HOW ARE THE FRENCH SO THIN? Why "French women don't get fat" & the French don't gain weight 

I'm French and though you said several times you didn't expect French people to understand, I have to say I relate and understand most of what you said. There is only one comment I disagree with: "food is seen just as a necessity, not something to do for enjoyment" -> you can't say this about a country which spends a lot more time to eat than other countries, and which has its own gastronomy recognised as an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage. I'd say this is much more complex than this. We value good food (like a lot: made in france, regional products, and so on) and enjoy eating, but at the same time we also feel extremely anxious about the idea of putting on weight because it's a lot more complicated socially speaking when you're overweight. There is a dichotomy there which is fascinating and also scary, I have to say. In any case, I think this is sociologically speaking more complex than what you just presented, though I definitely agree with a lot of what you said.

“It’s hard to read the label when you’re in the jar.” Love that ♥️

Hi, As a French girl I can totally relate with this. I am only 18, but I have felt so much pressure on my weight since my childhood. Yet I am not even overweight : my stomach is just not flat and I have cellulite, but I have a "medium-sized" body (55kg for 1,62m). I have always felt the need to be careful when eating : always having carbs with vegetables at lunch, and no carbs at all at dinner. I have been bullied in CM2 (10 yo) because I was considered chubby (French children are being bodyshamed even from a younger age). As you said people think that your body is a public matter and they do not hesitate making comments on someone body / way of eating… because it is indeed socially unacceptable to not be slim. Thank you for handling this topic : it is genuinly how it’s going in French society

I could see in your eyes that this was hard for you to discuss. I hope that you are doing fine and continue to create awesome videos.

I feel as though the appropriate response would be as direct and assertive as a Frenchie - ie: “I don’t value negative opinions about my lifestyle choices or degrading remarks about my body. I do and eat what brings me joy and it’s none of your business.” ✨

How gutsy of you to make this video! Exposing the French slim culture, never really saw it clearly like that. I come from a different European country and I have to agree 100%, we think like that too. Including myself. I’ve lived in the States for over 20 years now and I went through body shaming others and myself for most of my life. Only in the last few years have I realized I need to embrace the natural way my body is. It even dawned on me, that hiding my grays is only necessary, because society expects it. I fight with myself of being critical of others’ looks even now, it’s just so ingrained.

Salut Rosie! As a French fat woman making videos, I understand and MERCI for bringing this up. Keep strong!

From the way Rosie speaks this is not just personal, it is VERY personal.

Frenchy living in Australia here. I must agree with you, I put a few kilos on when I first arrived here and when I went back to France after, that's the first thing my sister said to me...Always nice. Little comments in passing but enough to hurt...I hadn't necessarily felt that way in Australia until I flew back, no judgement here...

Thank you for being vulnerable. You can see how this has affected you personally. You can't control who your coworkers are, but you can control who you're friends with. Anyone who is so knit picky about your weight or any other things you can't control does NOT sound like a friend at all..

OMG I used to be obsessed with your videos on the "French diet" and your tips have worked so well for me in the last few years!! I'm so happy I found your channel again. Walking everywhere, regular meal times and eating more slowly are absolute game-changers. It's just more aligned with how we're naturally meant to eat! Also as an Irish person I felt so sorry for the French woman whose family was happy to see her losing weight in an unhealthy way. In Ireland, especially amongst older people, we're usually delighted to see someone looking a bit "strong" because it's a sign that we're eating well and being taken care of, probably because of our history of famine and scarcity where being thin was something to be genuinely feared in the not-so-distant past.

As a French woman who now lives in the UK, I partly agree with what you say about social control but it is not at all as negative as you portray it. I think you miss an important point here which is that French people are very mindful of their nutrition because we have been taught healthy balanced eating habits at home and at school since early childhood, even the food ads on TV have to have warnings about excess sugar fat and salt. It is not only about maintaining weight, it is about staying healthy. For example we get comments each time we add salt to our plate not because of weight gain but because of risks for blood circulation.

I love that you are brave enough to talk about this! I’m an extreme Francophile and I have always enjoyed your videos, but this one is by far my favorite. Thank you for your honesty.

Girl who grew up in France here! I had never really thought about it that way until this video gave a real answer to what i had thought was normal. My grandmother and mother would ask me if I really want that last biscuit, or if I really want that second portion. They’d praise me for not developing cellulite yet. They gave me the secret of 17 spoonfuls of food per meal and as a 12 year old I was like what?? I thought they were being helpful but I understand now that it was also taught to them. I hope it changes soon and I will gladly take a part of that.

