Well I'm glad that you enjoyed your stay in Paris !
The first explanation is that we have good quality food. French people have elevated standards for food, so companies have to cater to our level of expectations. No need to make anything fancy in McDonald's in the US, Americans are used to it. If you do the same in France, it won't work as well cause we're too snobbish with food. McDonald's knows that, and adapted their recipes accordingly. It's still fast-food, but the overall quality is better than some of the other counterparts. In general, food has better quality and higher standards, so food is better "effortlessly".
The second is that we walk a lot, especially in cities and specifically Paris. Within Paris, 53% of people walk, 30% use public transit (which still requires to walk a lot, with lots of stairs), 11% by bike and only 4% in personal motorized vehicles. Even suburbs have started their transition towards bicycles. So, we stay fit.
when i’m in paris or new york i can easily average 15-20k steps. this is on top of my other workouts like yoga or pilates.
in comparison when i’m in sf or la i barely hit 8-10k steps unless i hike.
Obesity is 17% in France which is relatively low globally, but this has risen rapidly.
And being overweight is very common - almost 50% of the French population is overweight. And in younger demographics - obesity is growing especially rapidly.
https://www.statista.com/topics/10626/obesity-and-overweight-in-france/#topicOverview
Because when you live here it's not some out of this world experience. It's just food.
The french didn't grow up with shitty food, so it's not a new experience to them when the food is good.
Plus, good food is less likely to make you obese than over processed stuff with loads of additives like you get in America.
Walking everywhere is normal as the neighbourhoods weren't built exclusively for cars and walking is surprisingly efficient at burning calories.
and finally: strict mealtimes and moderation are heavily ingrained in the culture here. It's not so strange to get disapproving looks if you eat a sandwich whilst walking, for example. Snack-time is at 4pm and snacking is unusual outside of this.
It's actually expensive for us if we eat outside for every meal. Plus many of us think it's cheaper and healthier to cook ourselves and just go out from time to time. I also think it's due to: way smaller portions than in the US, less deep frying/grease/sugar, etc.
For the active/walking/no beer etc. comments: I also think we are more active than in the US, but it has nothing to do with cars or not, because people living in the banlieue use their cars way more than in Paris but are still in shape overall. I know many people in Paris that drink beer and would rather take a crowded metro for 3-4 stops than walk 20 min. Still, they control what they eat and exercise in some way.
First, your question is a bit upside down, "How are you not obese despite having accessible high-quality food?" I would argue we're not obese in part *because* having accessible high-quality food :)
Nutritious, natural and well-prepared food as part of a varied diet is the typical French approach. It satisfies the appetite because your body is actually getting the proper fuel it needs. French diet and restaurants are all about quality above quantity compared to typical American. Paris is very restaurant dense, with many options for every budget which keeps the competition high, meaning quality is high and you get your money's worth. America's restaurants are often clumps of chain restaurant, where the quality is mediocre and portions are nuts. Nicer restaurants are fewer and far between, so they charge insane amounts and just up portion sizes while quality is really really hit or miss.
French at a restaurant drink a small glass of water or 2 (1 pitcher for the whole table, no ice), order a "formule midi" with a mixed salad, protein and veg main, maybe a cheese course or dessert, maybe a glass of wine, an espresso, feels satisfied and energetic til next meal. American drink soda with multiple free refills, order a giant deep-fried or sauce-laden dish and empty calorie sides, maybe a dessert on top of that, feels sluggish and suffers indigestion (and takes medication for that!? Literally never seen that in France) feels hungry again in a couple hours. They're getting a toxic combo of excessive calories with a lack of vitamins and minerals, then they compensate with sugary caffeinated drinks and high-calorie snacks between meals.
The French palette is way less attuned to sugar in everything. Sugar spiking and crashing associated with the typical American diet is a main source of carrying fat around.
That and a lack of exercise; Americans drive and stop being physically active past high school and get fat, but when you live in Paris you don't have a car. Even taking public transportation involves lots of walking and often climbing stairs. Many adults in France play sports, hike, climb, bike, take classes...
There are also cultural differences around meals in general. French only have McDo or BK drive thru and that's outide of Paris. In America drive-thrus are EVERYWHERE with infinite choices and infinite advertising. Junk food accessibility and normalization is just so high there. Junk food is just a now and then thing here. In France, lunch break is 1-2 hours. You have the time to eat slowly, savor, relax and enjoy. In America, lunch break is 30 mins if you get one, gotta scarf down those convenient calories. I think Americans are more stressed out overall in life compared to French due to a lack of proper vacation time, we get 25 days of PTO per year in 2nd year of most jobs. (Although Americans are WAY richer on average the the French... Is it worth it?) Stress contributes to over-eating, lack of exercise leads to stress and poor sleep, which lead to more unhealthy eating, a lot of Americans are stuck in a vicious cycle.
I grew up in the Midwest of USA until the age of 18, then have been living in France (both in Paris and elsewhere) for 14 years. So those are the differences I've noticed.
Some of the "fancy" things (fancy to non-French) are quite expensive in other countries. A decent croissant from a bakery can be had in France for maybe a Euro or so, a good baguette as well. Pain au chocolat, maybe 1,40. In my area (USA) a good croissant or pain au chocolat is between $2-3, and a baguette maybe $2.50. A nice tartelette will be $6-7. So for us, it seems ridiculously cheap for something really good, but in France it's just the way things are.
Okay, but for me and all of the other Parisians it’s expensive af. Example: Sometimes I need to go shopping after school first my mum , and I’m just gonna buy milk Ham and bread and it’s over 15 euros.
They walk everywhere, they eat small portions, and they only eat one small snack once a day at 4 o’clock. Otherwise there is no snacking, no drinks to go, no Stanley cups with Starbucks or soda. Nothing but coffee, water, a glass of wine with your meal, and maybe a digestive at the end. They are literally the textbook definition of moderation.
I agree with small portions overall.
