That’s not about people eating themselves to death.
It’s about people sitting (1) in a circle and (2) on toilets.
As soon as they felt the need to eat they had to raise their hand and ask for permission to go the the ” small room ” where a lot of food was available, enabling them to take their role up again on the very public toilets.

Whow, that’s more than 30 years ago. I’m growing old.
What do I remember?
- The house where they were eating all the time and the meat hanging in the trees.
- The woman, as fat as courageous.
- Marcello Mastroianni, he was a pilot, I remember, playing his useual role as sex symbol during the first 30 minutes of the movy and then going down as a big zero ( standing upright in his open sportscar) MM was able not to take himself too seriously, playing role which presented him as exactly the opposite of what he was famous for. Great artist.
- And most of all my beloved actor Philippe Noiret, who – right then- seemed to be rehearsing for his fantatic role in ” Coup De Torchon”, ie another zero.