More on French women never getting fat
October 31st 2007 01:10
Santa Barbara's Independent newspaper posted an entertaining article this week called 'Eating French', where the author outlines his suggestions for why French people avoid obesity, despite the richness of their food and sublime desserts.
Is it true? Well, if these stats hold up, it's terrifying news:
"Only 11 percent of the French population qualifies as obese, while we almost triple that percentage mark here in the land of plenty. Furthermore, the French eat three times as much saturated animal fat as Americans do and only a third as many die of heart attacks."
I just went to a fabulous French restaurant in Surry Hills called Tabou this week, and it'd be easy to agree with every sentiment in the article....we had small bites of several dishes, including fish and oysters, and by the end we felt pleasantly full, aided by a small dessert and digestif.
Who can argue with that?
The author of the article also indicates that he believes in the commonly-held idea that enjoying your meal aids in the digestion and reduces the amount of calories that you'll store. Does it make sense? Perhaps not, but there's no arguing with the idea that enjoy your meal with good food and good company is a better way to eat, compared to eating on the run, or at your desk.
There's also a lot to be said for the way French children are raised, taught to enjoy good quality food... this site shows some classic French foods and the idea that kids can enjoy good quality, without lowering them to chicken fingers and fries.
The author finishes with quote from another writer, one that we can probably all use as advice:
"According to Hauben, the French Paradox isn’t a paradox at all, but a logical consequence of the traditional French way of life, which is less materialistic, less driven. “We need to slow down, think about our priorities, and ask ourselves what the point is of an expensive kitchen remodel when we don’t take the time to cook, and why we work so hard that we never have time to see the people we love,” she said. “Maybe if we traded some of our discretionary income for discretionary time, that would be the true luxury.”
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