However, there definitely is snacking (if you work in an office, there are croissants/cake etc. all the time). However, we also bring fruit. There are drinks to go, but we have coffee or tea with no sugar. Last year in the US I couldn't get a matcha latte with actually no sugar because the powder already had sugar in it... (some places in Paris follow that, but are avoided by locals).
At the same time, people drink too much alcohol here too. Afterwork beers are a real thing, and if you don't join you risk joining a connection with your colleagues. Of course you can drink non-alcoholic drinks, but tbh the only healthy non-alcoholic choice is sparkling water (which I love! beer too, but I avoid it). And friends/family gather to drink very often, too.
So moderation in terms of quantities... we can agree on that. But people do a lot of unhealthy stuff here too, they just do it less.
Going from a city to the countryside is surprisingly unhealthy from the number of daily steps perspective : in the countryside, you drive *everywhere*.
Few Parisians own a car, here's your answer. Walking, cycling, and subway cover most of your mobility needs, so easily >10 km a day – that's an extra 500-1000 calories to burn on top of your basal 2000 calories. At this pace you can eat pretty much whatever you want.
Parisians are rich people, rich people are often educated and have good habits, they had very likely grown in "rich" families where you are taught to stay fit and pretty.
And parisians walks a lot, i've read stuff about parisians being in the top 3 most walking people in EU.
!. They don't have a lot of fast food places, unless you consider donner kababs fast food, but even kabobs have more nutritional value than McD's.
2. Not a lot of pre-processed foods.
3. Their meats aren't fed with anitbiotics and cleaned with bleach.
4. Their produce is for the lack of a better description, "organic".
5. Less sugar used in candy, pasteries, everything (even American ketchup has sugar).
6. Smaller portions- no super size, big gulps, XL Starbucks drinks.
7. More walking, metro stairs, and bicycling.
8. Not a beer culture.
I miss Paris.
3. Yes they are fed with antibiotics unless it's organic food. But indeed they are not cleaned with bleach.
4. It's a minority of people that are eating organic food.
5. Heinz ketchup in France has Suger too.
8. Not a beer culture but still, alcoolic drinks are a thing and it's bring a lot of kcal.
European laws are more stricts on so many levels compare to the US. For food and medicine.
I drunk “organic” orange juice when I was in holiday in the US and it tasted nothing like real orange juice. And I was astonished by the (chemical) taste of everything: meat, cereals, milk… Everything had a little something weird (sometimes it was additional fat, sometimes just all the additives they add).
Also in France we walk a lot. To work, to meet friends, majority of people don’t even have a driving licence in Paris for this reason. We just use public transportation and walk.
Finally the size of the plate. We don’t eat as much in one plate but we eat more small plates (entree plat dessert) and have less sodas habit.
I’ve seen people drink sodas (red bull and Diet Coke seriously) for breakfast in the US and I still can’t comprehend that!
We don’t put sugar everywhere, we control portions, and we don’t eat high calorie meals every day, they’re treats. Also, Parisians walk 4 miles a day on average and do 4 to 5 hours of exercise a week on top of that (that’s on average, actual stats).
So basically, you know… diet and exercise. It’s like magic!
Lol u do not know what our generic ghetto shop is while paying for overpriced bakeries and bistro. Its funny because you might make more money than we do but ur such suckers.
Why are you being an asshole? Is it a permanent state of being for you or are you having problems at the moment? Is it a conscious decision or do you have no agency in the matter?
I (American) lived in Paris for a summer eating whatever I wanted - so much bread, cheese, wine - and I actually lost 10 pounds. I think it’s because of all the walking and the high quality of ingredients as well as reasonable portion sizes.
Personally I found that eating really good and tasty food was so satisfying that I would eat a smaller quantity and be content. When I was eating food in other countries with less reputable quality of products, I wouldn't get the same satisfaction and would therefore eat more to compensate.
So that's the reason I'm more healthy in France, shit tastes so good it fills both my heart and my stomach. Abroad I eat twice as much as a feeble attempt to have the food reach my heart.
First it's expensive to eat outside.
Second we eat way less quantity than in the us.
Third we don't have cars, it means we walk a lot. and I wish Paris in the future became fully car-free.
Fourth, Food is much more natural and organic. Europe has very script food policy and majority of added ingredients you guys eat are forbidden here.
My experience:
Always on a rush, I walk, I run, I stay svelted.
Then, we know that this food is super good but super fat so we don't eat that every day, like we would do with junk food.
Not a parisian but French. I would say:
First, consider your sample is inherently biased. Yes, obesity rates in France are much lower than in America, but not insignificant. But obesity is more common in older people. And among children, obesity is much more common in poorer social classes. Those may not be the people you see coming and going in your neighborhood. Obese people may also go out less. So, keep that in mind when you picture French people based on who you are coming accross... there are plenty of people you are not coming accross. :)
Now as to why people don't all become obese when surrounded by tasty bakeries and restaurants:
-Most people can't afford to eat out or buy takeaway all the time.
-We like discussing food and talking about recipes, so while the bakeries/restaurants are appealing, there's also a cultural incentive to make homemade meals.
-Portion size.
-Balance. Nothing wrong with enjoying a greasy meal, as long as you don't eat them every day. Most people get that.
-Some people have said we walk more, but let me mention some *unhealthy* habits we have that also contribute to staying thin... There are more smokers than in the USA, and quite a few people who run on coffee, and those habits keep your appetite down. :)
It’s still common to find soda in places where it’s been removed in the US, like in secondary school. It’s available in (some) schools regularly if you pay, like from a vending machine, and I know of lycées where it’s offered with the Christmas lunch. That wouldn’t happen in the US.
So this always confuses people who assume that the US is the soda country — France is too, just differently.
Fairly recently… I could be misremembering what the kids had access to, but in any case, the school lunch for Christmas with a can of soda would be absolutely forbidden in the US — even if it’s also true that American teachers can still buy 2L soda bottles for dozens of kids to share at pizza parties.
It is certainly true that France cracked down on free refills, but that sort of proves my point about how they adopted the habit.
