西亞人用草藥和補品減肥。