8 Reasons Why The French Do Not Get Fat From The Perspective of a Half-French Brit

[elleng]

Eating habits we can all learn from the French

As the child of one British parent and one French parent, I feel more than qualified to explore the somewhat baffling phenomenon of why the French do not get fat.

Some may argue that the reason the French do not get fat is genetic. However, my French mother moved to the UK when she was 20 or so and immediately put on a lot of weight, therefore, in my experience, the genetic argument does not really hold. Instead, it is down to the relationship the French have with their food and their subsequent eating habits.

Based on my own French family, this is why the French do not get fat:

. . .

Because the French allow themselves to eat the most decadent, rich foods daily, they have a small amount daily, not large binging sessions that result in weight gain.'>>>

https://medium.com/exploring-wellness/8-reasons-why-the-french-do-not-get-fat-from-the-perspective-of-a-half-french-brit-dffe1ed87719

[Bayard]

1. Interesting

[BigmanPigman]

2. Anthony Bourdain went to a French school with a well known French chef

and it was very interesting.

[elleng]

3. Thanks. I recall seeing that.

[Moebym]

4. Same reason Japanese don't tend to get fat

They don't stuff themselves silly. Another reason is that Americans are still wedded to their cars, whereas the French and Japanese are more physically active.

[LudwigPastorius]

5. #9 They walk everywhere.

Their cities were built before cars and are navigable by foot and bike. You don't HAVE to own a car. You can get everything you need for your daily life by just walking around your neighborhood.

[lark]

7. Their cities are very dense, apartments are many stories & there is no elevator.

Everyone runs up and down the stairs, it's amazing to me who has dizziness issues. There are few cars in France, in the cities almost no one has them except for businesses so everyone walks - a lot. They do snack, however. Go to any patisserie around 2-3 and you will see a lot of people there having a mid-day snack. It is uncommon, however, to snack after dinner except to have wine.

[PJMcK]

6. Great article! Thanks, elleng

These are still more reasons my wife and I think about moving to France, especially if our politics go further south.