The French tend to eat their largest meal in the middle of the day, rather than late at night, and theoretically could be burning those calories all day long, says Dr. Ben-Arie. “Maybe that makes them less hungry or less likely to snack the rest of the day,” he suggests.
"French women don't work out; they walk," Guiliano has told WebMD. This daily physical activity is one of the reasons they tend to be thinner. Having a car in any European city is a challenge. As a result, city folks do plenty of walking, and in the country, they walk or ride bicycles.
Foods that are a staple of the French diet include full-fat cheese and yogurt, butter, bread, fresh fruits and vegetables (often grilled or sautéed), small portions of meat (more often fish or chicken than red meat), wine, and dark chocolate. Make meals a priority.
The average French woman today is just over 5 feet 3 inches tall and 137.6 pounds, compared to 5 feet 2 1/2 inches tall and 133.6 pounds in 1970. Women's waistlines in particular have thickened.
The ideal reference range is a BMI between 18.5-25, with a BMI above 25 being considered overweight.
Figures show that 6.4% of French women wear a 36 (8 UK), 14.6% wear a 38 (10 UK), 19.5% wear a 40 (12 UK), 18.5% wear a 42 (14 UK), 14.5% wear a 44 (16 UK) and 9.8% wear a 46 (18 UK).
According to the paper, French consumers eat about 1777 calories every day. Americans, by contrast, eat 2103 calories (UK falls in the middle at 1929).
The amount of sugar our society consumes is astonishing. The average American consumes about 126g of sugar a day, while the average French person consumes about 68g of sugar.
A typical French breakfast consists of a croissant or bread with butter and jam and sometimes a sweet pastry. Fresh fruit juice and hot beverages, like coffee or tea, are also included. Here all meals for French breakfast. The tradition of eating a large meal mid-day continues at dinner time in France.
Skinny jeans are not in style in France but the exception to this rule is a simple solid black pair of black skinny jeans which are exclusively worn under knee-high boots (the cut must be skinny so they don't bunch up around the knee).
The jeans that French women wear are usually a straight leg pair that are a bit loose. French women tend to shy away from skinny jeans, and prefer a high waist dark denim pair.
An usual French lunch will include: an appetizer (une entrée), such as a mixed salad, soup, terrine or pâté; main course, (le plat principal), choice of beef, pork, chicken, or fish, with potatoes, rice, pasta and/or vegetables; cheese course (from a local selection) and/or a sweet.
This leads me to how the French eat their bread. It is provided with every lunch and dinner, sliced into small portions and usually served in a communal basket. Everyone helps themselves to a bit which they place by their plate, directly on the table. Separate side plates are not used and butter is rarely offered.
Fixed meal times and no snacks
The French have always stuck to three meals a day and generally don't do food outside these set meals.
France is a country known for its fine dining, fresh produce and the slim waistlines of the locals, but the reality is quite different. Half of French adults are overweight and one in six is obese and it's mostly to do with the fact the nation has been having a not-so-secret love affair with junk food for years.
French people usually eat a smaller meal for dinner, such as a soup or salad with bread and a dessert (often a yoghurt or a slice of cheese). Considering French people famously don't snack, they must survive a long break between lunch and dinner. The solution is that lunch is the biggest meal of the day.
Most French people eat bread every day. It's not just a cliché, bread in France is a staple and something most people care about. French people take bread very seriously. In some countries bakers add nutritional supplements to their bread, or they add gluten to make the bread rise better.
The French are amoureux des produits laitiers (in love with dairy products) in general. After all, France is one of the largest milk producers in Europe. It's not uncommon to eat yogurt every day, especially with breakfast.
French beauty, as French fashion, is about an effortless and natural look. Once the skin is properly cleansed, hydrated, protected and well-balanced, light makeup will enhance the natural glow of the skin. Voluptuous focus may be brought to the lips or the eyes, but rarely both.”
Keep It Simple. A French woman over 50 will never wear overly-complicated clothing, as it can make her look older than she is. The best thing to do is keep it simple by wearing plain pieces that don't have patterns or embellishments.
The average French man is 179.73cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall. The average French woman is 164.88cm (5 feet 4.91 inches) tall.