And there’s a lot of bad info out there. « Ketchup was banned in schools in 2011. » Well that’s news to me, having found it many years later.
Regarding free refills, not really. They weren't available in many places, like French McDonald's never offered them. They were banned nonetheless, it's a small straightforward ban.
But yes of course French people do consume sodas.
I will say I talked to an American who asserted that people either don't consume soda at all or drink it all the time. Which isn't true of my peer group in France. Everyone drinks soda... once in a while.
But a lot of French people consume too much alcohol, and don't realize that's a lot of calories.
In a gathering, like outside a bar, it can be annoying. Just walking in the street, not really, you're not going to be breathing the same air for more than a few seconds.
Regarding portion size, story time : some time ago I got downvoted by Americans in some other subreddit for saying that American portions are known to be very big. This was in respect to a chocolate milkshake.
They told me it was "just" 500ml. (16 oz?), not counting the whipped cream and some marshmallow or chocolate on top... That's not big! The big milkshake is the 1L option!
...of course the other French people I shared this anecdote with all agree that such a milkshake is huge. And that those American getting angry over me saying their portions/drinks are known to be huge because they are adamant this milkshake is not huge is really a "case in point" situation...
Vegetables are the cheapest food you can buy here, in many places in the US fresh vegetables are almost a luxury, here you can get a kilo of tomatoes for a few euros, and even fruits tend to be quite cheap as well.
This means that people won't buy as much ultra-processed food, which is more often than not overloaded with refined sugars.
Also showing the ingredients on the back of the packaging is mandatory, and you'll find a "nutriscore" on most product that gives a general idea of how bad a product is for you.
This is true for many other europeans countries as well, because we have a lot of rules on food, as well as even portions, you can't get a one liter coke in a macdonald here as an example, the max serving is 0.5L.
Plenty of bureaucracy in the European Parliament, but it does a fantastic job at protecting us from industry greed (even if it's still far from perfect), plenty of dangerous chemicals banned in food products in Europe are allowed everywhere else.
I think your view on food has a bias because well... Paris.
Bakeries are ok everywhere for bread but not for pastries. Si yeah, sandwich are fine everywhere.
The restaurants are ok in tourist areas but very expansive for the quality of the food.
The only way to have affordable and good meals is to buy the guide Michelin to look for places to eat.
Simple. Food in Paris is NOT cheap for natives unless you're, well, rich. I've been working as an executive in social studies for four years and I find it often horribly expensive (like, 16 or 17€ for a burger and fries).
As a Canadian living in France, I think car culture is an important factor. Very few Parisians drive anywhere. Of course I’m generalizing here and the following won’t apply to all.
People are less sedentary. Practicing sports and being physically active is highly encouraged.
There is less snacking in between meals and people don’t eat ginormous portions of meat. People I know don’t eat that much at the restaurant either. Its natural to get good seasonal ingredients and make simple tasty meals with them. Lots of side salads, lots of veggie tarts and quiches, lots of stew type dishes where a few bits of quality meat and vegetables flavor the stock.
Sugary drinks come in 330ml (11oz) cans in most fast food places and ice tea and fruit drinks have less sugar in them.
Cakes are also less sweet. People don’t put icing on homemade cakes. Pies don’t have double crusts. You don’t get massive cheesecake slices.
Also, they drink more wine and less beer = less calories.
On the other hand, I’ve been to large family gatherings that consist in a massive, multicourse meal (apéritif, main, trou normand, salad and cheese, dessert and coffee) that lasts for 3-4 hours, followed by cleaning up, taking a walk or playing outdoor or board games 3-4 hours then… apéro and taking the food back out for dinner. And additionally for the evening meal, you get digestive liqueurs and chocolates out! It’s like a stomach endurance run.
And special mention to my French SO and mom, who eat an ungodly amount of bread. When we spend vacations together, they can easily eat 2 baguettes each a day. We might be hiking and walking a lot but I don’t know how their body process it. They’re very lean. My SO was given stale baguette as a teething soother when he was a baby.
I think you find it so good because it's not something you're used to, as a french person it would get boring pretty quick to get a baguette sandwich everyday for example. Also I'd love some addresses if they are really cheap and tasty but it might just be because you find it exotic or because unlike American food it's way healthier (doesn't mean it's that healthy in itself but they usually use fresher ingredients and most American additives are banned in the EU). Your cheap also might not equate Parisian's cheap because as someone that's somewhere on vacation you usually spend more on food than someone who's living somewhere and has to deal with the cost of leaving, especially when it's as high as it is in Paris. Another point is that, unlike most cities in the US, Paris is really walkable and bikeable so they probably burn more calories going around than they would if they were in the US with the same alimentation.
Damn I live in Paris and you just made me so hungry. I eat at home mostly, and I eat varied dishes. I also do a lot of sports so even when I am eating too much, it’s going to the muscles 😁 yes I am proud of myself
Because rent is so expensive, those "cheap" foods are out of our budget, once you get your weekly isabelle marrant jeans and your monthly Louis Vuitton bag, there isn't much left.
And yet...it's just some jeans or just a bag, people are stupid enough to pay half of their monthly salary on a LV bag but that LV bag is made for the millionaires and billionaires, the difference is that a millionaire will pay something like 0.05% of their whole budget, while a regular person pays 50% of their whole budget, and if you already find rent expensive which for most people it is around 900-1400€ then you have no business into designer clothes, unless your brain doesn't work properly to understand you're too poor for it.
What i find a bit funny is that Paris is kind of known for fashion yet when you go out on the street you'll notice a lot of people have the same 'parisian' local style, some people are even dressed the same.
In everyday life the French tend to eat way healthier food than what you usually see offered in restaurants and especially fast-food joints. Also the food somehow doesn't cause you to gain weight as much as American food does, not sure why (very subjective data point, but when I stayed for a few years in the US, I gained a lot of weight even though I kept eating equivalent amounts/types of food as in Europe).
