Studies have shown that the portion size served in French restaurants is much less than that in other countries. In a French diet, the focus is more in the quality of ingredients and not the quantity. Moreover, it has been seen that in France people take out more time to savour their meals.
"You need to eat a large volume of bread or pasta for the calories to add up, and most of the time, French meals are quite light and portions are small," says David Benchetrit. Duck confit, foie gras, and many other fatty foods are enjoyed occasionally - maybe once in two weeks, he says.
Over the last 25 years, obesity has grown in France, especially among youth. In 2020, one in two adults was dealing with overweight or obesity in the country. Indeed, 47 percent of French adults were overweight, of which 17 percent suffered from obesity.
Obesity rates in France are among the lowest in the OECD, but have been increasing steadily. About 1 in 10 people is obese in France, and almost 40% are overweight (including obese).
Furthermore, healthy habits are ingrained in the French culture from a young age. The French generally eat smaller portions than Americans, and they usually enjoy only one large meal a day — lunch — whereas Americans often enjoy three. In addition, snacking is rarely encouraged.
A big factor in this is healthcare - France's healthcare system is excellent and covers everyone who is resident here, so there's no barrier to treatment if people need it.
In 2017-18, two thirds (67.0%) of Australians 18 years and over were overweight or obese. Slightly more than a third (35.6%) were overweight and slightly less than a third were obese (31.3%). Just under one third (31.7%) were within the healthy weight range and one percent (1.3%) were underweight.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the most obese countries are primarily located in the Pacific and the Middle East. The Pacific island nations of Nauru, Cook Islands, and Palau have the highest rates of obesity, with over 30% of their populations being classified as obese.
Vietnam is the least obese country with 2.1% of the population classified as obese.
One in 4 (25%) are living with overweight or obesity. This is approximately 1.2 million children and adolescents. 17% are living with overweight but not obesity. 8.2% are living with obesity.
To tackle the obesity epidemic, France has put in place a number of policies, including voluntary front-of-pack food labelling and advertising restrictions, and taxes on sugary drinks.
1. Obesity rates are low in Italy, relative to most OECD countries, but are very high among children. About 1 in 10 people is obese in Italy, significantly less than the OECD average of 1 in 6. More than 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women are overweight.
Among the US-born, Whites had the lowest total obesity prevalence followed by Hispanics and then Blacks; but racial-ethnic disparities for immigrants were different. In abdominal obesity, US-born white men had the highest prevalence.
It's safe to say, you won't find a heart-healthy icon next to a lobster bisque or an eggs Benedict on a menu. The French diet includes high amounts of fat - saturated fat to be precise. What makes a delicious flaky croissant is the large quantity of butter added, which is a great example of saturated fat.
French food is stereotypically thought to be very heavy, featuring cream and butter in both savory and sweet items. The French do like their butter and a lot of French cooking and baking relies on it. Finding out how much butter goes into a single croissant would likely give you a heart attack.
Nutrient transmission (change in diet) is the primary cause of the obesity epidemic in the Pacific Islands, with a high amount of imported foods high in salt and fat content grow.
Food prices are substantially higher in Japan, but the traditional Japanese dietary habits, although changing, are also healthier. The Japanese are also far more physically active than Americans, but not because they do more planned physical exercise. They walk more as part of their daily lives.
The most obese country by percentage of obese adults is Nauru, with 61% of adults falling in the obese category. Cook Islands fllows with 55.9%, and Palau just under that at 55.3%. Three other countries have adult populations that are over 50% obese: the Marshall Islands (52.9%), Tuvalu (51.6%), and Niue (50%).
The rise in obesity has been attributed to poor eating habits in the country closely related to the availability of fast food since the 1970s, sedentary lifestyles and a decrease in the labour workforce.
Tasmania had the highest proportion of men overweight or obese (76.7%) while Australian Capital Territory had the lowest (70.5%).
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' National Health Survey from 2017–18 revealed that 67 per cent of Australian adults were overweight or obese (12.5 million people), an increase from 63.4 per cent since 2014-15.
“Europeans – the French in particular – tend to be very active as part of their normal day. They may not run as many marathons or even belong to a gym, but they're walking to work and to pick up their kids, they don't take elevators as much.”
The French diet consists of real food
The traditional French diet has always been built around fresh whole food with minimal processing. French women shop daily at local markets for fresh vegetables, fish, meats, fruits, and dairy products.