Hey hi 👋🏽 i am french and i definitely can relate. This attitude towards food and one’s body in France is so toxic. I have suffered from eating disorders pretty much my whole life and am still struggling to love myself fully. I live in India and i know that everytime i go back home i’m going to have someone commenting on my physical appearance and especially whether i have gained or reduced weight. Haaaaaa so stressful and toxic! Thank you for saying outloud what everyone thinks. Loads of love ❤️

Well being French I agree on the "socially unacceptable" weight gain. I have felt a lot of pressure since my childhood about my body, and I'm 43 now. I will always remember the admiration of my grandma towards very thin, skinny women, as if it were a sign of wealth. The best compliment given in my family is "wouah you have lost some weight, great job!". Don't believe people when they tell you they're never on a diet, everybody pays extra attention to their shapes. Body positivism is on its way, but it will take a long time. There is also the fact that people born in the 1970 and 1980's grew up with invasive advertisements showing skinny girls everywhere.

Hey, OMG this is so true ! I am French and always lived in France. This is such a real thing. People are always speaking about food, weight and diets. And you can be sure they will comment very often on the physical aspect of others. Thank you for this video, I wasn't expecting this but you are right!

Hey frenchie here living in New Zealand after living for almost 10 years in the us. Thank you for making this video, I completely agree with you ! I used to feel so miserable during my childhood and my early 20s about my body and I couldn't understand why. When I moved to the US I realized exactly what you are saying, that french people are extremely judgmental especially about women's bodies. The entire french society pushes you to become extremely skinny, even to the point of being unhealthy. Like one of your commenter, at some point due to depression I lost a lot of weight and people around me (family, friends) were telling me that I looked great and were "happy" that I finally stopped eating chocolate (their words). Later in the US, I actually learned that the weight I had during my depression was actually way too low on the BMI and extremely unhealthy despite being viewed as "great" in France. Many time my family told me that I was unlucky to have natural curves (WTF ..) as I have "broad" shoulders and hips. I wished many times as a teenager that I could "cut my bones" to appear more slender. Since I've moved, I've never been happier ! In the US or in NZ, at worst people don't care (you do you) or at best, they love some curves ;) I've gained a lot of self confidence about my body being abroad that I know I wouldn't have if I stayed in France. I'm always dreading going back for vacation as I know all the comments will come back...

I'm so sorry people have made comments about your weight, I think you look lovely. Love this channel 😘

Was me the only one who was chacking the speed settings here, then realising it's actually Rosie who is talking this fast?

Oof! I'm Australian born, and my mother is Italian, and you have just described exactly how her entire side of the family (females mostly) regard thinness, food, etc. My father is Italian French and just as hyper critical. The constant comments growing up resulted in my brother and I both developing eating disorders.

I'm French and overweight and I can TOTALLY relate to what you said here. I lived in the UK for 6 years and now that I'm moving back, I feel so self-conscious, when it wasn't the case in the UK. Your video made me realise that this cultural obsession with thin-ness is what might have contributed to my disordered eating in the first place. Thanks for doing this 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I am so glad you made this video! I remember this social shaming ellement coming up in one of your collaboration videos sometime ago.I think it is important that we talk about it and raise awareness so that attitudes can eventually change. Ever since I can remember I love food. for me having a meal is an experence, a time to rewind ,sit down and enjoy. Growing up with a mother who is never happy with her weight (even though she's always been slim) she's always been : "oh don't eat that, you'll gain weight", "don't prioritise food, we eat to live not the other way around", "you've gained weight, look at yourself,you're fat". I can comfidently say that this is unnecessary shaming and a highway to mental illness and eating disorders. As you said we all know if we gained weight so we do not need people shaming us for it.Not to mention that it is really rudde to say something negative about someone's apearance.I think we all should have my wonderful aunt's attitude towards weight fluctuation: wether you gain or lose weight, that's an oportunity to go shopping for new clothes. I think it's a beautifully positive way to look at it

I’m an American. When I lived in France, I was never thinner, even though I ate SO MUCH MORE FOOD than I did before. I believe the 3 key differences are: 1. types of food you’re eating (a lot of salads compared to a lot of processed junk) 2. Ingredients - French food is much more “close to home” lots of homemade and minimal-ingredient practices. No strange additives. 3. Walking as a way of life. I walked much more even though I had a car to use. Somehow I still eat here how I ate in France, and I weigh more. I think the weird stuff in American food has so much more to do with this than we realize.

Thank you for your videos. Just a note about body shaming. I am naturally slim and live in Australia. I regularly am body shamed for being thin. It is the same as you described , but directed to slim people here. I do not diet and am healthy , but it has got to level where my mental health is being impacted. So body shaming is bullying and never OK!!!

