Hi guys! Thanks for watching the video! Really curious to read what you all think about weight stereotypes in France, and the different ways people percieve weight in different cultures. If you have any added tips to "Eat like a Frenchie" please leave them below! Hope you are all healthy, safe and feeling confident wherever you are! Bisous x
Also what you could mentioned in the eat like a Frenchy section is that the more it goes the more people tend to go back to their grand parents inherent priority which was product quality / taste. It feels that people are now not only focusing on Bio because it's good for the environment but unfortunately it was quite expensive. We also notice a much greater taste difference so people are looking for this when they go to restaurant or buy their products in the grocery store. Take care
I'm French and I must say that I agree with a lot of things you say in this video about our eating habits. We eat 3 times a day (almost same hour every day), we don't eat at 4pm when we're not kids anymore and snacking between meals is a big no no ! Every doctor will tell you this in France : "Pour ta santé, évite de grignoter". But sometimes we do hide and sneak something when no one is watching ^^ If you asked me what is my view on weight I would say that all my life I've been taught about balance and health. I mean every ads on Tv presenting food is lawfully required to put a message saying "Ne mange pas trop gras, trop sucré, trop salé" and "Pour ta santé, mange au moins 5 fruits et légumes par jour" or other warnings about food consumption. It's not that we don't link it with beauty but it would be really inappropriate to judge someone based on his or her look. So maybe we are "hiding" behind health issues ^^. We have movements celebrating every type of body, accepting ourselves and everything but I think that it is a little bit less developed than in USA. Also I think we fear that promoting acceptance would lead to people not taking care of themselves anymore and not being reasonable with food habits and sport. Please be kind, I know I must have made mistakes writing this comment, so feel free to correct ;)
I LOVE the way French people view food and eating and beauty!!! It’s SOO much better than how America does, in my opinion. I think because America has so many fast food places and processed foods, trying to get healthy and be thin is harder to do in America. But I’ve adopted the French way of eating - incorporating more fruits and veggies into each meal, and eating smaller portions, and drinking more water!! And if I get hungry at night, drinking some herbal tea instead of eating right before bed. I’ve also started doing walks and jogging at least twice a week for an hour to get some activity into my life.☺️
I do not know the US very well so these may be wrong but I would say that in France we have more of : a huge cooking/baking culture, an appreciation for good, local, fresh ingredients, smaller portions, a trend which I hope will become a habit of including more seasonality in our diets. And then we are not a sports nation at all, but walking around, the Sunday stroll are a big part of our culture.
In Canada we have socialized healthcare but no one would ever dare comment on one another's weight so I think the French claim that they are merely concerned with overburdening the healthcare system is slightly overstated...
You are absolutely right!! In France as you said weight is more linked to health than beauty! Spot on. Everything you say about how we eat in France is true, because that's what I do.. So when i hear people saying'' I don't eat carbs'' I don't even know why they do it, the only thing they have to do is to balance everything, and so eat what they want!
Spot on! I am French living in the UK and here snacking is important. I do believe French way is healthier. I am 46 and each time I see my mum she will day: Tu as grossi ou Tu as maigri. Tres French.
Hahha i feel like that is really french to comment on your weight just in general every time. It's your mom's way of showing her love, worrying about your health :)
Tkhs a lot for offering your vision of our country. I am French and I spend my summer holidays on the Atlantic coast, on places mainly frequented by the inhabitants of the region. And I realized that in about twenty years, the number of overweight people has increased a lot. Junk food and highly processed foods are unfortunately becoming more and more prevalent in our country.
Thank you for this! I appreciated your balance approach to analyzing both cultures’ food habits and customs. I am American but lived in France for a year with a French family in college also as a teenager and I have traveled there a number of times. I think sticking to meals and not snacking is a very good habit to practice. We grew up eating 3 meals a day and my mom cooked dinner every night for us. We always at the table together while my best friend’s mother put the food on a plate and everyone took it to their room and ate separately. I thought that was so strange. For my family Fast food was rare - an occasional retreat. I cook all my own food and eat fresh fruits and vegetables for every meal in a whole foods plant based diet, no refined sugar or coffee and I don’t miss them! I’m fortunate to live in California where we have a fabulous array of fresh produce and farmer’s markets several days a week in the San Francisco Bay Area. But I understand the challenges Americans face. If you go to convenience store on a road trip, there is rarely a fruit or vegetable in sight. Lots and lots of packaged processed food full of chemicals, sugar, salt and fat. And it’s very addictive. And in the lower income neighborhoods there are « food deserts » where people have no access to fresh food, just junk food at convenience stores and fast foods. There was a time when many more Americans ate real, whole foods, cooked their own meals and ate meals together without TV or other distractions. When I was lived with a French family in the 1970s in Auvergne they had a wonderful potager from which Madame whipped up lovely fresh meals. She taught me how to make a simple vinaigrette and a salade Niçoise which I enjoy to this day! But overall they ate very much like our family ate except instead of sugary breakfast cereals the kids had tartine and confiture for breakfast with chocolat. Pretty much the same ingredients - sugar and wheat and milk. Although the American cereals probably had more chemicals and preservatives. I agree. People every where are susceptible to gaining weight. Last time I was with my friend from Bordeaux she was asking ME how I lost weight. I’d be especially curious how French women deal with post-menopausal weight gain. I’ve been able to maintain a pretty consistent weight my whole adult life until now. I went up a pant size this winter and calorie restriction didn’t work for me post menopause. It just slowed my metabolism and I was hungry all the time. Researching for sensible ways to lose weight without dieting. I practice yoga every day and hiking, walking or dancing 4 or more times per week so I’m just adding more cardio exercise and cut back fat and hopefully I can release these pounds and wear my old clothes again. 😊 I am grateful that the French culture has maintained this more traditional habits of eating and can offer an approach to well being with and appreciation of food without restrictions. I see us gradually moving back to eating fresh unprocessed foods all around the world as we begin to understand more and more the connection between these processed foods and heart disease, diabetes and cancer. A votre santé tout le monde!🌏❤
Yeah, I actually used to be obese myself. Weight is definitely a taboo subject in America. I get why, when I was obese I didn’t really want to talk about it for a long time. But one day, I talked about the real health consequences with my sister, who was also obese. That conversation motivated both of us to lose weight for improved health. I’m really glad I lost 50 pounds too; it’s easier for me to walk and do a number of activities now. Anyways, back to avoiding the subject of weight in America. I will admit more people were meaner to me at first glance when I was obese and I think many others have that experience. Sometimes it feels easier to avoid the giant elephant in the room. But pretending the negative bias is nonexistent doesn’t make it go away. I imagine ignoring the subject of weight, hence, avoiding conversation on its negative association, has led many to self-esteem issues. Of course, everything also comes with it’s pros and cons. So avoiding the subject of weight in America probably improves the self-esteem of countless others. But we probably do need more of a balance with this issue. Because, after all, aren’t we all just people, who have bodies that try to do their best?
