In high school, I read “French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano. While I thought the book gave some interesting tips on how to appreciate your food, I couldn’t get past the title. Every time I looked at the cover, the title seemed to smack of pretension and condescension. To me, the author (a Frenchwoman herself) was insinuating that French women had some quality –– self-control? more refined taste buds? different genetic makeup? –– that American women lacked, and she had arrived just in time to spread the gospel to thousands of pound-packing women desperate to shed some inches. Granted, I read the book a few years ago, but as far as I recall, the reason French women don’t get fat is that they walk a lot, they eat slowly, and they savor decent-sized portions of high-quality meals.
“Fact: French women diet too. They’re just as desperate as Americans to slim down.”
While these may be, in fact, significant cultural differences between France and the United States –– the French certainly take their food to a whole different level –– I’d have to disagree with Ms. Guiliano on an individual level. I have only been in Paris for six weeks, and maybe I run in the wrong circles at home, but I know more dieting French women than American women. Beyond the walking and the slow eating, the French women I’ve met are making active choices to eat less because they are insecure about their weight.
My family hosted a French teenage girl a few years ago who wouldn’t let me get her popcorn at a movie because she and her friends from home were all “watching their weight.” When my host mother makes desserts, she serves her husband and me and eats a yogurt herself, putting the leftovers into the refrigerator and telling me to eat them up quick so she won’t do it herself. I’ve talked to several American students who say they feel uncomfortable eating with their host family, because their host mothers serve themselves such tiny portions compared to the rest of the family.
Putting aside the whole body image issue, this cultural judgment doesn’t seem to be based on anything. Women from any culture have the possibility of gaining excess weight. Yes, we all know that the United States has some ridiculously large ratio of overweight and obese people, but why should we be made to feel guilty by comparing ourselves to other cultures? For decades, centuries, France has been lauded as the gastronomic capital of the world. Intriguingly, it’s also one of the major fashion capitals. I’m sure French women are under a lot of pressure in the eyes of the world: to enjoy their phenomenal food, yet still look stunning at the end of the day. They’ve got the same problem as women all across developed countries –– they’re just known more for their positive qualities than their negative ones. Books such as Ms. Guiliano’s perpetuate the myth that women in other countries are handling body image issues better than Americans. I’ve got to hand it to her –– she knows her audience. Thousands of American women are just desperate to improve their figure in a way that makes them feel good about themselves –– what better way than one that doesn’t involve strict dieting and emulates French culture? No better way –– except maybe one based on truth.
As I said earlier, I’m not disagreeing with Ms. Guiliano’s practical message. Americans should learn to appreciate their food. By preparing delicious food and savoring every bite, we can all be happier and healthier. However, people everywhere should do this. The stigma Ms. Guiliano places on American women as compared to their French sisters is simply ridiculous. Fact: French women diet too. They’re just as desperate as Americans to slim down. If anything, we should feel sorry for them: because the food they’re not eating is simply delicious.
