French Women Don't Get Fat

fitgirlandfoodie

I've never read the book but did hear the author talking about it. It's true, the majority of French women enjoy their food and are slim. However, just an observation I've made in 24 years holidaying in France..the number of overweight men and women is increasing. But I suppose that's the same almost everywhere. But I do remember being young in France (say 8 or 9) and always feeling bigger than the French kids...I wasn't overweight then, but as I notice now, their children are much slimmer than children here in Ireland..(a gross generalisation I know).

Camera_BagintheUK

Sadly, though, they're catching the rest of us up....

http://www.parisdailyphoto.com/2006/09/french-women-do-get-fat.html

Bry_Fitness70

Interesting tidbit:

A couple of years ago we had a French foreign exchange student with us for a year - here in New York USA. She got quite fat while here. Went home to France several sizes larger than she was when she left France the year past.

She is now attending a college in Boston and visited us last weekend. I would not have recognized her. Three years back home in France and living well have slimmed her down beautifully.

I think I'll buy this book the OP is talking about!

We have had a lot of employees hired out of Puerto Rico that had the same problem - they come to the States skinny and within a few years, succumb to our flawed Midwestern American food culture.

gabbygirl78

So far so good. I'm only in the first 2 chapters but basically it is about portion control and no eliminating your have-to-have comfort foods just portion control and have them when you really need them and a receipe for Leek Soup that is supposed to "reset" your balance and deal with water retention.

Share that recipe lol... I have water retention like you would not believe! I'm talking 20+ lbs my weight will fluctuate in just days...... I make sure I take my fluid pills for the couple days before my weigh in so I wont be swollen and my weight be that far off the norm.

eccowarrior

I think the more McDs people eat at (in Paris or in NY) the more weight/health issues they will have. But the traditional French diet AND culture would certainly help most of us our struggle to get trim and healthy. Cut out the processed food and stick to natural - as close to nature as possible - foods. Portion control and a less sedentary life would also help a lot. As in most self-help books, I think the ideas in this one should not surprise anyone that has done a little research. But, we are always looking for a quick fix when the answer is (as always) one step at a time and don't quit.

FerretBuellerr

This is probably a pointless and slightly snotty post, but the title of this book really bothers me, because it's innaccurate.

It's clear that they are speaking about French women in France, but not ALL French women. That's like saying "English Women Don't Get Fat" and only talking about women that live in England. Jeez! Lumping people into defined categories when they do not exist gets a bit under my skin - I know many French-Canadian women who are overweight, so then they don't count as French because they don't live in France? Silliness.

That being said, it is true, from my experiences - I went on an exchange to France years ago when I was 16, and while I easily lost 20 pounds in 3 months just by eating the food that was put infront of me, the poor girl who came to Canada to live with me easily gained 20 pounds from eating the food my family put infront of her. Some of her family members were slightly overweight though, but for all I know there were underlying health issues - most people I saw on a daily basis seemed to be in good physical shape.

Mslmesq

This is probably a pointless and slightly snotty post, but the title of this book really bothers me, because it's innaccurate.

Interesting take. I would say it was more of a clever ploy to sell books and use the title (and fascination with the term 'french paradox, etc.) to spur her book to the bestseller's list....something she more than accomplished when it was first released. And it doesn't surprise me given that she took one of the oldest champagne houses in France, virtually unknown in America, and turned it into a regular name with people buying champagne. She is, simply put, a brilliant business woman.

Irrespective of that, and the fact that traditional french eating habits are somewhat in decline, which she has noted regrettably in interviews, the book is a fun and interesting read.

FerretBuellerr

This is probably a pointless and slightly snotty post, but the title of this book really bothers me, because it's innaccurate.

Interesting take. I would say it was more of a clever ploy to sell books and use the title (and fascination with the term 'french paradox, etc.) to spur her book to the bestseller's list....something she more than accomplished when it was first released. And it doesn't surprise me given that she took one of the oldest champagne houses in France, virtually unknown in America, and turned it into a regular name with people buying champagne. She is, simply put, a brilliant business woman.

Irrespective of that, and the fact that traditional french eating habits are somewhat in decline, which she has noted regrettably in interviews, the book is a fun and interesting read.

Makes complete sense! It does sound like it would be an interesting read for sure.

Francl27

It's clear that they are speaking about French women in France, but not ALL French women. That's like saying "English Women Don't Get Fat" and only talking about women that live in England. Jeez! Lumping people into defined categories when they do not exist gets a bit under my skin - I know many French-Canadian women who are overweight, so then they don't count as French because they don't live in France? Silliness.

Well, they're not French. They're Canadian.

I actually put on like 40 lbs in 2 years when I came to the US. I was chubby to start with (160ish lbs I think), but I walked a whole lot. I lived in the suburbs of Paris, and in Paris for a year, and pretty much walked everywhere (even if it's just to walk to the subway station, you end up walking a lot, switching trains etc). I didn't eat particularly well either, I lived alone for a year and don't know how to cook so was mostly snacking all day, eating a lot of cheese and croissants etc (and McDonald's once a week), but the walking made a huge difference.

I think one of the big differences though is that eating out for lunch over there = maybe 800 calories, here it's pretty much twice that for an average entree. And yeah, people walk to the restaurant/bakery over there to have lunch... here they just drive. And more big companies have cafeterias where you can get semi healthy meals. Here, not so much.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

they don't shave their underarms either.

...so pick your poison. *shrugs*

Did you really bump a 4 year old thread to simply, and inaccurately, slam their hygiene. Of which, having met the author of the book, she is immaculately put together, hygiene and all.