Thanks for sharing your experience Bev!! And congrats on deciding to get healthier with your sister and sticking to it. That's amazing. And there is definitly pros and cons with so many things, that it's hard to say one way is better than another. It's just different. 😍
I like your videos because you exhibit facts, personal stories in order to proove a point. I'm French and I like British food (well, Irish mainly) based on fish and sea products but far too many potatoes and fat. In France, I should say that there's a lot of guiltiness to be fat (not talking about overweight) linked to modern area : models got thinner and thinner (look at Kate Moss, often said to be "beautiful" - not for me) until a lot of supermodels have tended to be androgynic....Today, I think it's good to see people (especially women - I'm a man) with curves but yes, we have been taught that being overweight (since my birth) IS a matter of health. Not your fault of course but those are ideas coming from the USA : eat fast (but keep fit), work a lot (but no dedication), be sexy (but don't get laid), don't do drugs (but buy them for friends), drink booze (but don't get drunk else at home), devour animals (but forget about hormons)... Some of the traditional French dishes are fat (cheese, potatoes) but our way of life has evolved till we can't eat what is really healthy in spite of food scandals (poisoning, horse meat sold for beef, allegedly organic food but...) without resenting it. You're right about seeing it as a medical problem : we separate dieticians from nutritionists, the latter are "medicals", the first are...graduated in diets... By the way, it's not really polite to talk about "increased weight" IN FRONT OF the one you're thinking of but on the other hand, we are always worried about weight loss (thinking about cancer). So...I was educated to love women with curves, not skinny ones but I try to avoid those cruel thoughts we had as children, I jut hope to be happy with my wife whatever our weight will be, because she'll always remain my source of light. Good luck to you.
I'm glad you love the videos and thanks for leaving such a detailed comment! It's true that often in the states our way of thinking and doing is quite hypocritical. It's interesting to hear a point of view from a french man and i'm glad you agree with the medical point of view concerning weight. Like you said, I use personal stories and experiences and sometimes you don't share the same experiences with other people, so you just never know!
The French woman in general is taking care of herself better. Which means she dresses better, she uses make up and perfume better. Also most of them are more educated, hence the inclination of measuring portions and calculating calories better. Great video!
I love your videos ❤️ This one is exactly what I needed. Recently my brother in law and sister in law moved their family to Paris, and since then, I've been obsessed.
Well, you totally catched the french way of thinking about the weight, there's no discussion about that :) ! And the example about your family telling you if you gained some kilos or not is very significant since it's actually happening in my own family and most of my friends' families too :). Very nice and interesting video, thank you ! :)
I was so shocked when i went in the UK and saw on the train people eating chips in the middle of the morning ! They were eating all along the journey. But the worse was for me the bad example it was for their children...
Great video! It’s so nice to see more content from you lately. It’s easy to see you’re putting a lot of hard work into your videos. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Brooke! I'm glad you noticed! I've been putting a lot of work into improving the content, the way it's cut and doing it on a weekly basis. It's so great to hear that you noticed! 😍
One point is also - the huge portion given at the restaurant ! I remember that in the us each time i was going To the restaurant for lunch, i had to ask for a doggy bag. And this was enough for me for dinner also - the unlimited ( drinks, popcorn...) - the snacks that are very chemical. First time i saw cheese that was not melting in the microwave 😂😂 Meal are so important that, in my case it is written everywhere in my office (+60000) that we are not allowed To have lunch at pour desk. & i am in the team goûter at 4 ! ^^
Ici en France le surpoids et l'obésité sont toujours très mal vus et dénoncés. Je me souviens d'un voyage scolaire aux US au lycée, avant de partir le prof nous avait dit de ne pas pointer du doigt ou regarder de façon insistante les personnes en surpoids ou obèses qu'on allait croiser là-bas, en nous disant que ça "faisait partie du décor" dans ce pays....
C'est vrai que le surpoids est très mal vu en France. Malheureusement on a tendance à oublier que certaines personnes sont obèses non pas parce qu'elles font le choix de mal manger mais parce qu'elles ont un problème de santé...
Want to stay slim the French way ? Just keeop in mind that a chair AND a table are your best friends. Never ever eat anything without sitting down at table, nor spread out on a couch, or, even worse, standing, or grabbing any snack and devouring it on the street. 3 seated meals a day, all the secret is here.If you really feel hungry, a handfull of almonds will do the job. Also for family life and conversations it's so much better instead of everybody spread out all over the house, bent over their mobile phones or computers, gulping junk food down without even enjoying it. Conviviality is the key word. Vive les bons vivants !
I LOVE videos like these about French diets. Did you stick to the Parisian diet with Rosie for another month, how did it go if so..?Would love to know !! The aspect of French food education really surprised me when I went on work experience to a French crèche. They were all so mature for little 3 year olds, eating fish and cheese and really sitting together.I remember thinking that the kids were really not fussy with food and there was no “baby” food. The memory of the children chanting CAMEMBERT! after their main will always stick with me 🤣 I thought they were going to riot à la française!!
I 100% agree with everything you said! those little 3 year olds eating like adults at creche is incredible, they have such a great palette at such a small age! It will be so surprising to see my daughter like that! So rosie and I have a video about the results after one month, but we actually stopped right after because I got pregnant!! Not that I couldn't be eating healthy, but i was so naseous that the diet was thrown out the window and i felt like it wasn't fair to everyone since i couldn't be committed! Maybe i should give it a go again and document!
