Thanks silverbirch, to be honest I have stopped my super heavy lifting recently, I think I'm pg again lol! So I think it might be a good principle to follow while I take a break from my real training
There was an article recently that said the number one thing that helped obese children lose weight was not better quality food or nutrition planning or exercise etc. It was that in our culture so many kids have completely lost their hunger signals. They dont know what actual hunger feels like. so they eat way past satiety.
That I think is really part of the difference. You noted everyone was served the same amount but the women stopped eating sooner. As children in that culture with smaller portions and a discouragement of overeating they retain their hunger cues better. Because the meal lasted 2 hours they eat slow enough to recognize.
It's not common in our culture. "Clean your plate" is common. Pushing seconds is common. Forcing eating of large portions of main dishes in order to earn treats is common.
FEAR of kids being hungry is prevalent. Fear of inadequate nutrition. I was at a mom's gathering just this week where a mom who had a ~2.5 year old boy who was not a picky eater was "just not eating lately". She was all ready to go buy pediasure even though she hates giving him sweet stuff because she is so worried about him not getting enough nutrients. This was then backed up by another mom who used to do the same thing. He has been "off food" for about a week or so. He was energetically running around playing hard. He is clearly not lacking in food or nutrition. He is going through a normal food/growth need pattern. But if she follows through with pediasure she is setting him up to drink sweet calories and to learn that if he doesnt eat his dinner he gets a milkshake. GREAT.
I had several parents express concern over my dd one time. At around age 2 she got seriously picky. So for about 2.5 years she didnt eat dinner at all unless it happened to be something she liked. We had some guests just freaking out that she was going to bed hungry. Her choice. Clearly she wasnt that hungry.
MTA - hah Charlaine! I have a friend who is Brit and her husband is Italian and they live here in the states and her daughter speaks with the most interesting combo accent. I pronounce somethings slightly differently than most Americans because my mother was my primary interaction. I never really knew it because it is very slight (my father is American and was a speech and voice professional) but a really really good dialect ear can tell that my l's, r's and ng dipthong is not at all how americans pronounce. It was freaky. I read about 1 page of a book to him and having never met me before and knowing nothing about me he knew I was from eastern PA with one parent from france - likely the mother as that was the dominant influence and one parent from western PA.
I live in Northern Ontario, which has a huge French population. Most of the women here are not large; some a very thin, I think. Not saying there are no overweight French women, becuz there are some; but that is the huge servings of fast food & junkies to blame, I think.
People here eat less in general; some only 1-2 meals a day. I noticed they eat a lot of small portions; esp things like meat for parties & such (i.e. shrimp, steak, fish, wild game, etc). I see a lot of coffee drinking & smoking (sadly). Women walk & jog a lot here too; they keep busy & are very active in volunteer work and working outside the home.
Plainly, the French here are very health & weight-conscious all the time -- and they raise their kids that way too. Their schools have manditory gym and an indoor walking/running track (in public school, gym was/is optional last I heard; but I hope that changes back soon, if it hasn't already).
I saw a French family taking a walk one day (went by our car); they stopped into a convenience store, but they only bought little bags of cheeze strings for a snack, and only the child had a pop -- no other junkies.
Last edited by Justwant2Bhealthy; 12-31-2011 at 08:01 PM.
In Europe, France or Germany, it really depends on whether you live in the city or in a suburb - similar to the US. I live in a major city and I only very rarely see obese people. But, when I visit more suburban-type places, where the population is a bit older and every family has a car, there are definitely overweight and obese individuals.
In Paris, in particular, most women/girls are very thin, model thin. But one also sees that in NYC.
Americans typically are only tourists in Europe, so they only visit the cities, where people walk everywhere, or the "pretty areas", where the wealthy live.
In general, there are certainly less obese and morbidly obese here. But I think that will change in the near future.
Also, I find most European women, of a certain age and status, don't talk about diets or calories. They want to come off as having good genes and being naturally, effortlessly thin. Actually, I also know many American women who are similar...... "secret dieters".
Also, I find most European women, of a certain age and status, don't talk about diets or calories. They want to come off as having good genes and being naturally, effortlessly thin. Actually, I also know many American women who are similar...... "secret dieters".
Yes....good point, Unna ! "Pretty people" seem to be "mystically" skinny.