Aside from that, your over generalization of a hygiene practice of some women (french or otherwise) in regards to a 4 year old thread discussing a particular book, and the author's recommendations for good diet and lifestyle choices, is odd (polite word).

you're very angry.

you should get that checked out.

maybe you have a tumor or something...

Nope, not angry. I've simply read many of your posts and have formed an opinion of you. You may not like my opinion, but it doesn't stem from a place of anger.

i still think you may have a tumor...

of course that's not a diagnosis, just an opinion.

Wow. What a totally sick thing to say. You resurrected a thread from February 2009- and then come out with something like this? Nothing further to be said, I think your post speaks for itself- and you.

Never saw Kindergarten Cop?

Didn't think so.

Some_Watery_Tart

I'm in here to say that I love the Burro. Yep. Love him. He's quite intelligent and very helpful. I could comment about other people's senses of humor, but...nah, I'm gonna be positive. Burro has been an amazing help to me in many ways.

I will say that I can certainly see the parallel in the two statements "French women don't get fat" and "French women don't shave their underarms." Both are stereotypes, and are not wholly true. But maybe the delivery was too subtle for some. Personally, I laughed.

Staying on topic: my neighbor is from France and told me that French women are thin because they smoke and drink and walk everywhere--in that order. She's an amazingly funny, very large, woman in her 70s who doesn't shave and tells me how silly I am for doing it. I love her too. She's such a cool chick.

ETA: TL;DR - I Burro. I also my unshaven French neighbor lady.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I'm in here to say that I love the Burro. Yep. Love him. He's quite intelligent and very helpful. I could comment about other people's senses of humor, but...nah, I'm gonna be positive. Burro has been an amazing help to me in many ways.

I will say that I can certainly see the parallel in the two statements "French women don't get fat" and "French women don't shave their underarms." Both are stereotypes, and are not wholly true. But maybe the delivery was too subtle for some. Personally, I laughed.

Staying on topic: my neighbor is from France and told me that French women are thin because they smoke and drink and walk everywhere--in that order. She's an amazingly funny, very large, woman in her 70s who doesn't shave and tells me how silly I am for doing it. I love her too. She's such a cool chick.

ETA: TL;DR - I Burro. I also my unshaven French neighbor lady.

I laughed, and was hoping for hairy armpit gifs, but I was disappointed. I Burro, too!

Cranquistador

really?2009?

c'monnnnnnn.

Some_Watery_Tart

really?2009?

c'monnnnnnn.

That's the part I laughed about most. :laugh:

43932452

I'm a portion French, guess its my legs .. the rest of me enjoys getting fat.:laugh:

Mslmesq

I'm in here to say that I love the Burro. Yep. Love him. He's quite intelligent and very helpful. I could comment about other people's senses of humor, but...nah, I'm gonna be positive. Burro has been an amazing help to me in many ways.

I will say that I can certainly see the parallel in the two statements "French women don't get fat" and "French women don't shave their underarms." Both are stereotypes, and are not wholly true. But maybe the delivery was too subtle for some. Personally, I laughed.

Staying on topic: my neighbor is from France and told me that French women are thin because they smoke and drink and walk everywhere--in that order. She's an amazingly funny, very large, woman in her 70s who doesn't shave and tells me how silly I am for doing it. I love her too. She's such a cool chick.

ETA: TL;DR - I Burro. I also my unshaven French neighbor lady.

I laughed, and was hoping for hairy armpit gifs, but I was disappointed. I Burro, too!

That IS funny cause I see the utter absurdity of it also. Someone titles a book to grab attention and get peoples' interest in picking it up to have a look, a smart move on her part as it worked. And then made it a bestseller, as it is a book that actually inside offers a lot of good old fashioned common sense advice and wisdom. Then, years later, some anonymous person on a weight loss 'support' site, who has never even read the book, decides to issue a commentary on the entire book, along with the puported opinion and perspective of it's author based on the title of her book, without knowing anything about her.

Yes, you are describing something funny. But intelligent and helpful? That's open to individual interpretation I suppose.

Some_Watery_Tart

I'm in here to say that I love the Burro. Yep. Love him. He's quite intelligent and very helpful. I could comment about other people's senses of humor, but...nah, I'm gonna be positive. Burro has been an amazing help to me in many ways.

I will say that I can certainly see the parallel in the two statements "French women don't get fat" and "French women don't shave their underarms." Both are stereotypes, and are not wholly true. But maybe the delivery was too subtle for some. Personally, I laughed.

Staying on topic: my neighbor is from France and told me that French women are thin because they smoke and drink and walk everywhere--in that order. She's an amazingly funny, very large, woman in her 70s who doesn't shave and tells me how silly I am for doing it. I love her too. She's such a cool chick.

ETA: TL;DR - I Burro. I also my unshaven French neighbor lady.

I laughed, and was hoping for hairy armpit gifs, but I was disappointed. I Burro, too!

That IS funny cause I see the utter absurdity of it also. Someone titles a book to grab attention and get peoples' interest in picking it up to have a look, a smart move on her part as it worked. And then made it a bestseller, as it is a book that actually inside offers a lot of good old fashioned common sense advice and wisdom. Then, years later, some anonymous person on a weight loss 'support' site, who has never even read the book, decides to issue a commentary on the entire book, along with the puported opinion and perspective of it's author based on the title of her book, without knowing anything about her.

Yes, you are describing something funny. But intelligent and helpful? That's open to individual interpretation I suppose.

You get out of life what you put in. :flowerforyou:

pcastagner

I was in Paris a couple days ago.

There were plenty of fat girls...

Deipneus

Has anyone read this book? What did you think??? I just started reading it tonight.

I prefer non-fiction.

43932452

I was in Paris a couple days ago.

There were plenty of fat girls...

Were those Tourists?