Unintentionally Frenchified oh yes I saw that video, it was great. Don’t worry about it though, right now it’s prime pizza time! Hahah yes it will be i imagine especially since I assume it was very different growing up in the states. Aww it will be so cute when your daughter starts speaking French ! I got corrected on my pronunciation so many times by puzzled 3 year olds🤣atleast now I can say escargot 🐌 😂
Very interesting video as usual. I liked the part when you are explaining the % of overweight and obese in France and in the US. France is not so so far from the US but there is still a difference indeed. I really think that one of the most important factors is that we still cook our meals in France. It is less and less the case. But I think there is on average a huge difference with the US where the highly transformed food is more the norm and where the food industry has much more lobbying power. Another very very important factor is what I consider as a quite healthy environment for kids at school when it comes to food and nutrition: the meals are quite balanced in the cantine, no presence of vending machines for sodas and snacks, children also receive a basic education about nutrition. I would be happy to read your views
I read this book from an American woman about raising French kids and one of the things that she pointed out too was how amazing the food is for kids at school and how they are expected to try all kinds of different foods and they eat like adults at a very young age. School plays such a critical role in kid's eating habits and it's true in the US we have things like vending machines, sodas and snacks. Not a good combination!
Great video. All this is true in the French part of Switzerland where I lived 9 years. I also find the produce entices more because it simply looks better and tastes better! Farmers markets every day of the week in a different neighborhood and you can get to know the farmers personally. Even the eggs are better!
Hi! I live in Canada and I speak English but my kid's dad is French. Every time I go to Quebec (which is a lot!!!) I always notice this similar stereotype all over Quebec. The stereotypical skinny French women and men. Thank you for your insights about France, I have always wondered why! I gather, it's really a mindset and a way of life, supported by all around so it sticks. Enjoying your videos!! They are a great break from life in Canada!
Thanks Lori! Hope you guys are doing well in Canada. The way they eat is 100% a mindset and a way of life, but its absolutely one you can learn if you want to! Stay safe over there!
When people say French women don’t get fat they mean PARISIENNE and women in other big cities don’t get fat. Also the men are not fat either, people don’t mention this which is a bit sexist
True! I think the stereotype started based on what foreigners saw in Paris for sure. But because no one says all parisian women are skinny and they always say all French women are, if you've never been to France it gives the wrong impression. And when i looked at the overweight and obese statistics for France, men and women percentages were very close!
Sure, those French women who live in the countryside, with their diet based on foie gras and pâté de campagne, they can't stay slim like the Parisiennes.
@@norbertfontaine8524 it is more linked to the fact that in the countryside you need to drive, so you move less than in town where you walk, ride your bike, run after the bus... I really felt that difference. And less stress also, Paris is a really stressful city compared to London
@@norbertfontaine8524 Lol, this is another stereotype. I was born in a small town in the 90s, and now I am living in a big city. Even if there are small diet differences between the countryside and cities, they are in favor of the countryside, where people take time to cook their own meal. Foie gras is an exceptionnal meal we only eat for Christmas, birthdays or new year's eve. We do not eat that on an everyday rythm. Regarding to pâté, we consume it more regularly, but we know pretty well that it is not really healthy. The key words of the French cuisine are "varied" and "balanced". I went to Miami in 2019 for 2 weeks and the American food was the only wrong point of my travel. The tastes were not bad but my body seemed not to be adapted to accept it on the long run. I was cleary fatter than what we are used to eating.
About Snacking, in France it is well know that that if you care about your health or you try loose some weight, start by avoiding snacking, that's the first step. It is also taught to children at a young age, from family and school. This is the first enemy for health or weight problems. About water, I've seen millions of time recommendations about how much water we should drink every day: 1,5L to 2L minimum. Everybody knows that. And if you practice sport you should go up to 3L/day. I live in the US for not so much time but yet I haven't seen people preoccupied so much about how much water they drink.
I acutally think you might change your mind about water if you once you are there a bit longer. americans tend to enjoy other beverages besides water at meals, but they all carry around water bottles throughout the day. It's almost like water is the beverage of choice in between meals, but not when you sit down for them. Kinda wierd. But you'll have to let us know what you think after you have been there a bit longer!
This is my second Unitentionally Frenchified video and I liked it a lot! I studied abroad in Paris and as part of my program, we all had to do an internship in some kind of French company, business, etc. I interned in a French private school (boy did I have adventures) and the lunches there were SO good. Fish, rice, vegetables, chicken, and always some kind of "dessert" at the end. Whether it was the delightful Flanby crème caramel, a triangle of goat cheese, fruit salad, etc. Everyone sat down to lunch, including the formidable headmistress, and we ate in silence, observing the ritual of le déjeuner. I live in Germany now with my husband and as in France, in the pharmacy there are many "mincir" products. Shakes, vitamins, of course the ever-present cellulite creams - the ideal German woman is supposed to be slender, but of course that's not the reality. There are SO many shapes and sizes represented here.
I visited the east cost of the USA in 1976 ( 44 years ago ...OMG !) .I remember that I was shocked by the big number of obese persons in New York, and the fact that everyone was always with something to eat in the hand, even when walking or driving, a ice cream ,a sandwich,french fries etc..This american habit , snacking,is strongly settled in the american culture. Last year we visited Hanoï, in Viet Nam. The people are so thin! How do they do???
Snacking is a really bad habit in the states but we also just eat meals on the go a lot! And there isn't really a national eating schedule that people respect. You can't say in the US that people have lunch between 12 and 2 like you can in France. The French are so ponctual!
You're absolutely right about the perception in France ! Weight is more about an health topic. If you're overweight then you're not healthy. Also as you said but barely, society pressure is bigger in France. I never thought about it before coming to Canada where I live now but growing up my father used to say «don't eat to much or you'll be fat» if I felt like eating too much chocolate or something sweet (I never experienced this with salty food. 🤔) which seems like a rude thing to say but I think it trained me to have some limit about food and being able to respect this balance. I don't know if you've already done a video about that but maybe a similar subject would be interesting : The fashion in France vs usa. I mean in the US you can walk around in PJs whereas in france they could stare you to death for that 😂
hahah I love the fashion one. I did a video here about it parisian fashion, that mentions it somewhere if i remember correctly! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iHHj0m7gEMg.html thanks for the insights into growing up in France. I wasn't sure if was just my husband's family who talks about weight so openly! Hope you are loving Canada. My husband and I would LOVE to move there!