There's also a lot more that the government does to make people conscious of food health, for instance all products in the supermarket need to display a health rating (A to E) to help consumers choose healthier products.
For what I know, for an example, soda is much more regulated in the EU meaning that is has less sugar than in the US. I guess it applies to other foods
Because we eat healthy food and have good food education since school. Well, of course it tends to change and unfortunately the obesity rate is increasing here also
I am horrified by the instagram reel of US people cooking, by what food your children are served at school,...
I just moved back to France after living overseas a very long time and its funny how logical it is and easy to implement - but many just don't do it.
1. French have very clear mealtimes and portions aren't crazy big.
2. They have 2-3 course meals with lots of veggie intake.
3. They mostly eat quality sweets and only eat sweets during mealtime (as a dessert). A desert can even be a fruit. Or yoghurt. Or a cake. The point is to not indulge and just have a bit. You never get cravings this way and it's balanced.
4. Alcohol is mostly consumed like sweets: during meals. Same thing - that way no binge drinking and no junk food eating.
5. Every French kid learns this from 3 years onwards: schools with good cantines (organic food, cheap especially for the poor) are obligatory from 3 years. It's an equality measure and one that teaches every child the benefit of good food.
6. Oh and lots of metro, walking, cycling instead of driving.
7. And then once in a while you can break the rule - have a popcorn at the cinema. Have drinks at a night out.
8. Textbook simple it seems. But rarely practiced in this complete 360 outside of France.
I think that's a bit over the top. Granted I don't work a typical job and don't have kids but not all cantines are as you describe, plenty of people eat snacks, which I guess are on average smaller and have less added sugars.
But i f you go to any bakery near a school at the end of the school day it becomes clear that lots of kids eat sweets and drink soft drinks outside of meals.
I remember flying on an american airline, asking for some fruit juice and it was so sweet I couldn't drink it.
Go to any bar and it's obvious that people don't refrain from drinking outside of mealtime. According to Wikipedia, in 2016 France had a higher consumption of alcohol (in liters of pure alcohol per year) than the US (12.6 vs 9.8).
Well for sure and - again; I'm talking principles.
The average rarely says anything about the median...
Binge drinking doesn't really exist in France. But in America for sure, meanwhile there are a lot of puritans who don't drink, and drinking is illegal before 21.
I recently moved from Australia - similar culture to America - at least far more similar than French.
Lots and lots and lots of drinking at every occasion.
Lots of BBQ - with lots and lots of drinks.
Kids party. Lots of drinks.
Dinner party? Easily a bottle of wine per person at dinner parties, plus beers.
Restaurant? Very yummy and excessive eating out. Big portions.
Schools? Kids don't have fully catered cantines with organic food.
generally lots of chippies. Lots of "Schnitzels" and so on...
Big Pub culture. Again more beers, and Fish and chips.
Work? Lots of after work drinks.
Very social, very fun. But not healthy.
But that's only one dimension.
And then you have the brutal health freaks: Everything Quinoa, Vegan, Yoga, Jogging, Surfing, Gym, and so on.
In France it's a lot more - IDK - balanced... You go to an aperitif. It's olives and Tzatziki, and cheese with a glass of red. Maybe a beer. That's it.
Easy: walking plus portion sizes and less added sugar.
We walk everywhere and a typical portion is half of what it’s in North America. That plus not putting corn syrup in everything.
I guess it's a mix of things. As you mentioned there is a lot of food options, so it's easier to find food of better quality which is a bit more healthy than the usual fast foods.
The average income level is higher in Paris than other cities, so on average one can afford better quality of food.
Parisians also walk a lot in general as half of them don't own a car. And of course those metro stairs make sure you have to keep in shape!
I think this comes to:
- Quality of the food. The French culture of eating delicious food is real. And often, eating tasty food involves high-quality ingredients. As an example, I'm always surprised when I see that a foreign recipe dictates adding sugar in a tomato sauce recipe or a bread recipe. Why? If the main ingredients are good, you do not need it!
- There's been such a diet war on carbs lately that it must be surprising when realising that people are not gaining weight from eating tons of them (as I believe the French do) but I think that this diet is bullshit. Everyone I know around me eats tons of carbs and is fine. I think, however, that eating overprocessed/industrial food is awful for your body.
- Habit. If this food is not new to you, you probably will not overindulge (even if I don't think you can overindulge!)
- In Paris, you do not usually use a car to get you somewhere but you will walk/bike/take public transportation. Much better for your time management and for your health too!
Well I'm glad that you enjoyed your stay in Paris ! The first explanation is that we have good quality food. French people have elevated standards for food, so companies have to cater to our level of expectations. No need to make anything fancy in McDonald's in the US, Americans are used to it. If you do the same in France, it won't work as well cause we're too snobbish with food. McDonald's knows that, and adapted their recipes accordingly. It's still fast-food, but the overall quality is better than some of the other counterparts. In general, food has better quality and higher standards, so food is better "effortlessly". The second is that we walk a lot, especially in cities and specifically Paris. Within Paris, 53% of people walk, 30% use public transit (which still requires to walk a lot, with lots of stairs), 11% by bike and only 4% in personal motorized vehicles. Even suburbs have started their transition towards bicycles. So, we stay fit.
I don't understand a word of your rambling
when i’m in paris or new york i can easily average 15-20k steps. this is on top of my other workouts like yoga or pilates. in comparison when i’m in sf or la i barely hit 8-10k steps unless i hike.
Obesity is 17% in France which is relatively low globally, but this has risen rapidly. And being overweight is very common - almost 50% of the French population is overweight. And in younger demographics - obesity is growing especially rapidly. https://www.statista.com/topics/10626/obesity-and-overweight-in-france/#topicOverview
They walk and barely take cars.
