How do French people stay slim if their food is world-renowned for its richness? Eyal Ben-Arie, M.D., a vascular surgeon at Piedmont, sheds some light on the French way of eating well without adding extra inches to your waistline.
France’s lower rates of obesity and heart disease
“The rates of obesity in France are a third of what they are in the United States,” says Dr. Ben-Arie. “If you look at current statistics, the French have less cardiovascular disease and less cardiovascular-related mortality than we do [in the United States].”
Countries with the lowest rates of heart disease include:
- France
- Australia
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Israel
Physical activity plays a role
Ultimately, he says, your weight is determined by how many calories you consume versus how many you burn. Europeans – the French in particular – make physical activity part of their day.
“Americans are often very obsessed with physical activity, but on the other extreme, they’re also almost religiously inactive,” he says. “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 American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity each day.
“The French are getting that without trying,” he explains.
Try walking during your lunch break or after dinner, and take the stairs whenever you can to squeeze more steps into your routine.
What the French eat
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.
Many people have the perception that French people frequently indulge in fine foods, like cakes and lavish, butter-drenched meats. The reality is many only eat these foods on occasion, not three times a day.
When they do splurge, the French tend to eat smaller portions.
“We’ve gotten to a point where we [Americans] eat a lot – a lot more than we need to,” he says.
While you don’t have to cut your favorite treats from your diet, indulge only occasionally. And when you do splurge, stick to a smaller portion.
For more nutrition information, click here.
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