Merci de rappeler qu'on est humaines ! 😂en plus je suis à moitié sérieuse, il faut le faire de temps en temps, aussi agréable que ça soit d'être traité comme des déesses. Je crois que si des Américains n'ayant jamais rencontré de française me rencontraient ils seraient un peu déçu.
Je pense pas! Il y a juste tellement de stéréotypes liée a chaque pays et souvent c'est des stéréotypes qui existent depuis 100 ans. C'est fou! Car souvent c'est plus la réalité d'aujourd'hui!
There used to be some fat-shaming decades ago, but not in a "mean" way, just for comical effects and I think now people have evolved on their perception of overweightness because in the last decades, the ratio of overweight and obese people has risen quite a lot. So of course, people always have in mind health problems related to weight, but there has been also a lot of concern on eating troubles, like obesity, but also anorexia or bulimia. And those diseases usually concern more women than men with sometimes tragic results. I remember when I was younger that many stupid guys could be really mean towards girls with weight problems, associating beauty with slimness but I would tell that most French men prefer women with some curves as it's associated with sensuousness and and sensuality. And I don't remember any guy telling skinny girls were attractive. Skinny fashion models have distorted the perception of women on their own weight, and that's a pity because model measurements are clearly unhealthy, I know that Spain passed a law where models in ads should not be below some BMI. Actually, I know that women can be the most judgemental between each other. Concerning snacks, depending on the profession, some people can have 2 snacks in a day, like kids, at 10 o'clock and 16. But most people will just take a coffee.
When you said that women can be most judgmental between each other, i think that is SO true!! It's often not men that are the harshest, but women among themselves. And I have never heard of the 10 am snack. Good to know! Thanks for the insights!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Well, in my school, a long time ago, we were having a few "chocos BN" at 10 and in rural areas people who have a physical job like farmers, masons, etc tend to have a "collation" at 10 with some bread, pâté. Maybe it's not so common now, but my grandparents used to do like this. And in offices now, it's not rare to have a croissant or a pain au chocolat during the coffee break. About the diet, the big difference is also the portion size, McDonald's being a good example, for a regular menu, you have less fries, and a smaller soda glass, I think it's 25 cL. When I was in Canada, I was also shocked to see people drinking milk during every meal, it was so weird to me as in my perspective, milk doesn't go along with savoury dishes, it's actually not recommended for adults to drink too much milk.
Yes in jobs like farming when they started the day super early like 5 or 6am, they had the actual breakfast after the first couple of hours of work, and it was solid! And sometimes the habit remained even if the work changed. Personnally I consider the 4pm snack or "goûter" is to be considered as the full 4th meal. It's not not quite the british high tea but it's culturally important 😊
@@ameliecarre4783 Super interesting, it's almost like a 2 snack a day rule for people who have physical jobs! Makes sense since they must burn a ridiculous amount of energy!
A point to note on french habit; the quantity of food in your plate. Small amount. One day I was with a an American friend as i was busy driving i asked her to step off the car to go and buy some ice cream for the children who were 2 and 4. I gave her about 20 eur and when she came back, there was nearly no change left and the children had more ice cream that they bodies or eyes could content. Iwas stunned!...
Big difference between Usa and France is quantity versus flavor. In the USA they eat until they are full. In France they eat to enjoy a good time. In USA they drink too much pop or sodas.
You're absolutely right, that "my health is none of your business" thing shouldn't fly. An individual's well-being isn't just a private matter in France - for a start of course we have socialized healthcare, so it should be one's duty to ensure they don't overly burden the healthcare system if they can help it, and it should be a matter of public interest to have a healthy population so as to be able to satisfy the social contract. And although fat shaming is certainly not something to encourage, it's also important not to go too far in the other direction. Being fat isn't the end of the world and doesn't warrant the vile scorn many receive, but it's also not something that should be celebrated. Being fat is a problem and fat people should be encouraged to get better. In a positive manner preferably, since shame is just as likely to make one's problems worse, but allowing our loved ones to let themselves go is not doing anybody a favor.
1) This is why I hate the advertisement of the brand "Dove" and such. They defend fat people and unhealthy behaviours for their own interests: I think it's almost criminal. 2) "France is the 2nd largest market for Macdonalds", but more like 20th for Denny's, Pizza hut, Burger kings, Jack in the box...You need to take fast food as a whole. Sales figures of 1 brand is not relevant enough. By the way, the french brand Quick tastes better than macdonalds. 3) Losing or gaining weight is about how much fuel you put in your tank, and how much fuel your car uses everyday. Most of the time we french think about doing physical activities: going to the museum, go find mushrooms, repairing a furniture, go for a ride with a bike, sex, walking in the market and not just drivethru. I think the french don't enjoy sport alone, they prefer social activities. Because when you enjoy doing something, you do it longer. 4) If you feed your stomach with low nutritious food, you always end up eating more to compensate. This is the main problem of the USA. In France I remember being told twice at school in food education. When you first eat vegies 30 min before main course, you remove most of your hunger and prepare better your body to assimilate the main course. The topic is huge though.
I was just trying to show by mentioning that mcdonalds has its second largest market in France, that the French do enjoy a treat from time to time. The fast food market isn't near as big in France as the US, I wasn't trying to say that. But it's not non existant either. It's a lot about balance in France.Love the anecdote about the veggies! i've read this in eating like the French books!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified I think "from time to time" is key - most people - for instance in France you'll hear people guiltily say they have a McD habit and they mean they go 1x/month, which is not that bad, whereas some people in the US go there every day for breakfast, which makes a huge difference :) But then of course there are exceptions, like students with a tight budget and high metabolism who probably have lunch or dinner McDonald's every day in France too, so... everything's relative really :)
Thanks for the feedback! I think i went on a 20 minute rant and had to randomly cut myself off so I didn't put out a 30 minute video, hahah, but i'll keep that in mind for next week!
