French Women Don’t Get Fat…Or Do They?
According to the now very famous book, French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure, the trick to keeping that girlish figure is to enjoy sensible pleasures. Meaning, if you’re going to indulge in that decadent cheesecake at lunch then have a salad for dinner or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Author Mireille Guiliano also insists that you should ignore the scale and keep an eye on your weight by using the “zipper test”. Guiliano emphasizes the tenets of French eating: don’t deprive yourself of the occassional treat, drink plenty of water, eat three substantial meals per day with smaller portions and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and take the stairs instead of the elevator. Most would say all in all the book reflects a very common sense approach to living life.
But, the results of a recently conducted survey show that contrary to the advice of French Women Don’t Get Fat, they are doing just that. The survey conducted by ObEpi-Roche shows that nearly 42 percent of the French population over the age of 15 has a weight problem. Almost a third are overweight, while 12.4 percent are obese. The survey has been conducted every three years since 1997, and has shown a steady increase each time conducted. Although obsesity in France is not as serious an issue as in other countries such as the United States, there has been a steady rise in the number of cases of severe obsesity requiring health care. The survey also shows that overall obsesity is linked to income, with the rate of obsesity higher in those with a lower income. In a seperate survey by TNS Worldpanel it was determined that French households spend on average 3 Euros more (or a total of 132 Euros) on health foods such as yogurt and cereal that promise weight loss and lower cholesterol than did in 2005.
Although French Women Don’t Get Fat gives a bit of very good advice - moderation is key, the survey shows that there may be a bit more to watching or maintaining ones weight than just skipping the bread at dinner because you ate that chocolate croissant for breakfast.
