The French Paradox

"The French Paradox" - an age old observation that questions how the French can eat such rich (read: fatty) food and yet stay so slim as a population. Brad Marshal cleverly wrote about the "axis of paradox" as he explains why this phenomenon isn't exclusively French. He concludes, after a showcase of tables and graphs, that France is merely an extreme case in what he deems a general European trend. But it boils down to whether this is actually a paradox at all.

There has been a think shift in ideas. The spotlight has split over from focusing only on "what you eat" to "how much you eat". Portions!! Anyone who has eaten too much and suffered from a food coma or, as the writers for "The Boondocks Series" might prefer, the "Itis", knows that eating too much is, well, bad for you. But how much is bad for you? And how bad is it for you? Let's focus back on the French "Paradox" for the answer.

Paul Rozin - psychology department of University of Pennsylvania - and colleagues compared eleven different eateries in Philly and Paris and found that the average portion size is 25% larger in Philly. The full article can be found here -- pretty interesting read if you ask me. It explains why the French have managed to stay so slim all these years while Americans - or at least Philadelphians - have generally gotten heavier. There is no paradox if it's a question of portion size; sounds dumb but... eat less, stay thin. But don't starve yourself by skipping meals! Just eat until you're satisfied... not full. Food is good you know.

I know, I know. This isn't the cure all solution but it is helpful. There are plenty more factors that come into play when dealing with obesity and it's related health issues -- genetics, environmental pressures, fitness, etc. And now we can't even blame the French for our problems. So what should one do?

Asking for less spaghetti and meatballs next time you visit Maggiano's is a good start I think.