Let's face it, it's more impacted by the quality of food that by eating habits. And in america, the capitalism nation N1, lowest quality food mean more benefit for industry so low quality food is the average cause yu guys doesn't fight against lobby and just eat what they want you to eat wich is sad and obviously unhealthy, but seeing your medical system, unhealthy is also what they want you to be in order to make money on this , and as you're unhealthy, you stress and eat more but as it's low quality food you're more unhealthy etc etc it never finish and yu end with a high obesity rate wich make agroindustry and medical industry being pretty happy to " care of you " xS) Obviously, in France too we've low quality food from capitalist industry, but the fact french are really attached to their food and have a a higher requirment expectation and aren't afraid to show it oblige lobby to raise their standard, and now people noticed how bad could be the food sold by industry they keep increasing their requirment ( open air cattle farm, prefer paturage feeding, the least pesticid, insecticid, fongicid possible, the least antibiotic possible, no hormone usage, no ogm, no 50animal per m² etc etc) to go back on a natural and healthy and low environnemental impact farming than we already practiced since thousands of years, even the biggest industry begun to step back and work on " biologique " product wich were still their enemy some years ago, even McDonald ... ( without talking about their color change from Red to Green to make people think they were kind of biologique ( green beeing the organic label color ) Till people don't complain, industry will be garbage. If you fight against the different capitalist lobby that prefer low quality and expanse to make more benefit selling you shit for normal price, you'll begun to get healthy food and the price willl be the same cause it will be a standard, industry will make less benefit but still will make millions benefit .... big business maybe have the money , but if lambda people unit, they can do whatever they want and have the real power, wich imply, forcing industry to sell healthy food for normal price. Also, idk about US, but in France, and in Europe, the " biologique " label imply to follow a certain amount of rules to be sold as biologique ( cahier des charges à respecter )
I actually feel americans blame their weight and health issues on the dark practices of the food industry a little too much. Truth is there is a very serious lack of food education.
Nice video. Pretty cool to me. Well, I think maybe the "quality" of food and the "acces" may be part of the difference too! I mean, I've been really impressed few years ago when I watch a TV documentary talking about New-York (I mean, not a small lost village in the middle of nowhere!!!) . The TV team followed a "social worker" in the Queens I guess (not sure but something like that). This guy tried to find some parcels to "cultivate" some vegetables. Of course not to feed people but to educate them. And he asks kids of maybe 12, 13 yo to follow him after school just to show them those fruits and vegetable. And I was really impressed to see that those kids even don't know what is an APPLE!!! So imagine a cucumber or another vegetable! In 2010, in New-York 😳. What's the matter...???
I'm thinking about snacks. When I was a kid(in America), there was NO 4 pm snack time. But we were hungry. So we snuck food. Then continued this sneaky habit into adulthood. Ok. So I am going to give up snacking totally.
Americans in the 1970's were thin for the most part. Culturally it was the same as France. People were frowned upon for being overweight. This caused society to be more aware of what they eat and how much. That all changed when fat shaming became a thing of the past. I do think we need to find a healthy and kind way to teach being overweight is not something we have to accept. The large servings and junk food in America needs to be controlled more. On the other hand I personally believe the French hide behind the I just want you to be healthy as a kinder way of telling you that you are overweight and need to lose weight.
Hello! I enjoy your videos. It is interesting to see how different cultures view the Untied States. Also, how we perceive other countries. I have grown up in Illinois (Southern Illinois). Living in a good sized town but spending a lot of time out in the country. It still was very family oriented. As I grew up my Mother and I would visit Germany family members would visit us in the States. I can honestly say that we would make meals at home; it was a rare occasion to eat out. I find it a pleasure to cook with my adult children and have others over for a meal. It truly is taking the time to be in the moment with those you care about. Also, would have to say it teaches skills in the kitchen. The social aspect of communication with others is even more important. Given the electronic age we live in I notice it more with the younger generation. I feel lucky that my children value the connection with us and their friends to make the time at the dinner table. As for snacking we control this too. It isn’t a good habit to fall into and causes negative behavior down the road. A healthy attitude towards food is better then the next fad that pops into the lime light. Excuse the rambling. Best to you and your family. ~ Martina
Est ce que le rapport a la sa'te n'est pas différent du fait du système de sécurité social ? En France c'est compliqué de dire "my health is not your business" parce que si en fait on paye tous pour tes frais de santé. C'est juste une hypothèse 🤔
Honestly, it's just the lighting and the fact that it's pulled back and my hair is darker underneath. But a couple people have said the same thing! I actually don't dye my hair, it's naturally very blond on top, but maybe I should go a bit darker for a change with all the compliments!!
My male French friend's weight fluctuates a lot,but it depends on many things.After being ill for the best part of a year and loosing weight to the point of being gaunt.He built himself back up to about 15 stone,which,for his height is perfectly reasonable,especially since its all muscle.He eats incredibly healthy.No snacking,all food is fresh and home cooked by himself.A rare treat,now and again.He went to see the dr,he told him he needed to lose weight! His response to that was....well,you can imagine! He is tall,muscular and has abs to die for.I think his dr was jealous lol
One of the things to do in quarantine is to spend more time learning a language. I have experience learning a second language (English) from zero to the native-level fluency (published a book in it). So, I know that making a new language a part of your daily life is going to help a lot. So far, I was doing Duolingo and "Learning French with Alexa". To enhance my learning experience I want to replace my youtube fitness instructors with French-speaking ones. But it seems to be a challenge to find good French fitness channels. For example, I was unable to find a French-speaking analogy for Madfit or Tiffany Rothe. Or I just don't know where and how to look? not using the right key words? Or youtube AI is confused by my French searches? Your suggestions as to engaging, clean and clear French-speaking fitness channels would be greatly appreciated!
46% of overweight French women sounds very overestimated. Sure you might find people slightly overweight in France, but rarely very obese people. That's the big difference with the U.S. I remember my first trip to the U.S. (Minnesota) and there were so many very obese people everywhere. Americans would often say "I'm full". I feel like Americans eat to fill themselves instead of appreciating what they're eating Here's the obesity rate by country : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_obesity_rate The French eat healthier food (stay away from processed food), eat smaller portions, don't drink soda as much. And like you said, and this is key : don't snack. One last thing, maybe you can confirm this, I felt that fruit and veggies have no taste in America compared to France.