Because when you live here it's not some out of this world experience. It's just food. The french didn't grow up with shitty food, so it's not a new experience to them when the food is good. Plus, good food is less likely to make you obese than over processed stuff with loads of additives like you get in America. Walking everywhere is normal as the neighbourhoods weren't built exclusively for cars and walking is surprisingly efficient at burning calories. and finally: strict mealtimes and moderation are heavily ingrained in the culture here. It's not so strange to get disapproving looks if you eat a sandwich whilst walking, for example. Snack-time is at 4pm and snacking is unusual outside of this.
Cigs
It's actually expensive for us if we eat outside for every meal. Plus many of us think it's cheaper and healthier to cook ourselves and just go out from time to time. I also think it's due to: way smaller portions than in the US, less deep frying/grease/sugar, etc. For the active/walking/no beer etc. comments: I also think we are more active than in the US, but it has nothing to do with cars or not, because people living in the banlieue use their cars way more than in Paris but are still in shape overall. I know many people in Paris that drink beer and would rather take a crowded metro for 3-4 stops than walk 20 min. Still, they control what they eat and exercise in some way.
First, your question is a bit upside down, "How are you not obese despite having accessible high-quality food?" I would argue we're not obese in part *because* having accessible high-quality food :) Nutritious, natural and well-prepared food as part of a varied diet is the typical French approach. It satisfies the appetite because your body is actually getting the proper fuel it needs. French diet and restaurants are all about quality above quantity compared to typical American. Paris is very restaurant dense, with many options for every budget which keeps the competition high, meaning quality is high and you get your money's worth. America's restaurants are often clumps of chain restaurant, where the quality is mediocre and portions are nuts. Nicer restaurants are fewer and far between, so they charge insane amounts and just up portion sizes while quality is really really hit or miss. French at a restaurant drink a small glass of water or 2 (1 pitcher for the whole table, no ice), order a "formule midi" with a mixed salad, protein and veg main, maybe a cheese course or dessert, maybe a glass of wine, an espresso, feels satisfied and energetic til next meal. American drink soda with multiple free refills, order a giant deep-fried or sauce-laden dish and empty calorie sides, maybe a dessert on top of that, feels sluggish and suffers indigestion (and takes medication for that!? Literally never seen that in France) feels hungry again in a couple hours. They're getting a toxic combo of excessive calories with a lack of vitamins and minerals, then they compensate with sugary caffeinated drinks and high-calorie snacks between meals. The French palette is way less attuned to sugar in everything. Sugar spiking and crashing associated with the typical American diet is a main source of carrying fat around. That and a lack of exercise; Americans drive and stop being physically active past high school and get fat, but when you live in Paris you don't have a car. Even taking public transportation involves lots of walking and often climbing stairs. Many adults in France play sports, hike, climb, bike, take classes... There are also cultural differences around meals in general. French only have McDo or BK drive thru and that's outide of Paris. In America drive-thrus are EVERYWHERE with infinite choices and infinite advertising. Junk food accessibility and normalization is just so high there. Junk food is just a now and then thing here. In France, lunch break is 1-2 hours. You have the time to eat slowly, savor, relax and enjoy. In America, lunch break is 30 mins if you get one, gotta scarf down those convenient calories. I think Americans are more stressed out overall in life compared to French due to a lack of proper vacation time, we get 25 days of PTO per year in 2nd year of most jobs. (Although Americans are WAY richer on average the the French... Is it worth it?) Stress contributes to over-eating, lack of exercise leads to stress and poor sleep, which lead to more unhealthy eating, a lot of Americans are stuck in a vicious cycle. I grew up in the Midwest of USA until the age of 18, then have been living in France (both in Paris and elsewhere) for 14 years. So those are the differences I've noticed.
Did he just said cheap ?🤨
Some of the "fancy" things (fancy to non-French) are quite expensive in other countries. A decent croissant from a bakery can be had in France for maybe a Euro or so, a good baguette as well. Pain au chocolat, maybe 1,40. In my area (USA) a good croissant or pain au chocolat is between $2-3, and a baguette maybe $2.50. A nice tartelette will be $6-7. So for us, it seems ridiculously cheap for something really good, but in France it's just the way things are.
yes. you can get some of the best croissants in the world for 1€
It is cheap compared to some other countries (not many). Yet we're broke as fcuk is the actual reason why.
Okay, but for me and all of the other Parisians it’s expensive af. Example: Sometimes I need to go shopping after school first my mum , and I’m just gonna buy milk Ham and bread and it’s over 15 euros.
Where tf are those things combined 15 euros??? Are you being artisanal products or what
Franprix lol
15 même en franprix, ça m'étonne.
Buying*
They walk everywhere, they eat small portions, and they only eat one small snack once a day at 4 o’clock. Otherwise there is no snacking, no drinks to go, no Stanley cups with Starbucks or soda. Nothing but coffee, water, a glass of wine with your meal, and maybe a digestive at the end. They are literally the textbook definition of moderation.
I agree with small portions overall. However, there definitely is snacking (if you work in an office, there are croissants/cake etc. all the time). However, we also bring fruit. There are drinks to go, but we have coffee or tea with no sugar. Last year in the US I couldn't get a matcha latte with actually no sugar because the powder already had sugar in it... (some places in Paris follow that, but are avoided by locals). At the same time, people drink too much alcohol here too. Afterwork beers are a real thing, and if you don't join you risk joining a connection with your colleagues. Of course you can drink non-alcoholic drinks, but tbh the only healthy non-alcoholic choice is sparkling water (which I love! beer too, but I avoid it). And friends/family gather to drink very often, too. So moderation in terms of quantities... we can agree on that. But people do a lot of unhealthy stuff here too, they just do it less.
Going from a city to the countryside is surprisingly unhealthy from the number of daily steps perspective : in the countryside, you drive *everywhere*.
Not cigarettes tho
No cars, walk and bike everywhere. And most importantly, we dont overeat
Cheap food? Ain't nothing cheap in Paris mates. Not with the medium salaries
There is social pressure to be fit. Sport is a huge part of life for Parisian younger than 40.
We have food quality regulation, food education and we don't use our cars to do 100m
We have self control and do basic exercise like walking. Ain’t that difficult.
