….but apparently a new study out says that in 5-10 years they’ll be just as obese as North Americans. đ
I mentioned this to my (Parisienne) co-worker and this is what she had to say:
Friend: Most women in France are skinny. But they stay skinny because they don’t eat. The only drink those meal replacements and avoid eating actual food.
FB: *shocked*…. But why!?!?! Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life.
Friend: I know. But they want a rich husband. They did a study on this actually, and the criterion for men to look for a (trophy) wife is she has to be blonde and skinny. The blonde and skinny women had the best advantage of finding a rich Frenchman with high status in society.
FB: What an awful way to live…
Friend: It is why I left. But now, I think they are getting used to eating cheap fast food and that’s why they’re getting fatter.
So there you have it. Nothing special, none of this “French women don’t get fat” crap because they eat rich fromage (cheeses) and other fatty things in moderation. Apparently it’s all a big load of BS….LOL
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
As a french woman, I can say it is totally wrong… Your friend must be a very sad person to say that đ
If french are getting more fat It’s the proof that we are eating ! French are slim because we eat smaller parts, and because we’re taking time when doing it, but sadly it’s less true in today life, we have less and less time for a long lunch and lot of people eat bad fast food, kebab, pizzas for lunch.
by the way it’s true that french are less tolerant about fat people, If you’re very very obese you will feel ashamed when walking in the streets, having people looking or joking at you and you will have problems to find clothes that suit you.
so before summer a lot of french women are going on a diet to be “reasonnabally” fat.
And most french men prefer brunette, like 90% of them maybe
and french women don’t dream about marrying a rich man ! they don’t want to depend on someone else money !
so I think you’re friend had a problem with french people and did’nt want to assume that.
What I think is funny is that I guess I have a diet like a French woman (I
eat rich things on occasion but not everyday) and I eat until I’m full but
not overly so.
In doing so, I’ve dropped from a Size 6 to a Size 4!
you’re doing exactly the right thing ! I go on restaurants maybe once a week and eat everything I want, but the next day I’ll go for something lighter like salad or soup and fish, doing that your body will naturally keep you slim. Fat is not bad at all, as long as you don’t eat fat things at every meal. The other difference I noted when living in English and obese family (when I was student) was the habit to drink sodas all day, and dessert after every meal. I usually don’t have dessert, only if I’m still hungry or when doing whole family meal, birthdays, restaurants,… but everyone has different tastes I can forget eating cakes, but not my eggs for breakfast ^^ (french breakfast is crap ! I prefer english or german ones)
Mmmmmm eggs for breakfast.
As with always, everything in moderation. I find that if I eat a lot, my
body wants less the next day. It all works out.
I have a good friend from France and she is not thin by anyone's definition. Then again, she's lived here in the UK for a long time and I know she likes her red wine. She says her family rave about how big she is when she goes home to visit. So she doesn't go home that much…
Naomi: Eating slowly is probably to wait for their stomach to fill up with what little food they’ve eaten, then stop.
Because I find when I’m hungry and I quickly gorge myself on food, I end up eating WAY MORE than I should’ve….
Which is actually much healthier and sound advice… if they’re eating fruits/veggies/protein instead of a health shake or something.
must be like here in Spain where the skinny women eat very very slooowwwlllyy.
Rae: Oh goody! Glad it helped….. Yea, they don’t eat. They smoke like chimneys, drink a glass of wine here and there and drink meal replacements.
Melissa: LOL.. tell me about it!!!
Good to know! đ
Fantastic!! I’ve always thought it unfair, how they live in one of the most foodie cities in the world and, yet, happen to be stick thin.
Their missing out on fabulous food to be skinny kinda ups my confidence by about…gee, I don’t know – tenfold? đ