I was born in Minnesota! That's where part of my family lives :) That's why I took obese rates too because I think overweight is hard to know how overweight we are talking about. I think fruit and vegetables in large supermarkets in the US have very little taste. But farmers markets and co-ops are becoming HUGE in the states and you can find really great stuff there!
I'm Canadian and one thing I noticed when grocery shopping in France is there is not a lot low fat or diet food with the exception of diet coke. In Canada you can get low fat yogurt, chips, popcorn and the list goes on. Is low fat or diet food not part of French eating?
An advice for your videos : you have a lot of echoes because of the room you record it. Try a room with a lot of cloth, books, curtains or other sound absorbing materials. And if you are confined and bored, and like DIY stuffs, just watch this : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qczNxoG8s6o.html. As soon as your video is longer than a very few minutes, and if you speaking is a great part of the clip, having bad sound will simply tire your audience. I mean it on a physical level. As for the topic, one thing to consider is that health and healthcare is more a social issue in France and more an individual one in the USA. As we have public social security, it means that the more people are smoking, obese and sedentary, or the more they are eating junk food and binge drinking alcoohol, the more everybody has to pay. "My health does not concern you" is something you can't say in most countries, except those like the USA where medical insurance are 100% private and pre-existing conditions are not -always- covered. Anyway, I fully agree with you about our french "wisdom" : enjoy your meal, don't snack, drink water not coke. When I don't follow those rules, I take weight. A lot.
Thanks for the tip! I didn't notice it echoed so much! And you're right that healthcare is a social issue in France so it probably does feel more like other people's business.
I've been living here in Paris for a few years now but I really have noticed how much thinner french women are in general. I know you don't want to generalize, but they are overwhelmingly more thin women than curvy women here (speaking for Paris).
We have that stereotype in the US too that all Asians are skinny. But when I was researching statistics for the video, i found something that said that almost half the children who are overweight today are in asia. I was super surprised by that!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified Nowadays yes, with the one child policy in China, lots of spoiled kids, eating whatever they want and also a better economical situation for they country between 2000 and 2020 than it was between 1980 and 2000..
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified that is exactly the proof you can do what you want with numbers, of course you have a greater number of obese people in the most populated part of the world. Imagine 98% of Icelandic people being obese... They would be far far less numerous than 0.1% Chinese obese... But truth is there are more and more obese people even in Asia.
The skinny Asian stereotype is based on the fact that most Asians are ectomorphs which means they don't gain weight easily. But you will see that if they don't take care of themselves they will start to gradually gain fat by their 40s.
I totally agree with your analysis... I think we french people do love food, and the lucky thing is food is your first medecine, so not only we can enjoy good food, but we also have the benefit of it on our health I guess. Sadly, the more it goes, the more we tend to get an "american way of eating", and I'm afraid our healthy way of eating won't be that great in a few decades... :/
A lot of people do say in studies that things are getting worse and worse in France. It's part of the downside to globalization. You get "inspired" from other countries and not always in a good way!
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified You're totally right. The only silver lining i see is that in France we consider obesity as a "disfunctionality" more than a "chosen way of life of the people". I mean, noone will blame you for being obese, but medecine try to find out why and how this happens to prevent from it. So we already are fighting against this plague. You probably have heard of the "5 fruits and vegetables per day" slogan in France. It's not much yet, but still, it proves that we care and eventually we will fight "malbouffe" as strongly as we fight tobacco. Fingers crossed! =)
Even the processed food is healthier in France as it is not spiked with corn syrup, i feel in the US, it is in everything and french cook more and eat less smaller portions...and we walk !
Of course the French think it is ok to talk to others about their weight, a person’s weight and fitness level has a direct impact on a person’s health. With socialized healthcare. I am sure you are intimately familiar, having lived there for 10 years, with the amount working people pay to provide healthcare for everyone in the country. The French are quite frugal people, it makes perfect sense to me that they would be concerned that their fellow Frenchmen were taking good care of themselves. Being from a Francophone community myself in Southeastern Louisiana (Cajun French is my dad’s first language) and having lived in France for University in Angers from 86-87 gave me a different perception of the French than most Americans. This is not making a value judgement, merely my observations from my personal Cajun-American perspective. I returned with my teenage daughter to France last June and I realized that my love for everything Francophone has not diminished in the leastI You are blessed to have found a loving Frenchman to marry and build a family with in France. I would have loved that! I am glad I can enjoy your adventures in my second favorite country in the world (I am American, I am sort of expected to make such sort of statement ,yes? Enjoy your beautiful family and your days in la belle France! May you have love, laughter, good health and prosperity ! Eat a pain aux raisins for me! À votre santé !
Wow, i had never seen this! Thanks for bringing it up. Absolutely worth mentionning. Did it only get backlash? No one was really embracing it in France at all?
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified There was some acceptance. Also if you're interested I think you can still catch Dariamarx documentary on Francetv replay with really interesting insights on fatphobia in France.
There was a fair bit of that sort of "policing" of purchases to start with. Overzealous policing, or what?! The basic rule is that certain types of stores are allowed to be open. Clients can buy whatever those stores sell.
@@nikkiscott4341 sorry my bad! I completely forgot about the video. I honestly agree with you. I mean if the grocery store is open and selling coke, is it really her fault? I heard of a guy in paris getting a fine as well for the same thing. Seems crazy harsh to me too!
I"ve been in the pharmacy in France more times than I can count where the chemist will make a comment on the weight of the person they're serving. My neighbours will also comment on not only my partner's weight (male) but my weight too! BTW, I don't know ANYONE who comes to France for a longer period and doesn't pick up weight at first! All those pastries!
This is not so true in the east of France. I am living in the Alsace region and people here eat a lot of fat (tons of red meat, potatoes, Munster lol, beer). They are in general much bigger than other french people, more on a german side in terms of diet. From my observation, French are skinnier when they are young (before 20s) or when they are in big cities.
haha I'm also in Alsace. In the US, I was at the same weight for a lot of my early-mid 20s. I was NEVER told I was overweight or to lose weight. If anything, people would comment on how slim and healthy I looked. Here in Alsace was the first time in France (and I've been here for 4 years) that my doctor at this same weight said I was overweight and needed to lose weight. I think it's very silly that so many French people see BMI as the most important indicator of health. ha. I have muscle mass, and my blood levels of things are good including cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.
