Having just got back from France it’s hit me how there are far less fat people over there.

There abscence wasn’t obvious until I looked around this morning to see all the chubby cheeks of the car caged commuters.

Could there be something in their diet, or was it because I was in an area where people are generally more active?

Nah … It’s just that Onions aren’t that fattening.

Edit… Or garlic come to think of it

They don’t eat bread, fruit or any other carb based food

FACT

They were all on holiday in Skegness.

FACT.

Noticed the same in France on previous visits.

Was even more striking on a recent trip to Holland – I was actually surprised when I saw a larger person, which tuned my eyes in to the fact that there were, indeed, very few…

Where were you? Somewhere different in demographic to your commute route?

Probably a FACTOR, THOUGH THEY DO SEEM A BIT LESS TUBBY. Damn CL.

EDIT 23% UK obesity vs 9% France

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

welcome back! how was your hols, and how did mrs yeti get on with her ride?

They don’t eat bread, fruit or any other carb based food

err – I think bread, cheese, veg and red wine are far more significant diet components than meat…

Main difference I have noticed is the relative contempt for US style food outlets

They don’t eat so much fast food in france? There they call McDonalds’ “Le Mal Boeuf”

French food tastes rubbish, so no one wants to eat it.
That’s why they’re skinny.

Al – I was in the mountains in France. I live in Oxfordshire.

Does altitude make you skinny?

{Dirty – great on both accounts. She wants to go on another road tour already. I made it back from LG with just 7 stitches}

err – I think bread, cheese, veg and red wine are far more significant diet components than meat…

Wwwwhoooooooooooooooooooshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ……………………….

ohnohesback – Member

They don’t eat so much fast food in france? There they call McDonalds’ “Le Mal Boeuf”

^this^

Plus far less processed food in general, more real cooking.

Wwwwhoooooooooooooooooooshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ……………………….

nope

oh, and
😉

The French are generally thinner than us here in the UK. They eat more healthily and prepare more of their own food vs buying pre-prepared.

Less healthily, they are also obsessed with weight (and cellulite), particularly women.

Interesting fact.
I do believe that the quarter pounder with cheese is called a Royale with Cheese and a Big Mac is called Le Big Mac.
Those crazy French.

Always been very impressed with the supermarche in France*.

Emphasis is on fresh meat, fresh seafood, fresh veg and the obvious link to home cooking

*3-4 aisles of wines helps…

Its because they just kill all the fatties. Then they turn them into animal feed which they give to horses. Which they then go on to kill and eat. Sustainability innit?

I think the American fast food thing is very true… couldn’t get a KFC for love or money.

60 Gauloises a day tends to take the edge off one’s appetite.

how did you get the stitches? good fun?

Running away & building roadblocks takes a lot of energy. 😉

Please avoid mentioning Montiac (from when I lived in France) – ooops!

French people survive on cigarettes and coffee, the women especially.

I think it’s as rkk says above – they appreciate good food, hence don’t eat a lot of junk, why would you when home cooked food is nicer, it also tends to be healthier.

You don’t get ready meals in french supermarkets and the fresh veg/meat is so much better than in the UK.

I love France – some things they have got right – food/drink being 2 of them.

It’s a known phenomenon – The French Paradox (sounds like a film) – they eat lots of cheese, bread, cook with cream and butter etc. Maybe they’re more active, but I think we eat a lot more convenience foods in the UK, which contain lots of added sugar and fat*

I have no data or evidence to back any of this up, pure conjecture so essentially meaningless 🙂

Lived in Paris for two years. Convinced that buying fresh food every day as required was important. Never visited a supermarket the whole time I lived there – oh, apart from a very small codec once!

Frustrated by lack of vegetables though!

If the food in Tesco looked in any way comparible to an average French supermarket, I’d be the size of a house! Is it possible to physically overdose on crusty bread, cooked meats and Camembert?

Doctor the other day pointed out that there’s nothing inherently wrong with eating bread, however, anything that lasts more than a day he doesn’t count as “bread”.

I’m trying to reduce the regularity of my HFCS/sucrose rants but after my niece was sat there drinking a can of pop with 78g of sugar in it (500ml)I started up again on Sunday.

it must also have somthing to do with the weather as well…they get decent weather i.e 4 proper seasons so they kids are out running about and the adults are out…cycling…walking…working in the garden etc

but yes the food is the main cause look at the italians…great weather but loads of high carb food = lots of fat folk

I just got back from the Alps too. I saw lots of fat people; mostly on Oranges and with odd French accents, “Bon Jor”, “Mercey”.

french supermarche’s are ace.
i like the fact that they push the produce local to the region as offers.
i was drinking red wine that cost 1.40 euro a bottle the other week when i was in the Vosges.

They may be thin but geeez they’re smelly.

Because they live in a civilised developed world country.We,on the other hand live in a post Thatcherite Third World shit hole.A shit hole dominated in its culture by all that is bad from the good old USA.Anybody remember high levels of obesity in the 60s and 70s.I don,t.

What ticks me off is that every single box of pre-cooked chicken in tesco has sugar added to it, even the ‘healthy’ stuff. Grrr.

young people in France do use fast food outlets as much as the Brits do but they tend to be located in urban populated areas i.e. the bits the tourists don’t go to
A walk around Paris will confirm this but as with all things it’s dependent on demographics – nice middle class families discourage their kids whereas in the large French cities there are lots of poor suburbs with the same problems we have here and fast food customers

could it be cause it’s downright impossible to get brown bread?

I think it’s ’cause they don’t have family packs of crisps.

monkeycmonkeydo – Member
Because they live in a civilised developed world country.We,on the other hand live in a post Thatcherite Third World shit hole

Ah, Ernie’s Law (or was it Cecil’s Law?) that didn’t take too long!! This mystical woman got everywhere!

they give to horses. Which they then go on to kill and eat

Have you ever tried eating horse? It takes forever, you probably spend more calories chewing the stuff than it contains

don simon – Member
Interesting fact.
I do believe that the quarter pounder with cheese is called a Royale with Cheese and a Big Mac is called Le Big Mac.
Those crazy French.

One of my favourite scenes from Pulp Fiction.