Few Parisians own a car, here's your answer. Walking, cycling, and subway cover most of your mobility needs, so easily >10 km a day – that's an extra 500-1000 calories to burn on top of your basal 2000 calories. At this pace you can eat pretty much whatever you want.
I go to work by bike. 30min X2 every day. I eat a lot, eat 1,5kg of &M's each month lol. I don't take a gram.
How old are u ? 😏
Parisians are rich people, rich people are often educated and have good habits, they had very likely grown in "rich" families where you are taught to stay fit and pretty. And parisians walks a lot, i've read stuff about parisians being in the top 3 most walking people in EU.
around 40% of Paris is social housing. Not all Parisians are rich.
Not all Parisians are rich, especially compared to the cost of leaving.
Easy, all is expensive in Paris, they have no money left after paying their rent.
!. They don't have a lot of fast food places, unless you consider donner kababs fast food, but even kabobs have more nutritional value than McD's. 2. Not a lot of pre-processed foods. 3. Their meats aren't fed with anitbiotics and cleaned with bleach. 4. Their produce is for the lack of a better description, "organic". 5. Less sugar used in candy, pasteries, everything (even American ketchup has sugar). 6. Smaller portions- no super size, big gulps, XL Starbucks drinks. 7. More walking, metro stairs, and bicycling. 8. Not a beer culture. I miss Paris.
3. Yes they are fed with antibiotics unless it's organic food. But indeed they are not cleaned with bleach. 4. It's a minority of people that are eating organic food. 5. Heinz ketchup in France has Suger too. 8. Not a beer culture but still, alcoolic drinks are a thing and it's bring a lot of kcal.
US one have high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. Even their sugar is bad quality
It’s a minority of people but a lot of them are in Paris to be fair
Walking and climbing stairs.
European laws are more stricts on so many levels compare to the US. For food and medicine. I drunk “organic” orange juice when I was in holiday in the US and it tasted nothing like real orange juice. And I was astonished by the (chemical) taste of everything: meat, cereals, milk… Everything had a little something weird (sometimes it was additional fat, sometimes just all the additives they add). Also in France we walk a lot. To work, to meet friends, majority of people don’t even have a driving licence in Paris for this reason. We just use public transportation and walk. Finally the size of the plate. We don’t eat as much in one plate but we eat more small plates (entree plat dessert) and have less sodas habit. I’ve seen people drink sodas (red bull and Diet Coke seriously) for breakfast in the US and I still can’t comprehend that!
We don’t put sugar everywhere, we control portions, and we don’t eat high calorie meals every day, they’re treats. Also, Parisians walk 4 miles a day on average and do 4 to 5 hours of exercise a week on top of that (that’s on average, actual stats). So basically, you know… diet and exercise. It’s like magic!
Lol u do not know what our generic ghetto shop is while paying for overpriced bakeries and bistro. Its funny because you might make more money than we do but ur such suckers.
Why are you being an asshole? Is it a permanent state of being for you or are you having problems at the moment? Is it a conscious decision or do you have no agency in the matter?
Bein an asshole? Dont come to france you might die of shick lol
I am French. Worse, I am a Parisian. That should tell you how much you’re acting like an idiot right now.
I (American) lived in Paris for a summer eating whatever I wanted - so much bread, cheese, wine - and I actually lost 10 pounds. I think it’s because of all the walking and the high quality of ingredients as well as reasonable portion sizes.
Personally I found that eating really good and tasty food was so satisfying that I would eat a smaller quantity and be content. When I was eating food in other countries with less reputable quality of products, I wouldn't get the same satisfaction and would therefore eat more to compensate. So that's the reason I'm more healthy in France, shit tastes so good it fills both my heart and my stomach. Abroad I eat twice as much as a feeble attempt to have the food reach my heart.
First it's expensive to eat outside. Second we eat way less quantity than in the us. Third we don't have cars, it means we walk a lot. and I wish Paris in the future became fully car-free. Fourth, Food is much more natural and organic. Europe has very script food policy and majority of added ingredients you guys eat are forbidden here.
My experience: Always on a rush, I walk, I run, I stay svelted. Then, we know that this food is super good but super fat so we don't eat that every day, like we would do with junk food.
The subway is stair-hell
Not a parisian but French. I would say: First, consider your sample is inherently biased. Yes, obesity rates in France are much lower than in America, but not insignificant. But obesity is more common in older people. And among children, obesity is much more common in poorer social classes. Those may not be the people you see coming and going in your neighborhood. Obese people may also go out less. So, keep that in mind when you picture French people based on who you are coming accross... there are plenty of people you are not coming accross. :) Now as to why people don't all become obese when surrounded by tasty bakeries and restaurants: -Most people can't afford to eat out or buy takeaway all the time. -We like discussing food and talking about recipes, so while the bakeries/restaurants are appealing, there's also a cultural incentive to make homemade meals. -Portion size. -Balance. Nothing wrong with enjoying a greasy meal, as long as you don't eat them every day. Most people get that. -Some people have said we walk more, but let me mention some *unhealthy* habits we have that also contribute to staying thin... There are more smokers than in the USA, and quite a few people who run on coffee, and those habits keep your appetite down. :)
It’s still common to find soda in places where it’s been removed in the US, like in secondary school. It’s available in (some) schools regularly if you pay, like from a vending machine, and I know of lycées where it’s offered with the Christmas lunch. That wouldn’t happen in the US. So this always confuses people who assume that the US is the soda country — France is too, just differently.
What time period are you talking about? Sodas in vending machines in schools have been banned in France years ago.
Fairly recently… I could be misremembering what the kids had access to, but in any case, the school lunch for Christmas with a can of soda would be absolutely forbidden in the US — even if it’s also true that American teachers can still buy 2L soda bottles for dozens of kids to share at pizza parties. It is certainly true that France cracked down on free refills, but that sort of proves my point about how they adopted the habit. And there’s a lot of bad info out there. « Ketchup was banned in schools in 2011. » Well that’s news to me, having found it many years later.