@@meganl3859 What a shame. I can kind of understand that as me, on the other side, used to always be considered way too skinny by my parents who try their best to stuff me whereas in France, when I told my worries to my doctor, she said that my weight was totally normal and that I was healthy. For French guys I have been with, everytime I asked them which types of girls you would probably never date, one of the first answers was always "fat girls"... I was like wtf? It's true that in France they are not very tolerant but in some Asian countries its even worse.
Very perceptive as usual! Fat positivity is nonsense to such a point it's criminal. As to "my health is none of your business", when you have a universal health care system as is the case in most of Europe, "my" health is very much everybody else's business if we don't want the system to go bankrupt, and obesity should be denounced as a serious health issue. Great figure btw considering you have a four-month-old!
I didn't touch on that in the video and I really should have. SInce healthcare is universal in France, it really does feel like it is everyone's business which isn't the case in the US! And thanks, being in quarantine means a lot more time to work or ab work! hahah :)
The French introduced bottled water to Americans in the 1980s. The popular brand then was Evian... or naive spelled backwards. Americans have been wasting money on bottled water since. America gave McDo to France as an act of appreciation. It's a fair deal cause peeps in both nations have been getting fat... slower in France bien sur.
In france we hace the middle age spread for few years but loose it after few years considering my family in FRANCE. A part de fact that yes we dont snack so much. We take our time to eat we savour our food in doing so we shew slowly, we do not gobble up or eat on the run so much, but most of all we do not have those HUGES PORTIONS OF FOOD INDIVIDUALY that would feed you for a week instead of a meal. Even that we have long meals we take our time and we digest our food better and then we give it a rest, this is the difference. I am always horrified to see that portions of food in USA, everything is big and fry and fat.
The portion sizes are ridiculous! every time we eat out in the US, my husbands wants me to take a photo of him with his dish because it could last three to four meals in France...
Let’s be clear, the police cannot tell you whether what you are buying is essential or not. Neither can they ask to see what you bought. Therefore, if the store is allowed to be open and sells Coca Cola, you can go and buy only that.
I’ve never heard of a 4 month old being on a bottle schedule. When my son was 4 months he was still nursing a hundred million times a day, so it’s strange to me to think you could like plan when they are eating at a young age. We did nursing on demand, but I felt it was easier in some ways because I never had to worry about over or under feeding. It seemed he was going through growth spurts and needed to nurse more on some days. Does a bottle schedule accommodate that? No judge, just wondering!
I think a lot depends upon your frame of reference. I'm Asian American and I live in Los Angeles. Yes, Americans as a whole are much fatter. So, French in relation are skinnier. But I spend stretches in Korea. I also live in a part of LA filled with the pretty people brought in from all corners of the country--people who become actors, models and fitness professionals. Your Starbucks barista could be the next Brad Pitt. So, yeah, the Parisians I saw just looked decent. And I felt they could stand to lose 10 pounds.
Could you do a video on your work from home and at-home workout routine? I’m guessing your like me and don’t have much outdoor space or a backyard. It seems to make it harder!
I'll add that to the video list! I really love madfit on youtube for at home workouts! She does really good 3 minute workouts to popular songs if you don't have a lot of time!
A French gynecologist will send you to see a dietician, if they think you have gained too much weight while pregnant. They will ask what you are eating and will constantly tell you not to eat junk. You will be weighed at every visit. You can still have cravings, but if your cravings are for chips and chocolate cookies, you will still be stared down and reprimanded :-) pregnant or not.
Yea, I really struggled with weight gain during pregnancy and would get super anxious before every appointment when they would weight me. I literally cried when the doctor told me that sparkling flavored water was one of the reasons i was gaining too quickly. I was like, wtf?
I thought it was funny, I never heard of this stereotype of French women. Technically, my husband is 100% French, but his ancestors stopped speaking French about 200 years ago. And I am technically 50% French, but same with my ancestors. And the most common dress size for us is anything between 36-42. We also sit down and eat together, eat mostly the same as the French when it comes to home-cooked meals. I have never had pumpkin pie, but it might be nice. And we don't consider ourselves unhealthy, just a bit overweight. I wear size 38/40 depending on where I shop, and I am healthy and fit. Thank you for this very interesting video. I really enjoyed it.
Avec la bouffe industrielle qui se répand en France. L'embonpoint augmente en France comme sur toute la planète. Les Québécois sont les plus minces des Canadiens. Les Canadiens étant plus minces que les Américains. Tout ça a commencé avec la folie d'éliminer le gras ds les années 70. Remplacé par le sucre, le sel et la dernière trouvaille industrielle: le gras de palme. Les portions énormes américaines des restos jouent un rôle important aussi.
@@UnintentionallyFrenchified yes! But I used to eat a lot of junk food (way over the recommended 2000 calories) and was way skinnier than now eating a very balanced diet!
I know this is old, sorry. It's interesting the french view being fat as a health issue to be concerned about, but they seem to have zero concern about their voracious smoking habit. That's unhealthy too.
On a regular basis, government increase the tobacco price to make people stop smoking. It is working quite well but there is a lot of tobacco coming from other countries on the black market as a consequence
Les Françaises grossissent là où l'on préfère la bière au vin - c'est le Nord (l'influence de GB&Belgique), l'Est (Allemagne et Suisse). En plus, les femmes qui grossissent en France, elles ne dépendent point des hommes. Alors elles peuvent se permettre le luxe de s'en foutre et manger à volonté😁
In France, we definitely have better eating habits. We're told to try to taste everything from a very early aģe. But we do drink soda, we do eat fast food like everyone else on the planet you know we're all humans and globalization, uhm, sorry, americanization of Europe and the whole world tends to make ppl get fatter and fatter. Thanks uncle sam ! But we definitely have better habits and better products, better food taste "produits du terroir", we LOVE cooking at home and get together and spend time at the table with family/friends to SHARE and discuss, taking time... it's all about education. We don't have (not our entire life) our ass sitting in our xxl cars eating gross junk food as most Americans do. We walk, we cycle, we run... that's maybe why we are not that obese and are healthier and maybe live longer. That makes huge differences between France (and main european countries I guess especially Italy or Spain) and the US' McDonald's shit. Cheers.