I can definitely relate. I'm French & American lived in France until I was 20. Everyone there would comment on my weigh almost daily. When I was little I was under weight but was pushed so much to eat more then I became a little bit over weight. That put me in more of depression. The more people talked about it the worse my self esteem got a d gained more weight. After moving to the states I see myself differently. I weight way more than I did when I left France 6 years ago but I feel better about myself. I do want to loose some weight but I am not obsessed with it. Working on my mental health because that's the source of the issue.

I'm french so here is what i think. First of all, in France being skinny is the beauty standard (absolutely not saying that it's right), being skinny is élegance and raffinement. Now it's less and less the case though. Then, we have been taught our whole life, even in school, to eat only 3 times a day at precise hours. So no breakfast after 10.30 am, no lunch after 2 pm, and no dinner before 7 pm. And a snack at 4 pm too. And we take TIME to eat, a full 3 dish meal. We take maybe at least 30 mins to eat and our brain actually has the time to acknowledge we're eating. And even when we work, we don't just eat a little sandwish, we take a 1h break to eat a real dish. Also, we eat a lot of different aliments. And we do prepare our meals ourselves and so, we know what we eat, so we eat way less junk food. Of course, our system isn't perfect because its true that sometimes my parents make comments, even sometimes a friend saying "oh you're aeting a lot today". I think it's absolutely not right commenting on other's bodies. And i've never experienced any comment about my physique from strangers. I think it's also about generations (i'm 18). And about doctors, so true. If you feel bad or anything they'll always say to DO MORE SPORTS. While at school we have 2h a week only, and in other countries it's a lot more. So, that would be why we aren't gaining wheight a lot :)

This is an excellent dissection of the structural and cultural factors that inform French weight attitudes, and it pushes back against the many analyses I see that focus on the individual

I stan Rosie. This is my favorite video you've ever uploaded. ❤

It's trully something that I hate as a french person. Everyone and everything will remind you that you cannot gain weight. In the stores you cannot find size over 42-44 (L/XL) unless you are lucky and you have a buuuunch of 36-38 (XS/S) size. When I buy something sweet my mother will always judge me like "you don't need to eat that you already ate a huge plate today" and with the lockdown I had depression and fell in bulimia and she kept shaming my body because I gained some weight... It makes me really anxious I already had anorexia once because of that and apparently it was where I was at my best if I listen to my family. Everyone will put you down if you don't have a standard size and it makes me sick.

I’m an American who’s been living in France for almost 5 years now, teaching English at the uni and secondary level. I am about 5’3” and I’m over 150lb. The French are obsessed with BMI! For them, it’s THE WAY to measure health. According to it, I’m not obese. But, the French doctors think so. This was the only way I could get an early dose of the covid vaccine, because they considered me obese…sums it up for me, I guess.

Excellent video, very personal to me and my daughter. I really wish people would focus on their own health and well-being and be kinder and less judgmental of others wherever you are in the world.

Hey everybody!! Watch the video completely before commenting, it's not what you think. This video is much more nuanced. Thanks Rosie for talking about these things. I currently live in France and at my current weight I would be considered obese by French society. Though luckily my family here never criticizes me and in my area of France is more varied in sizes

Salut Rosie! I totally relate to this. I was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder and ovarian disorder, causing me to gain weight. I am going to university in Paris, and my host mom always comments “are you doing sport?” and “no cake”. It’s really really hard to constantly go through this, especially as an American, where it is more socially acceptable. Thank you for sharing your story and bringing awareness to this issue!

