French Secrets
If the French don't get fat - what is the real reason why?
Mireille Guiliano's book (French Women Don't Get Fat) is still a top seller 18 months after release proving that this is a fascinating topic for some.
BBC correspondent Caroline Wyatt writes an excellent piece about living in Paris.
Wyatt points out that the number one reason for Parisienne slenderness is: black coffee and cigarettes in abundance. However there is more to it than that. Wyatt visits a French nutritionist who expresses horror at the practice of eating on the run:
She looked horrified as I admitted that I often did not get time to sit down for lunch. And that I grabbed snacks on the run. And certainly did not take an hour for my main meal. Too much to do, too little time.It seems the French view of nutrition is not so much about macro-nutrient ratios and diet foods - but about moderation and taking time:"No wonder!" she exclaimed. "You must sit and enjoy your food, look at it and take in what you're eating. And you have to spend a minimum of 20 minutes on each meal."
"From an Anglo-Saxon point of view, food is just fuel to give energy to your muscles and if you take no pleasure in it, you're breaking all the rules of eating, and if you eat at your desk or too fast, your brain doesn't know when you're full."Unfortunately things are changing for the French - the fast food lifestyle is making inroads and waistlines are expanding. France is expected to match current US obesity levels by 2020.
Impolite
The French might be slim (now) but life isn't just about slimness. In a large global poll of big-city politeness, New York City ranked as the most courteous, with Paris down at number 19. The Washington Times reports that "The undercover reporters became so discouraged in Paris -- ranked 19th -- that they almost abandoned the research altogether."
Ha, I knew it! Caffeine and nicotine, of course. That's their big secret. I knew a lot of girls in college that smoked and drank lots of black coffee in order to stay thin. Sure, you'll be thin if you do that but there's no way you could work out if you did that. Definitely NOT a healthy way to be thin. I think I'd rather eat and work out and have muscular curves rather than starve and look like a stick.
ReplyI lived in Paris ten years ago and I never ate as much McDonalds in my live as I did while I lived there...
You make an interesting point here:
ReplyIt seems the French view of nutrition is not so much about macro-nutrient ratios and diet foods - but about moderation and taking time
I always thought the low-fat/low-carb quarrels I read here were just a characteristic of this blog, but I now realize it is probably the American view of dieting. I (from the Netherlands) lost weight by simply eating less and exercising more. It was neither low fat nor low carb. I estimate my diet was about 45% carbs, 40% fat and 15% protein at the time.
I used to have to spend 3 weeks at a time in these cities for business. I went often, and it didn't take long for me to see these facts.
Everytime I come back from Paris I am thinner and feel great!
Everytime I come back from Dublin I am heavier and feel lumpy.
I walk the same amount in both cities ( a LOT of walking...)
but in Paris I savor the wine and champagne and eat slower,
and in Dublin I swallow pints of Guinness and eat fish & chips.
In Paris I sip mineral water, too.
In Dublin, More Guinness! oh...and a packet of crisps!
ReplyHa, I knew it! Caffeine and nicotine, of course. That's their big secret.
No, sorry...as the article says, there is more to it than that.
In general, the French are not gluttons about food, hence portions are smaller and food is savoured. It seems they are more aware that it really doesn't take much to fill the stomach - per sitting, and this is why food is rather logically divided throughout the day. And yes, lingering over food is not only pleasureable but a healthy lifestyle.
Like the person from the Netherlands, moderation is the key. We hear it over and over, but so many are deaf to that word.
Also, the black coffee (little cups, by the way) and cigarettes observation is a little exaggerated I think, for effect. A practice that surely some follow, but not the majority.
I too spent time in Paris and believe me the 'thin look' ie. 'Parisenne Chic' is typical for fashion obsessed Paris. Travel elsewhere in France to find 'real French'.
ReplyIn general, the French are not gluttons about food, hence portions are smaller and food is savoured. It seems they are more aware that it really doesn't take much to fill the stomach - per sitting, and this is why food is rather logically divided throughout the day. And yes, lingering over food is not only pleasureable but a healthy lifestyle.
The portions are smaller because they're denser with fat calories. Figures available at the FAO show, on average, the French consume 3,551 of the 3,575 calories available in their food supply -- of that 1353 calories are from meat, fish, animal fats, fish oils, edible offal (organ meats), milk, milk products, butter, cheese, cream, eggs and egg products.
On a daily basis, the average person in France consumes 43% of their calories from fat...with 171g total, 108g from animal sources of fat, and 63g from plant sources of fat.
Compare that to Americans - who consume 3,575 of the 3,754 calories available in the food supply --- of that 648 calories are from fats from animal foods; a startling 765 calories a day are from plant based fats. The average American consumes 38% of calories from fat....with 157g total, 72g from animal sources and 63g from plant source.
The French consume higher - significantly higher - vegetables, cheese, butter, pork and yogurt than we do....and significantly less vegetable oils, trans-fats, fruits, and sugar ---- the calorie differences between the countries is not a huge amount ---- the fat intake total and by type IS...the intake of fresh vegetables IS also significant.
CHD death rates speak volumes;
France (2000) Men = 82/100,000
Women = 49/100,000
USA (2000) Men = 216/100,000
ReplyWomen = 90/100,000
Compare that to Americans - who consume 3,575 of the 3,754 calories available in the food supply --- of that 648 calories are from fats from animal foods; a startling 765 calories a day are from plant based fats. The average American consumes 38% of calories from fat....with 157g total, 72g from animal sources and 63g from plant source.
Error on my part --- that should read:
ReplyCompare that to Americans - who consume 3,575 of the 3,754 calories available in the food supply --- of that 648 calories are from fats from animal foods; a startling 765 calories a day are from plant based fats. The average American consumes 38% of calories from fat....with 157g total, 72g from animal sources and 85g from plant source.
Regina, those statistics are mind-boggling. Why, I ask, do these kinds of stats never make it out to mainstream media? Because it goes against the grain of everything we've been taught.
ReplyExactly! Here in the US, we call it the "French Paradox," but if we look at other countries throughout Western Europe we see similar dietary patterns in other countries too - Italy (38-40% fat); Greece (36-42% fat); Spain (39% fat)...and those countries enjoy a higher level of health, quality of life in the "end years" and live longer than we do. It's disturbing that we perpetrate this myth that dietary fat is evil, especially saturated fat, when (in my opinion) I think the problems we have stem from the multitude of modifications we've made to our food, our food chain and how we eat as a nation - the fat content of our diet is a red herring....other, healthier nations are eating as many calories, more saturated fat, more animal foods and enjoying better health - we have to look at why and stop thinking they're an anomoly because they don't fit our paradigm....they're not eating the same level of fast foods, added sugars, fruits, industrial trans-fats or processed foods as we are....and I think we can clearly see that when you eat real food - animal or plant - you are much healthier than when you're eating a steady diet of processed foods.
ReplyI believe they have a great point that it's not what you eat but the portion and how much while eating to fast. When people eat to fast they cannot tell when they are full so they eat more than they normally would.
ReplyOther questions to consider are why are the French all wrinkly midgets, and if they're so healthy why don't they live longer?
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