Honestly, I think it’s a lot of hype. The skinny French women don’t really eat, yes,they do starve themselves. I’ve been around them.French women don’t kiss and tell .Yes, snacking is bad and American. I enjoy your channel . Stay safe.
Glad you love the channel! I think eating disorders (like starving yourself) are struggles for people in all countries, so i'm sure it's prevelant in France too. In my experience, the French women i've met eat relatively healthy and just in smaller portions. I wouldn't say they are starving themselves, but they eat less and are more balanced then what I used to see in the US! Stay safe too!
@@doctornico1759 Oh sorry, my bad. I think it's because we're known for fashion and luxury, so foreigners think we are more sophisticated than the average French person actually is
When my French cousin and her husband came to US in vacation they went to Disney World in Florida so I asked them how they liked it and they said oh la la ze people are so fat.
moi je goûte tout le temps qui est un peu problématique (lol) mais je vois rarement les gens qui prennent le goûter au bureau par exemple. C'est plutôt des pauses café :)
The last time, I went to USA in Seattle, I took my daughter with me, because I promised once to go to USA with her. The big problem was indeed the food, first restaurants were rather expensive,. Morever, the food didn't suit with our habits. After 3 days, my daughter get out of the bathroom and told me "We can not continue to eat like that. I want to cook something healthy". Fortunately, there are the Pike Market, we went there for buying vegetable to cook for instance a ratatouille. Finaly, we cooked the ratatouille for us and for our friends who lived at the end of avenue. Our friends wanted to invite others 3 friends of them. We cooked ratatouille, pilaf rice, and émincés de volaille with estragon sauce, nothing really exceptional. When they saw the meals on the tables, they took their mobile phone to photography the meals. One of them asked me how I cooked that, and I gave her french cuisine lesson. I always wonder why American people don't cook correctly. Why isn't there a minimum of culinary culture. Maybe, certainly it is not in their culture. That is insane.
It's not like "it's not in their culture". More like "it's not in their culture anymore". When you look at movies or tv shows from the 50's and 60's, you see the house wife staying at home, preparing the meal for her working husband... Women are more and more working. So less time to cook and to learn how to cook. And this is also time consuming. In France we had the same evolution. We follow everything coming from the US with a 10 to 20 years delay. Evolution of obesity rate in the US : voxeu.org/article/100-years-us-obesity I lived a year, at the begining of the 90's, in the States. I had an Italian roomate so we shared the same culinary culture. Even in our 20's we both had enough knowledge from watching, and sometime cooking with, our mothers and grannies. We were living on an international condo. Most of other nationals moved to an american diet. Sodas, pizzas and beers. Sometime when we had guests, we took the time to prepare a meal from scratch. Once we had a simple tomato and mozzarella salad from starter then my roomate made a hudge batch of lasagna and i made a simple french style apple tart.with some french red wine. Our Canadian and American guest were amazed. They said they could only have this time of dinner in a fancy restaurant. For us it was everyday food. They were all overweight and for us we were "skinny".. They couldn't figure out how we could be so fit . They were eating, snacking, all the time. Drinking sodas whenever they were thirsty. We drank water. They were not preparing anything, only buying pizzas and making sandwiches with white process-full of sugar "bread".. They had lost the old american culture to prepare real meals and eating 3 times a day. In Europe we still have this culture. But under the pressure of globalisation and the food industries it disappears slowly and regularly. Hence the obesity rate growing fast. The US food industry made the Mexicans even fatter than the Americans so it's not in you genes :-) Process food is cheap and fast to prepare. But the human body is not made to eat things in large quantity made in factories. Human are 7 millions old. The very slow evolution made the human physiology. By evolution we are made to walk all day long looking for rare food. The abondant food access for human is only 10 000 years old with the agriculture invention. 10 000 years is yesterday for humain evolution. We are made by evolution to like the sugar because it brings a lot of energy and in nature is very uncommun. No risk to eat to much. Some honey, some fruits. Sugar in hudge quantity is very new in human history. So by evolution we are craving for a product which is difficult to find but modern industry made it very cheap and available. So we are poisoning ourselves. What's more we are not moving enough. In France we spend on average 5 hours a day watching at a screen. 2 hours more in 10 years. www.francetvinfo.fr/internet/objets-connectes/sante-nous-passons-deux-heures-de-plus-devant-nos-ecrans-qu-il-y-a-dix-ans_2592848.html In the US, 11 hours a day, and raising like in France, in front of a screen. www.marketwatch.com/story/people-are-spending-most-of-their-waking-hours-staring-at-screens-2018-08-01 Just watch at most of Africans who walk a lot and eat far less than an obese westerner. Guess what type of life style is more natural for the human body :-D
Seattle restaurants are notoriously expensive. Even simple breakfast food was surprising high priced. Plus Washington has a higher sales tax than most states.
You said everything with snacking. Fun fact, Disneyland had a lot of trouble getting profitable in Paris at first because for Lunch, All customers were going between 12 and 14, so they had to Open way more restaurant with better quality. In the us it is way more spred
How funny! But youre right not surprising. I'm sure every french person wanted to have lunch in the same two hour time frame compared to americans who could just graze and nibble the whole day!
French people are WAY more health conscious than Americans and even Canadians, which is a better comparison (though we Canadians don’t smoke nearly as much) Also, there is almost no fast food and food in general is also too expensive for anyone to get fat in France. Let’s be honest, the stereotype is quite true. (The un exaggerated one) French woman are skinnier, have more curves, and look younger for wayyy longer than their caucasian American counterparts.
I totally agree with you about the fact that fast food is way more expensive in France so it's expensive to eat a lot of it! I'm always shocked by the price difference in the states. The dollar menu is ridiculously cheap.
I politely disagree about skinny French women looking younger for longer - speaking in general, of course - I think being "too" skinny can make them look older than they actually are, even, say, in their 30s - just my opinion :)
mgparis they don’t desire to ridiculously skinny like Americans either from what I’ve seen. They seem to be more into being at the correct body weight while having curves. I’ve seen a girl get made fun of for being too skinny. She revealed that she has trouble putting on weight.
