How the French manage to stay slim

[LesLauriers]

LAST EDITED ON 28-Jul-04 AT 07:30 AM (BST)

I couldn't decide whether to put this into the Food & Wine forum or the Culture forum, so I've posted it in the Post Bag instead!

An article on the BBC News website today has (yet another) analysis on the French diet. Despite it being high in fat, it says that the French have lower heart problems, live longer and that France has an 11% obese rate as apposed the the UK's 22% and one third in the US.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3916959.stm

The reason they suggest why the French are slimmer is less junk food, (ie fizzy drinks, snacks), eating 'proper' meals as a family, and the main suggestion seems to be smaller portions.

I know my problem - I eat too much!! But I am trying and I have given up alcohol, two weeks now (I had the most awful hangover after all the unlimited Ros at the Bal to celebrate le quatorze juillet!!)

S

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I saw this on the Beebs website too. Very interesting. The basic conclusion was that the French are slimmer because they eat less (fewer calories that is) so allowing them to overcome the "glandular" problems associated with eating to too much (waddling, sweating, being harpooned by parties of excitible Japanese tourists).

I see this as the basis for an exciting new book I shall be trying to publish called "The Eat Less, Exercise More Diet." The basic premise of this will be that one cuts ones usual portion in half SO EATING LESS. Alternatively one could continue eating the same amount but exercise MORE, again surpressing the "glandular" problems. I have found this second approach to be very successful. In fact I may try and publish a second book (as yet untitled - ideas welcomed) that explores the idea of eating whatever you want while burning 8000 cals per day.

Atkins will be banging his head on the floor over this....

[SaligoBay]

LAST EDITED ON 28-Jul-04 AT 08:08 AM (BST)

This is a lovely view of France, but.....

- many people stay slim because they smoke a LOT
- there are high rates of cancer
- obesity isn't just 11%, it's 11% and rising!

Also, the dieting industry is alive and well in France. Taillefine do a whole range of "slimming" products in the supermarkets, you can buy Slim-fast etc. And yes, it's French people keeping this industry going!

If you want to read a French view of obesity in France, have a look here:
http://www.doctissimo.fr/html/nutrition/poids/obesite_etat_lieux_niv2.htm
I don't see anything as low as 11% mentioned anywhere there, it's more like 40%!

Sorry it's in French - these French writers are SO pretentious, don't you think?

[Boghound]

French females are devine upto the age of 45 yrs, then gravity takes over and they expand downwards and outwards. That's why, it's always advisable to trade in your mistress when she reaches the age of 35-40 for a younger model.

[Deby]

I have a theory to add to the smaller portions fact - which I definitely believe has alot of substance. Genetics! I have lived in the east of France near the Alpes for 4 years and now live on the exact same latitude in France but on the West and I have been astonished to see the difference in sizes here Nr Bordeaux. People are alot bigger, more rounder where on the East they are definintley size 10-12 - here 14-16 quite easily. I put this down to history. The west has had alot of anglo-saxon influence (who are generally heavier) the East has a more Italian influence (Latin) and the italians are definitely more slimmer in build. Anyway it is just my honest opionion (IMHO).
Deby

[Merteuil2]

Report from Europe 1 radio news today - a call (from Parlement (= Parliament) to remove all vending machines selling drinks and sweets/chocolates from schools. This is to fight the growing trend towards obesity amongst children. They said that within five years obesity would be at 20% (but I'm not sure whether that just related to France, or to populations in general in the developed world.)

[Stuart]

>The reason they suggest why the
>French are slimmer is less
>junk food, (ie fizzy drinks,
>snacks), eating 'proper' meals as
>a family, and the main
>suggestion seems to be smaller
>portions.

I don't think it is any of these reasons. They stay slim out of spite - especially some of those LeClerc checkout people. I'm sure it is just a conspiracy to make me feel ashamed while I am buying my bread/cheese/pate/cream/gateaux etc!!!


Stuart

[Weedon]

It would appear to me that if there is any such thing as a french 'diet' far from keeping them slim it seems to stunt their growth.
Whenever I venture into a supermarket or brico I notice there are quite a number of 'diddy people' here.

[Sprogster]

It appears that the answer is that the French are no longer managing to stay slim,because of their increasing love affair with fast food.(Pizzas and Big Macs.)
A French government report issued recently says that some 20 million French people are now sufficiently overweight or obese to negatively impact on their health at some point in the future. (That is a third of the population.)
Furthermore,the report says that the situation is deteriating at such a pace that if nothing is done French obesity rates will have caught up the USA by 2010.!
It may be that this is less perceptable with people in the countryside, where the insiduous growth of fast food restaurants has been lower.
Another interesting statistic was the huge decline in wine consumption by French people. (Something to do with the crackdown on drink driving maybe.)

[letrangere]

and that France
>has an 11% obese rate
>as apposed the the UK's
>22% and one third in
>the US.

Yes, but the French still believe it is serious cause for concern. Came across Nouvel Observateur (8th-14th July 04) in the library this afternoon which had a cover story on the subject. And they felt that 11.3% of the population being obese, including 250,000 "d'obesite massive", is a pretty dreadful state of affairs. M

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

>The reason they suggest why the
>French are slimmer is less
>junk food, (ie fizzy drinks,
>snacks), eating 'proper' meals as
>a family, and the main
>suggestion seems to be smaller
>portions.

I can never understand this, because in all the French families I've stayed with, they eat huge meals every day. However, it is a fact that very few seem to have fizzy drinks - at meal times anyway - nor do they snack - unless you count gouter as a snack. I've just come back from 3 weeks in France and we always eat French style in the evening - mostly cooked by ourselves - but we tend to just have the starter and main course and perhaps some fruit or a dessert, but not a cheese course. Lots of salad of course - using "light" dressing - unlike a proper vinaigrette (although I do do Tomates a la creme quite often). I did notice though, that I had no inclination to snack between meals. I wonder if it is eating bread with a meal which makes it more filling. Anyway, I don't dare to try on some of my trousers that I haven't worn for more than 3 weeks.

>I know my problem - I
>eat too much!!

Me too!

But I
>am trying and I have
>given up alcohol, two weeks
>now

Good luck with it! I've brought back some small bottles of French Ambree so that on the evenings when water isn't quenching my thirst anymore, I can just have a small amount of beer instead of opening a large English one.


Jill (99)

[SaligoBay]

Clearing out in preparation to dmnager (=move house), came across a copy of "Science & Vie Junior" from 2001.

Just after the Dossier Spcial about terrorisme, including step-by-step pics of the Twin Towers attack, there's a 6-page article about obesity in France. The blurb at the start says...

"Aujourd'hui, 17 millions de Franais sont nettement trop gros et 1 adulte sur 10 est carrment obse. Suivant le triste exemple des Etats-Unis, la France s'alourdit un rythme inquitant."

Or, as charmingly translated by Google:

"Today, 17 million French are definitely too large and 1 adult out of 10 is straightforwardly obese. According to the sad example of the United States, France weighs down itself at worrying intervals."