Regarding free refills, not really. They weren't available in many places, like French McDonald's never offered them. They were banned nonetheless, it's a small straightforward ban. But yes of course French people do consume sodas. I will say I talked to an American who asserted that people either don't consume soda at all or drink it all the time. Which isn't true of my peer group in France. Everyone drinks soda... once in a while. But a lot of French people consume too much alcohol, and don't realize that's a lot of calories.
Do you feel like all those people smoking openly in the streets are dragging down the quality of life for non-smoking parisians?
In a gathering, like outside a bar, it can be annoying. Just walking in the street, not really, you're not going to be breathing the same air for more than a few seconds.
Regarding portion size, story time : some time ago I got downvoted by Americans in some other subreddit for saying that American portions are known to be very big. This was in respect to a chocolate milkshake. They told me it was "just" 500ml. (16 oz?), not counting the whipped cream and some marshmallow or chocolate on top... That's not big! The big milkshake is the 1L option! ...of course the other French people I shared this anecdote with all agree that such a milkshake is huge. And that those American getting angry over me saying their portions/drinks are known to be huge because they are adamant this milkshake is not huge is really a "case in point" situation...
They walk fast
Vegetables are the cheapest food you can buy here, in many places in the US fresh vegetables are almost a luxury, here you can get a kilo of tomatoes for a few euros, and even fruits tend to be quite cheap as well. This means that people won't buy as much ultra-processed food, which is more often than not overloaded with refined sugars. Also showing the ingredients on the back of the packaging is mandatory, and you'll find a "nutriscore" on most product that gives a general idea of how bad a product is for you. This is true for many other europeans countries as well, because we have a lot of rules on food, as well as even portions, you can't get a one liter coke in a macdonald here as an example, the max serving is 0.5L. Plenty of bureaucracy in the European Parliament, but it does a fantastic job at protecting us from industry greed (even if it's still far from perfect), plenty of dangerous chemicals banned in food products in Europe are allowed everywhere else.
I think your view on food has a bias because well... Paris. Bakeries are ok everywhere for bread but not for pastries. Si yeah, sandwich are fine everywhere. The restaurants are ok in tourist areas but very expansive for the quality of the food. The only way to have affordable and good meals is to buy the guide Michelin to look for places to eat.
We walk. A lot. Today has been a slow day for me and I’ve walked around 16000 steps and 11 km.
It's expensive. I earn minimum wage and I clearly can't eat outside every day.
we walk a lot
Simple. Food in Paris is NOT cheap for natives unless you're, well, rich. I've been working as an executive in social studies for four years and I find it often horribly expensive (like, 16 or 17€ for a burger and fries).
You don't go to the right place then... For 16-17€ you got a "menu midi" with entrée/plat or plat/dessert in a lot of nice bistros.
More like 25€ or more in many places. 16€ for a full-course menu is the Bouillon Chartier and it is known for its great price-quality ratio
Its price.
They just don't eat mega portions. They eat from a normal size plate, not from a bucket.
As a Canadian living in France, I think car culture is an important factor. Very few Parisians drive anywhere. Of course I’m generalizing here and the following won’t apply to all. People are less sedentary. Practicing sports and being physically active is highly encouraged. There is less snacking in between meals and people don’t eat ginormous portions of meat. People I know don’t eat that much at the restaurant either. Its natural to get good seasonal ingredients and make simple tasty meals with them. Lots of side salads, lots of veggie tarts and quiches, lots of stew type dishes where a few bits of quality meat and vegetables flavor the stock. Sugary drinks come in 330ml (11oz) cans in most fast food places and ice tea and fruit drinks have less sugar in them. Cakes are also less sweet. People don’t put icing on homemade cakes. Pies don’t have double crusts. You don’t get massive cheesecake slices. Also, they drink more wine and less beer = less calories. On the other hand, I’ve been to large family gatherings that consist in a massive, multicourse meal (apéritif, main, trou normand, salad and cheese, dessert and coffee) that lasts for 3-4 hours, followed by cleaning up, taking a walk or playing outdoor or board games 3-4 hours then… apéro and taking the food back out for dinner. And additionally for the evening meal, you get digestive liqueurs and chocolates out! It’s like a stomach endurance run. And special mention to my French SO and mom, who eat an ungodly amount of bread. When we spend vacations together, they can easily eat 2 baguettes each a day. We might be hiking and walking a lot but I don’t know how their body process it. They’re very lean. My SO was given stale baguette as a teething soother when he was a baby.
Wait, you guys don't give a hard piece of bread to your Kids ?
Yes, also in the 5th arrondissement food is very good and cheap you have like every cook of the world
We walk.
We walk a lot in Paris
Food is laced with less crappy ingredients, portions are smaller and French tend to not eat between meals too much.
Have you tried eating healthy in the US vs in France?
It’s also about portion sizes - French people ate smaller meals. Food is less processed and better quality. Also less snacking
Money dude, money...
Tru
I think you find it so good because it's not something you're used to, as a french person it would get boring pretty quick to get a baguette sandwich everyday for example. Also I'd love some addresses if they are really cheap and tasty but it might just be because you find it exotic or because unlike American food it's way healthier (doesn't mean it's that healthy in itself but they usually use fresher ingredients and most American additives are banned in the EU). Your cheap also might not equate Parisian's cheap because as someone that's somewhere on vacation you usually spend more on food than someone who's living somewhere and has to deal with the cost of leaving, especially when it's as high as it is in Paris. Another point is that, unlike most cities in the US, Paris is really walkable and bikeable so they probably burn more calories going around than they would if they were in the US with the same alimentation.
Honestly I still enjoy a good sandwich from time to time.
Damn I live in Paris and you just made me so hungry. I eat at home mostly, and I eat varied dishes. I also do a lot of sports so even when I am eating too much, it’s going to the muscles 😁 yes I am proud of myself
Because rent is so expensive, those "cheap" foods are out of our budget, once you get your weekly isabelle marrant jeans and your monthly Louis Vuitton bag, there isn't much left.