Hi Rosie! Huge fan here ^^ not French but been in France for many years now. I always find your analysis on point. I always like to question and analyse different cultures. Just some insight here also :) to feed the debate. I think that attributing not snacking merely to French self control is a bit simplistic. I’m Mexican, and enjoy snacking a lot. When I arrived in France I noticed they had so much less variety in the snacking area. At first I thought they were missing something in life. But then I realized that because our palets where trained different, it wasn’t so much pleasant for them as for me, the type of snacks I craved for. I thought that if I hadn’t grown up knowing the snacks in Mexico, that sometimes have some more added things, I wouldn’t be enjoying them that much. Because to be honest, after not eating them in a long time, and eating healthy, then the flavor is much stronger, so I get they sometimes don’t like them. I still love them anyway haha but I can understand now I also thought that because there’s not a wide variety is because it’s not that important, it’s linked. So I quickly understood when I arrived that they didn’t enjoyed it that much, because they don’t grow with that as much as we do Same for the cinema. In Mexico there’s no way one is not snacking in the cinema. There’s a huge variety and it almost go together. It’s rare to go to the cinema and don’t buy something, you must be on a strict diet or something to do so. Whereas in France, that offer doesn’t exist to begin with, so it’s not that appealing to compulsorily but something. Again, at first I thought they were missing something in life, they didn’t know the small pleasures of life. But then, I also kind of liked to be capable to separate the food and the movie, and don’t linked them together in my head. I took pleasure on just enjoying the movie, without being encouraged by the environment to eat along. It’s the inverse, back home, it’s like you’re encouraged to buy something by people and by the environment (without you noticing, because justement, I noticed how much encouraged we are to eat and consume by comparing with my experience in France) So while there’s a problem of fat-shaming, I do also think think that some things are linked with habit routines. There are things that because we grew along with that we value more, probably more than other cultures. I sometimes think that if I had the same variety back in Mexico, I probably would find some exotic flavors weird. So for anglo-saxon culture, (and Mexican too) where snacking is part of our life since forever and we grow with it, then we value it more. Here they just didn’t grew with it, so they don’t think about it that often ^^ I say this also because I’ve seen that it depends on the person and the habits in their family. Can’t say it in a systematic way, but sometimes it is linked to the habits we grew with as a child

Thanks for the feedback. I find this mostly accurate (I am a French woman from the Mediterranean region, i grew in an obese family, my grandma as well as my mother and aunt are or were obese and I myself was always the most chunky child at school. It has been hard socially, lot of criticism from the other children as well as the school nurse, doctors, and later coworkers... )

Spot on. I’m french, this is absolutely true.

Thank you soooo much for being so frank and sharing even the dangers of the medical professionals assuming and not checking symptoms. Self control is fantastic, but prejudice comes in many forms...

Wow that's totally shocking. I love your raw honesty in this video. So brave and finally not sugar-coated but stating the facts! Let's hope that it's an eye opener for some (french) people who bodyshame without even realising it.

It’s so strange to me that the French think it rude to ask what someone does for a living but feel free to comment on someone’s weight/body type 🤔

Frenchman here. One simple explanation to this: eating habits. Fast food, soda drinking from childhood, eating without interruption and HUGE eating portions in some countries explain the difference. Industrially prepared meals are killers.

The French women savior the high fat calorie meals with leisure, where some cultures (like the US) eat extremely fast because we only get 30 minutes for lunch. Also, dinnnertime is rushed in preparation lends to processed foods utilized. That's my humble opinion.

Really fascinating! I think your explanation makes a lot of sense. I witnessed that when I was in France as well (people would tell others to be careful with what they were eating/careful because of their weight, etc.). I also had a French acquaintance tell me via text message a while ago that he never sees pictures of me on social media anymore and I told him it was because I didn't want to put pictures of myself on social media because I had gained a lot of weight, and he said "Why?"... So I told him I didn't gain the weight on purpose. I thought that was such a stupid question at the time. But now maybe it makes a little more sense. I am American and I live in the US. I've gained about 30 pounds in the last 2 years, and hate my weight gain (and have every right to hate how I look) and naturally I complain about it and my friends and family insist I look fine blah blah blah (which is really annoying because I literally look like a different person now). So basically it's the opposite of what you've described in France, so I find that really interesting! Additionally, I would be so embarrassed to see my French friends again in person, just like you were saying. (I of course think you look amazing but it is only your opinion that counts!❤) Thanks for another great video!!

Commenting again to say I recently met my first coworker who commented repeatedly on my (admittedly, poor) eating habits... We're both French, but I really thought it was out of line... She had a bit of a holider-than-thou "I mostly eat organic vegetables and so should you" attitude. Not to mention that I find it incredibly rude to comment on the eating habits of someone who's overweight, it's not like they're not aware of it, but who knows the reason behind it or what they're struggling with... *rolls eyes*

I'm French (although my parents are not) and I've struggled with my weight all my life, and I've pretty much given up and accepted that I am destined to be overweight... It's very discouraging, but I've never experienced the comments in the workplace that you did, I find that very shocking. Maybe -probably - they commented about me behind my back, but they did talk about weight/food choices constantly, which I found exhausting!

Please, next time you go to France, go and visite “le Périgord”, “la Gironde”, or “les Landes”, and you will see that you will be very welcomed, especially if you like good food, because if those regions, we love our food, and we don’t care so much about getting a little extra centimetres on our bellies. But I agree that this is not a tradition shared by all the regions in France, even if every french regions are full of good foods and delicious recepies.

I was born and raised in New Hampshire near my dad's immigrated side from France. You nailed it on this video. 👏 My mom taught me to be polite, but ignore the comments. I ate, played, and kept my mind healthy. I was tiny and that would have ruined me. Go mum!

