Filed under: books/magazines, cultural differences, daily life, food and drinks, shopping, signs, weird
Remember recently how the media was reporting that France was heading for U.S. obesity levels? Well. It has arrived. I saw this store for large sizes 44 to 52, which is alarmingly huge. We’re used to seeing these stores in the U.S. where obesity is commonplace and has been for decades, but in France, it’s fairly new. I hope it’s a temporary thing.
I like that the French stores take a more “soft” and kind approach, and never say, “larger,” “bigger” or even “plus” sizes - even if they are for overweight and obese people. Toscan is a spinoff from Armand Thiery, but when we were shopping at H&M in this very same mall (Cap Sud) in Avignon, they had a large size section, which is relatively new.
What does this mean about France?
1. People are FAT! And are getting fatter! 42% of French women are overweight. The rate of adult obesity is 25%. With children, there was an overall overweight and obesity prevalence of 17.8%, with an overweight and obesity prevalence of 25.3% in boys and 16.5% in girls aged 11-14 years and 16.7% for boys and 16.5% for girls in the 15-17 year age group (from a 2007 study).
2. The French can no longer indulge in disdain toward the U.S. when it comes to obesity. Don’t they LOVE to show supersize, bulging, ripply, jiggly Americans on TV!? That’s over, TF1.
3. French people are beginning to eat more processed foods. The weak buying power has forced many people to shop the center of the supermarket - meaning, the cheaper but more caloric items versus the fresh foods, which are found in the periphery of the market that are more expensive, less caloric but more healthful.
4. There is a need to monitor what kinds of foods get imported into France. Example, do they need to bring in GMO cereals ladened with corn syrup, trans fats, and other (as Michael Pollan likes to call them,) “food-like substances”? This is the government’s role: to protect its citizens.
5. Risk Factors associated with obesity - will increase health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure in adults and children. This will also decrease the overall lifespan of the French.
tags: france obesity big sizes fat french
2 Comments so far
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awww. didn’t mean to offend. medical conditions are exempt. this is really more about processed foods that are slowly being brought to the country and how some ppl find they have no choice but to eat them because of their budgets. i think it’s related to gmo foods, transfatty and chemical food imports and perhaps changing ideas here about snacking. i dunno. but it makes me sad because obesity always leads to serious health problems.
Comment by ptinfrance 06.24.08 @ 1:46 amLeave a comment
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Ah, c’mon…don’t be so harsh on us big gals. Believe it or not, it’s not always because we stuff our faces; chemo killed my thyroid gland, which caused me to gain 40 pounds in 6 months; unfortunately, my doctor didn’t recognize it (hypo-thyroid) early enough (or test me for it, even though I begged her to) and taking thyroid hormones doesn’t take the pounds off; it just keeps it from shooting up any further. But, whatever the reason, everyone deserves a chance to look as good as possible, and not be stuck with shapeless dresses (aka “mu-mu”s) and oversized, dumpy shirts just because the thinner people feel that they’re the only ones who deserve to wear stylish clothes.
Comment by PretzelBug 06.23.08 @ 10:42 pmOK…I’ll get off my soap box now…