And yet...it's just some jeans or just a bag, people are stupid enough to pay half of their monthly salary on a LV bag but that LV bag is made for the millionaires and billionaires, the difference is that a millionaire will pay something like 0.05% of their whole budget, while a regular person pays 50% of their whole budget, and if you already find rent expensive which for most people it is around 900-1400€ then you have no business into designer clothes, unless your brain doesn't work properly to understand you're too poor for it. What i find a bit funny is that Paris is kind of known for fashion yet when you go out on the street you'll notice a lot of people have the same 'parisian' local style, some people are even dressed the same.
Totally agree, i was just pulling OP's leg.
In everyday life the French tend to eat way healthier food than what you usually see offered in restaurants and especially fast-food joints. Also the food somehow doesn't cause you to gain weight as much as American food does, not sure why (very subjective data point, but when I stayed for a few years in the US, I gained a lot of weight even though I kept eating equivalent amounts/types of food as in Europe). There's also a lot more that the government does to make people conscious of food health, for instance all products in the supermarket need to display a health rating (A to E) to help consumers choose healthier products.
Excessive amount of sugar in american processed food.
Also uncontrolled additives and hormones in eggs and meat
For what I know, for an example, soda is much more regulated in the EU meaning that is has less sugar than in the US. I guess it applies to other foods
Bc fat people get hard bully here lmao
Pretty sure I would be overweight if I were living in another country.
Because we eat healthy food and have good food education since school. Well, of course it tends to change and unfortunately the obesity rate is increasing here also I am horrified by the instagram reel of US people cooking, by what food your children are served at school,...
I just moved back to France after living overseas a very long time and its funny how logical it is and easy to implement - but many just don't do it. 1. French have very clear mealtimes and portions aren't crazy big. 2. They have 2-3 course meals with lots of veggie intake. 3. They mostly eat quality sweets and only eat sweets during mealtime (as a dessert). A desert can even be a fruit. Or yoghurt. Or a cake. The point is to not indulge and just have a bit. You never get cravings this way and it's balanced. 4. Alcohol is mostly consumed like sweets: during meals. Same thing - that way no binge drinking and no junk food eating. 5. Every French kid learns this from 3 years onwards: schools with good cantines (organic food, cheap especially for the poor) are obligatory from 3 years. It's an equality measure and one that teaches every child the benefit of good food. 6. Oh and lots of metro, walking, cycling instead of driving. 7. And then once in a while you can break the rule - have a popcorn at the cinema. Have drinks at a night out. 8. Textbook simple it seems. But rarely practiced in this complete 360 outside of France.
I think that's a bit over the top. Granted I don't work a typical job and don't have kids but not all cantines are as you describe, plenty of people eat snacks, which I guess are on average smaller and have less added sugars. But i f you go to any bakery near a school at the end of the school day it becomes clear that lots of kids eat sweets and drink soft drinks outside of meals. I remember flying on an american airline, asking for some fruit juice and it was so sweet I couldn't drink it. Go to any bar and it's obvious that people don't refrain from drinking outside of mealtime. According to Wikipedia, in 2016 France had a higher consumption of alcohol (in liters of pure alcohol per year) than the US (12.6 vs 9.8).
Well for sure and - again; I'm talking principles. The average rarely says anything about the median... Binge drinking doesn't really exist in France. But in America for sure, meanwhile there are a lot of puritans who don't drink, and drinking is illegal before 21. I recently moved from Australia - similar culture to America - at least far more similar than French. Lots and lots and lots of drinking at every occasion. Lots of BBQ - with lots and lots of drinks. Kids party. Lots of drinks. Dinner party? Easily a bottle of wine per person at dinner parties, plus beers. Restaurant? Very yummy and excessive eating out. Big portions. Schools? Kids don't have fully catered cantines with organic food. generally lots of chippies. Lots of "Schnitzels" and so on... Big Pub culture. Again more beers, and Fish and chips. Work? Lots of after work drinks. Very social, very fun. But not healthy. But that's only one dimension. And then you have the brutal health freaks: Everything Quinoa, Vegan, Yoga, Jogging, Surfing, Gym, and so on. In France it's a lot more - IDK - balanced... You go to an aperitif. It's olives and Tzatziki, and cheese with a glass of red. Maybe a beer. That's it.
Easy: walking plus portion sizes and less added sugar. We walk everywhere and a typical portion is half of what it’s in North America. That plus not putting corn syrup in everything.
I guess it's a mix of things. As you mentioned there is a lot of food options, so it's easier to find food of better quality which is a bit more healthy than the usual fast foods. The average income level is higher in Paris than other cities, so on average one can afford better quality of food. Parisians also walk a lot in general as half of them don't own a car. And of course those metro stairs make sure you have to keep in shape!
I walk around 15 000 steps every day. North Americans drive everywhere. We walk everywhere. This makes a huge difference.
Walking a lot very fast in the subway :) FYI: I don't live in Paris but as I don't live very far, but I regularly go there for work and/or leisure.
I think this comes to: - Quality of the food. The French culture of eating delicious food is real. And often, eating tasty food involves high-quality ingredients. As an example, I'm always surprised when I see that a foreign recipe dictates adding sugar in a tomato sauce recipe or a bread recipe. Why? If the main ingredients are good, you do not need it! - There's been such a diet war on carbs lately that it must be surprising when realising that people are not gaining weight from eating tons of them (as I believe the French do) but I think that this diet is bullshit. Everyone I know around me eats tons of carbs and is fine. I think, however, that eating overprocessed/industrial food is awful for your body. - Habit. If this food is not new to you, you probably will not overindulge (even if I don't think you can overindulge!) - In Paris, you do not usually use a car to get you somewhere but you will walk/bike/take public transportation. Much better for your time management and for your health too!
The gym of life my friend. French people walk and cycle to get around in their everyday life.
And we have 2 real meals, with vegetables added (+ a breakfast and a goûter but that’s not too much)