Rosie thank you sooooooo much for discussing the real reasons why the French are so skinny. It’s been a huge ordeal for me. I visited Paris, enjoyed my time there. When I came home, I met a French woman who emigrated here… we became friends. And that’s when the critique started. It’s such a part of her that I don’t know if she realises what words come out of her mouth. I couldn’t take the mental anguish and no longer talked to her. I still value her as a friend… but from a healthy distance now. Thank you again for discussing this topic 🧡🧡

Really interesting and eye-opening content. Love from Ontario, Canada!

Mon dieu, thank goodness I live in Canada! I’m 38 weeks pregnant and have gained 18kg - all healthy, doctor approved, and a lot of water retention. I have noticed that with several Parisienne fashion bloggers who have had babies recently, there was constant articles about how long they continued to wear non-maternity, how quickly their bodies snapped back, how little weight they gained throughout and how they didn’t give in to cravings. It was insane and every article was meant to make you feel like a failure to be ashamed of yourself if you did gain more weight, if you needed to switch to maternity clothing, or held on to the baby weight after. Thank you for this video and helping break the romanticization of the thin French

This is very eye opening, thank you for sharing this perspective.

I think this has been a really interesting series! I enjoy knowing more facets to the story; there’s always more to know! I absolutely love the French culture and have all my life. But I do struggle a bit with the food culture. I’ve tried many times to adapt it fully to our family, but it leaves very little flexibility for neurodivergent or chronically ill eaters. It’s left me with a lot of guilt and shame, because I genuinely agree with the French method of nutrition education - much more so than any other culture. However, what is a genuine gift to many can be an infliction on someone having a visceral negative reaction to a scent, texture, novelty, histamine etc. I genuinely enjoyed the video; thank you :)

I have never heard you speak so quickly! I had to check that the playback speed was correct :) Thank you for treating this subject with such honesty. It has been a very difficult year and half for many of us; the last thing anyone needs is shitty comments about weight gain. I share your anxiety about visiting France for this reason ... I hope when the time comes that you have a happy visit xx

Kiwi having lived in France, my opinion is it is not just what is eaten but how & when. There are more regimented eating times. Meals are eaten over time in an order. This gives the body time to understand it is full rather than gobbling down too much too quickly in a rush. I wonder if French people are accidental intermittent fasters?

This is fascinating! Would love to see you collaborate on this topic with the Maintenance Phase podcast.

Thank you for that honest commentary on why French women don't get fat. I think I generally have a good relationship with food and exercise but I honestly don't know how much I weigh since my scales stopped working. It is so liberating not to be worried about the numbers, I just know what a healthy weight feels like along with trying to make sure my clothes fit. That was an eye-opener, I can't believe a male work colleague would feel that is appropriate to comment on a female co-worker's weight!

I think this is amazing insight, and makes so much sense!!

Very interesting video. After 8 years in France I can definitely say that I’ve met people with scary low weight and food behaviors. So sad that people live in a constantly Eating Disorder. Intuitive eating and balance in life is so much better for your mind and body 💫

Hi from Paris! Along with this.... we have pressure to drink alcohol all the time. Let me eat my food and not drink please 😭

Crazy! Thank you for sharing and opening up this conversation. To take it a step further then here in the comments, I’m curious if folks feel this is resulting in institutionalizing / normalizing eating disorders in France?

Rosie, so glad to see you! I have suspected this was the case in French. Thanks for your courage ❤️

Thank you soo much for this video. Is good to know I am not the only one suffering from this kind of micro aggressions. You do an amazing job 🤗

Wow I already knew France was not accepting of being overweight but never to that extreme you really pointed out the issue! As a french person who grew up there, I remember being praised as a kid for having a thigh gap and looking anorexic (at 11-12yo) and other girls commenting how jealous there were I was not gaining weight. When in reality I used to be a depressed kid and starve myself. My mom is obese due to health issues and medication and we went to the U.K. on holiday with family friends and all the women went to the beach fully dresses as they could not dare show their « fat » bodies at the beach. But they realised so many bigger women were freely enjoying themselves (which you just don’t see in France!). I have studies abroad all my adult years (Australia, U.K., Spain) and was shocked how bigger girls in their 20s were compared to France. I have now returned to France and without even realising started focusing on loosing weight as in my head I should get back to the size I was when I was 18. Even knowing that is ingrained by my culture it’s very hard for me to tell if I am actually really doing this for myself or to please others.

