It would seem to an American looking at the French diet that the French should be the chubbiest folks on the planet considering the rich, buttery diet, the cheese, the paté and the pastries. But they aren’t. While there is obesity among the French population, they are slimmer, on average, than Americans. Of course the Americans don’t set the bar too high.
Eating Smaller Meals
Scientists have studied the French dietary customs for the last 50 years to look at different aspects of their habits—wondering, for instance, if the resveratrol in red wine offered some special benefit. A consistent pattern that has appeared through these various studies is that the French eat smaller and more enjoyable meals. A 2006 study performed by Cornell University addressed the question of why the French eat smaller meals.The researchers found that while Americans will eat until their plate is empty or their television program is finished, the French are trained to watch for internal clues that tell them when they’re getting full. The French, on average, don't overeat. Americans, on average, do.
It’s that simple.
Eating Slowly and Enjoying It More
Other researchers have found that eating slowly allows the body to better sense when hunger is satisfied. Whereas people who eat quickly can go far past the point of fullness before they stop. They get to that point where they feel “really stuffed” before they’re ready to push away from the table and loosen their belt.
An article in The American discussed the timing of meals, that the French spend more time eating each day, eating slowly at two long meals of modest portions. The French take the time to enjoy the taste and feel of the food in their mouths. Eating slowly allows the food to become better mixed with saliva providing important enzymes for efficient digestion.
The French Prize Moderation
The French prize moderation while the Americans prize consumption. The average human being consumes 1500 calories per day; the average American consumes 2200 and, each year, their daily consumption is slowly increasing by about 10 calories. According to the American National Center For Health Statistics, 33% of men and 35% of women are obese. For certain populations such as older black women, obesity rates are as high as 60%. The obesity rates are going up, not down.
Leave the Car at Home
Another small difference is that many of the French live in a situation where they can walk to a grocery whereas most American drive a car to a supermarket. If we’re going to eat an additional 10 calories each day, perhaps we should walk like the French. It’s not a big difference but over the months small differences add up, whether one is adding a pound of fat per month or loosing it.
Resources
Wansink, B., Payne, C., Chandon, P., “Internal and External Cues of Meal Cessation: the French paradox redux,” Obesity, 15:12, 12 Dec 2007, p 2920-2924.
