Why can’t the French get fat?

There’s an obsession among researchers, scientists and doctors as to why the French eat all they want and never gain weight. Some think that it has to do with the food they eat. Let me enlighten everyone on the French ways. They do not eat all that they want. And it has nothing to do with the food they eat or the fact that they walk everywhere. Don’t get me wrong; those are all very helpful when one wants to lose weight but there are only a handful of people in the world with quick metabolisms who can eat like a horse and never gain an ounce. And the chance of being that person is as high as being hit by a meteoroid.

Now that I got that out of the way, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. Not all French people are thin. There are many fat French but they’re not as fat as say people in America. With that said, Paris does have the largest skinny population because Parisian abhor being fat. I lived in Paris as a student. When I left my Los Angeles home, I was a size 6 but after living in Paris and enjoying their wonderful cheese, wine, pastries and chocolate, I returned to LA a year later as size 10. My mother asked me what happened? I said, I guess I like French food a bit too much.

Now, here’s the secret as to why so many Parisians are skinny. It’s because they don’t eat much. Many have a cup of coffee for breakfast, salad for lunch – and no I don’t mean the kind of salads where one piles up eggs, nuts, beans, and o-so-thick dressings – but rather the kind of salad that’s made up of a bowl of lettuce and a drizzle of vinaigrette. Then for dinner, they have about 3oz of meat, a tiny potato, 12 pieces of string beans, and a 6 oz glass of wine. Many don’t snack and skip dessert – they only have it on special occasions such as birthdays. Okay, so may be I exaggerated a bit but the skinny Parisians don’t eat much.

Of course the ones who aren’t rail thin eat more and walk everywhere, so they don’t look as large as some of us sedentary Americans who work longer hours and only get two measly weeks of vacation time. But I will guarantee you this, if you eat all that you want in Paris, Germany or on the moon, you will gain weight. So, here it is in a nutshell – forget about all the studies and take it from someone who has lived the French life. Eat too much and be fat, eat too little and be a stick. There’s no easy way around it. Moderation in food and exercise is the only key to stay at a healthy weight. I hope this article will help solve the French mystery.