French here 👋 who has/is living abroad - like many others in the comments, I can only agree with every single point with no exception. I have never been thin but I have a healthy weight. Needless to say the shape of my body is topic #1 that will be discussed when I pass the border. Funny enough, I am the thinnest on my dad’s side but that has never stopped anyone from saying things such as « On mange bien en Angleterre, n’est-ce pas ? » On my mom side, comments will be about the best sports I could practice to have a thin silhouette (« tu devrais faire de la natation ou de la danse pour t’affiner ! ») or diet (« on a bien mangé à midi, juste un yaourt pour dîner, ca te va ?»). I have a health condition that makes it hard/slow for me to lose weight. I do sports, I eat well, I am healthy but I am not thin. And as you said, this is just not acceptable in France. Thanks for this great video Rosie. As always, you are on point 🔥

I’m Creole French and the daughter of a French Expat. Creoles have adopted this from their French roots and it’s toxic. I admire that she spoke up. I eventually developed anorexia because of this culture now I live with anorexia daily now because it’s chronic. I’m pretty sure not the only Creole French woman who ended up this way. Thanks for calling out the French Rosie. Disregard people who are passive aggressively shaming you for being honest.

As someone who is Irish on one side and has a lot of French on the other, the comment from the person with depression was so accurate with respect to how weight is perceived. As for the Spanish lady with the thyroid problem, I totally sympathise, I have hypothyroidism - before I was always very slim - 5'6, curvy Uk size 8/10 and ate whatever I wanted... now, if I want to stay slim, I have to REALLY monitor what I eat and eat a very specific diet... sometimes you don't have the time, sometimes you just want something sweet and sometimes, you just think life is too short not to enjoy your food and the French girl in me loves good food.

You really explained this quite diplomatically!

Courageous video about a serious French taboo: body shaming. Well done!!!

I'd say that you're right but I feel that's more of an upper class struggle to be honest, like you live in Paris work in a big company that employ foreigners, which is a niche portion of the population. The way you look and the social pressure around it is something you mostly see on rich and wealthy people. I think that in the medium and lower class that's a still a thing but way less. But there is really indeed a problem with weight and appearance in France.

As someone who has struggled with disordered eating and nearly been unhealthily lean, I'm currently crossing France off of my list of countries to live in

Hi Rosie. Many thanks for your video. I could tell this was quite emotional for you by the sound of your voice and the way you spoke. I am French but didn't grow up in France. I am about to move to France and I have a young daughter. I am concerned with how my daughter will grow up in France. I wanted to avoid living in Paris area because of the body-shaming culture is rampant there but the type of work I do can really only be found there. I am average size but definitely not Parisian slim but I don't mind. I have a balanced diet and I'm quite active. I am hoping to teach my daughter the same: no food is off limits and being active is important for your health. Then she is the size she is and as long as she's happy and healthy, it really doesn't matter what size she is. I am lucky that my family don't comment on weight. They would behind people's back if you're overweight but if you're average, then they don't care if your stick thin or not. So compared to the average French family, that's not too bad although I 100% agree with you that it should never be considered. I thought your comments on looking forward to road trip snacks and sleepover binging is not something French people look forward to very interesting. You are right but I think you attribute the no snacking as a control issue for French people. It might be the case for some, but for most of us (myself included even though I didn't grow up in France), we just don't snack. Lots of junk food is genuinely unappealing. Snacking isn't something we want to do. I didn't realise people snacked so much until I started my first job in the UK. I was so surprised how much people eat outside meals. I'm not saying I never eat between meals but I do it purposefully; if I am genuinely hungry between meals and my next meal is a couple of hours or more away. Snacking isn't just how we eat so it's not appealing to us. It doesn't stop us from having the odd ice cream at the beach but it's just not a habit. I've done many road trips in my life and it genuinely never occurred to me to eat snacks during the road trip :) Finally, I hope you still enjoy your trip back to France. Your body is your business and no one else's. I am very sorry you've received comments about your weight. You are a very beautiful person inside and out.

I am so Proud of you for addressing these concerns that people have with others who are so called "overweight" "fat". I'm American expating to France and people always tell me I'm underweight when they have no idea how or what BMI is. French people have to further educate themselves on what body mass index is before they accuse others of weight gain/loss. It would be kind if people would mind their own damn business though.

Fascinating! Thanks for the video. Sounds brutal but makes a lot of sense.

I am so happy you explained this to me. I went to France and felt so uncomfortable there. I got to the point very early in my visit that I was happy to leave and it was hard to accept that my normal appetite was unacceptable even though I was supposed to go there with anticipation with my friend; was eager to enjoy baked goods in Patisseries. Never going back. Not unless its better elsewhere in France, which I doubt.

Finally an honest video about this ❤

Also screw the people who send you abusive comments about your weight! You are beautiful at any size, and your videos are amazing- don't let the haters get to you!!!!!!!

I can relate to this as I grew up with a very critical father that used to tell me and my sisters that being fat was a bad thing Nd that it would embarrass him. This was very hard to live with we were very scared of putting on weight so I agree it’s not a nice feeling as a result this has impacted our self esteem too

thank you for this honest video. I'm from Belarus and live in the US now, and I can relate. We have people of all sizes in Belarus, but only thin people are considered beautiful, and everyone is encouraged to become thinner. I don't think it's necessarily always bad because at least in Belarus, the way I see it, weight gain is associated with unhealthy habits in most cases.

Très intéressant. I'm an American who was taller & skinny as a kid and teen & was constantly judged & teased for being too thin! No matter what I ate I could not gain weight and the boys would call me names like giraffe. I remember thinking what idiots they were and I didn't take it personally,, just stupid boys not raised properly. Later in my 30s, 5' 10" and weighing 140 pounds which to me was just fine, I had a boyfriend at the time who asked me if I could lose just a little more weight. Keep in mind that his body looked like bones with flab so he had NO right to judge my body...HUGE double standard. Ya, we didn't last long. People really need to learn to shut their traps about other peoples bodies. What you think of me is none of my business. Americans generally have over-weight issues as everyone knows but remember this: Women with a few extra pounds tend to live longer than the men who mention it. 😂

Hey Rosie! Thank you for doing this video! I was living in Paris for almost 2 years (I am from Hungary). I worked for a company where we ate lunch everyday together at the canteen. There were many options and I choose whatever I liked and each time I got something a burger or steak a lasagne, the looks were coming alongside with the comments how much i can eat and isn’t it too fatty? Every single day!! I found it extremely rude that they said anything and judging for how much and what I ate… I can imagine how much worse it is when you have some extra weight on… I couldn’t handle the french for many reasons and this judging and eye rolling constantly was one of them.. I hope you will be alright and just not taking it to heart. We have a saying it goes into one ear and goes out from an other!!! 😊

Interesting topic! I lived in Paris for one year and saw that people tend to be very judgmental, but I actually didn't realize there were so many conversations around food and weight.To be honest, I didn't really connect with Parisian people, so my friends were expats or French but from other ethnicities. This means that the conversations were not at all around those topics. I guess I dodged a bullet here :)

Finally somebody tells the truth! Thank you!

I love your channel and I support you!

An interesting question/fact would be: what is the percentage of French women with osteoporosis?

Hi! This topic is very interesting :) I can agree with most of what you said. But I never really realized that it's specific to France and the French. My friend used to be obese. And I remember him criticizing negatively obese people or overweight people in the street. I never understood why he was criticizing since he was obese too before. I thought he would be empathetic but he was the opposite. After watching this I'm guessing it's because criticizing overweight people is just so rooted in our culture which is very sad in my opinion ... Personally my mom has been like that with me a little bit telling me to be careful etc. But fortunately not so much. I don't know if I was clear sorry if I made any mistake. Still learning this language :). And thanks for your interesting videos by the way :) they help me a lot with my English 😊

We visited my fiancé’s French family for two weeks after not seeing them since before the pandemic. I’ve gained about 18 lbs since then. I feel like most of our conversations was more about what they eat regularly and what they stay away from. Not directly about my plate… his brother even tried teaching me how to cut an onion bc I think he thought I’ve never cooked before?? I cook for every single meal. I think it’s there way of gently trying to help me but I just felt so self conscious. They are an incredibly loving family but as an American I am so not used to that… and everyone in the family kept making jokes about Coca-Cola and burgers as if that’s all we eat. I know it’s a stereotype and maybe it’s not meant to be directed at me but I couldn’t help feeling like it was…

WOW, I find it so crazy and disrespectful to comment on people's habits and bodies. These people need to learn to mind their own business. I'm glad I live in Canada, people aren't as obsessed ;) and Rosie looks totally fine!

In France we think that like alcohol or tobacco, food must be regulated. This is why we eat meals or foods at specific times. And that why the portions are almost the same everywhere, generally average. When you see someone breaking these established rules, some people can be surprised. This is why some are making remarks. Even as a man i grew up like this, I pay attention to portions, when I eat a lot one day, the next day I eat something light, just like I do with alcohol. When I drink a lot one day the next days i'm not gonna drink or less. It is a form of self-regulation encouraged by the public authorities

On of my french inlaw once told me at a family dinner: stop eating this bread. It was a long meal & I was hungry before the official eating started. It was very harsh for me, because those days I was feeling very sick and they knew that. Because I told them and I also needed to go to the doctor. So in this circumstance it is very intrusive. Here in Germany it is more relaxed. Women in all shapes wear their bikini with pride!

Wow, thanks for this interesting perspective. I'm curious, is the same culture of pressure around weight prevalent in french-speaking Switzerland and Belgium too?

You're gorgeous. Don't listen to the body-shamers. I'm serious. I love your dimples. You look so friendly.

Extremely interesting, but makes sense to me. Over the years I’ve heard many theories (the French don’t drink milk as a beverage, wine consumption in France flushes out bad fat.. nonsense like that). Here in the USA, looking back to the 1920s, 30s, 40s, we also freely commented on people’s body sizes, how clothes fit, etc. The social brakes on eating patterns eased in the 70s somewhat (especially when the Fast Food industry took off). Coupled with eating too much of the wrong foods and “nobody cares how you look”, we now are reaping the rewards-almost 50% are considered clinically obese. Also, the French adhere to the rules we followed a century ago-we eat together as a family three times a day with almost no snacking between meals. Thanks for posting this most illuminating video.

It’s so twisted that they would think for a nanosecond that shaming someone is going to be helpful to them. It’s toxic.

I am a Russian woman who lived both in French culture and in English. In Russia we adopted a lot of French etiquette and were greatly influenced culturally. So i was brought up similarly so for example we cannot snack between meals and drink sweet fizzy drinks with meals or ever. I never had any problems with this upbringing in fact I am quite glad so i can control my weight easily and don't sweat about it. I have to mention though I experienced the reverse micro aggressions when I moved to England. I was young and quite thin, not because I was dieting or something (you don't have to diet if your diet is healthy by default), but because I was young, you know you did not have the time to put on weight yet. And I was getting quite a lot of comments from people, like you have to eat more pasta (which I hate), or you are like a stick or like a broom. It was very hurtful, it was done always quietly so nobody can hear. I was dancing once in a club and accidentally touch a guy next to me with my elbow and he said oh my elbow is so sharp maybe I need to eat more. It was coming both from girls and guys. I felt like they were jealous and if they are fat so everyone should be so they can feel better about themselves. So I would not pain a picture that the French are passive aggressive, but the English are so so accepting. I would say the English is passive aggressive the other way, against thin people. So here is my penny to the debate. Totally based on my own experience.

Paris c'est un pays à part entière. J'habite à 300km, j'y suis aller quelques fois dans ma vie, j'ai jamais reconnu Paris comme la France. La mentalité est bien différente de ma ville de 20 000 habitant situé dans le nord est...

"Social Thermostat"; I love that term! Never heard that before. Brilliant!

Hi Rosie, thank you for another very interesting video ! I am french and have only started to think about this issue in the past years. I think fatphobia is engrained in French culture. In my family we do not necessarily make fun of other people's body shape, however losing weight (whatever your starting point is) is praised upon. When I was a teen and got my first crushes, I had butterflies in my stomach and very littel appetite, so I did not eat and lost loads of weight. My mom really admired and encouraged that. She also noted whenever I or my sister gained weight. I love my mom nonetheless but this is something that is there in my education. It is also very true that in France, we do tend to think that a mature/responsible person is someone who controls their eating, their drinking, their laughter, the loudness of their voice. I have to say however, that I think we are not the only nation with this systemic fatphobia. I lived in Sweden for a year, and I feel like they have a very similar approach to weight. Being healthy there means being slim, eating well and exercising.

Hi Rosie, As a french woman I can relate in part to your view. I think that's sociological and psychological but I think that's historical too (and maybe geographical?). My grandma (south-west of France) used to say that it was a good sign to gain weigh. She lived throught the WWII and didn't get enough food. There's still some people who think like this, in the countryside especially. Nowadays a lot a people are worried with the medical consequences of gaining too much weigh (ie. fast food) and aware of the sugar industry lobbing. I do too. I like eating sugar, pâtisseries, sweets, but I can stop easily. With time, I gain some weigh, that's fine. Yes, we, as a people, are very good at being frustated, "raisonnable". Wereas the next generation (a lot of) seems to not care so much. Maybe in some years / decades we will be more "weighted" ... :)

French obese person here. The n°1 thing is medical shame. My doctor ALWAYS point out my weight for any sickness or aches I have. (My DENTIST once said to me "how can you be fat, your doctor is a marathonian!" Like .. WTF Also, I am the rounder person in my family and I can't forget it. They won't let me forget it.

Hi Rosie! I think you are beautiful inside and out. And an inspiration... Keep doing you. Much love. 🙏❤️ The pain au chocolat gave me the munchies tho! Wow!! 🤩 LOL!