I grew up in France and moved to the US when I was 11. I go back once a year and actually just spent the holidays there. What a lot of people have already said is true. There are many reasons why French women are, in general, slimmer~
- They eat smaller portions of everything. When you don't deprive yourself, you are less likely to overeat. When a meal has been particularly rich, they will not have dessert, but it's because they are full and not because they "shouldn't". They listen to hunger cues and will not eat if they're not hungry anymore.
- The meals take at least 1 hour (during the holidays, at least 2-3). The meals are also served in different courses. You'll start off with a soup or "crudites" (tomato salad, carrot salad, basically veggies). Then some sort of protein/carb combo. Sometimes then there's the cheese, which you only eat a very small portion of. And dessert (unless it's a special holiday meal) is always a piece of fruit or a yogurt. French people are really good at pacing themselves and portioning what they eat so they can last through the whole meal.
- They eat way less junk. Junk is really frowned upon.
- France is a lot less "efficient". You don't have drive-thru atm's, dry cleaners, etc... So even if they drive somewhere, there's a lot more walking involved. Even at the gas station- you have to stand while you pump your gas because they don't have the little thing on the handle that holds it down. And you have to actually walk into the gas station to pay, almost no gas stations have credit card slots at the pump. In a lot of little cities you park in one spot and walk to all the stores you need (bakery, butcher, etc..). That adds up to a lot of walking in the day.
- No snacking. This is a huge difference for me, coming from the US. Because the meals last so much longer and you eat over a 1-2 hour period, you are literally NOT hungry until the next meal. Just like junk food, snacking is really frowned upon. There are even commercials on TV that will remind people to "exercise more and not snack between meals". I think it has to do in part with the kind of food people snack on and also the fear that you will spoil your appetite for the next meal. Because people spend a lot of time cooking for meals (cooking and meal planning is a sport there), it's insulting to eat between them and not give them your "full attention". And because they don't snack, they feel hunger at the next meal. Understanding hunger cues is really important, and something we forget in the US. Kids do often get a small snack after school though [called "gouter"] to last them until dinner.
- More access to fresh produce. There are open markets a few times a week and produce is generally cheaper than in the US. People really enjoy eating fresh vegetables and truly appreciate good cooking.
- People cook a lot more. There's a lot less take-out, and restaurants are truly for special occasions. You do not bring home fast food for your family.
Most importantly, it is the expectation for women to be like this. It is the expectation that you will not overeat, eat between meals, and have junk in your house. It is the expectation that you will cook a well balanced, healthy yet satisfying meal every day. It's passed on from generation to generation. I watched my mom cook every day, and I've been cooking every one of my meals since I've been on my own. It's a huge culture difference.
Is this true for everyone? No. Times are changing. More and more women work and don't have time to cook as much, and junk food is becoming more available and is cheap. The obesity rate is climbing, especially in the lower and working class. But shopping for good produce, preparing food, and eating as a family is staying the priority for many families, working moms or not. All of the women in my family work (aunts, cousins), but health is still a priority.
Sorry this is so long! This is a subject that has been fascinating to me, being of both cultures and watching my weight. I never gain weight when I'm in France, even when I indulge, and I never count calories or stress about food. I really think it has to do with portion control, eating really good and fulfilling lunches and dinners, and not mindlessly snacking.
Thanks girls and very insightful Runsforchocolate - I am personally in love with les boulangeries, les patisseries, les charcuteries etc... I don't even go to the grocery store anymore. Although this is Canada so things are still a bit 'behind' than the US in terms of one-stop shopping but I admit, I hate go-go-go society in general.
I know we should chew our food slowly - and I do mindfully try to slow down... but I still shudder to think how many calories I could fit into a 2 hour time period!
I'm SO glad my normal eating routine does not last 1-2 hours of eating time! That sounds dreadful to me! I think I would get that stuffed full feeling every meal. As an American - I was simply not bred to eat for 2 hours straight!
I think the biggest difference is what you view food for. Americans view food as something they can never get enough of and are insulted if they aren't given heaping platefulls. French/Euros view it as an art and an experience. Savor it. I'd rather have a little of something nice than alot of something bad. Do we really need 3 crappy cheeseburgers to make us feel better when one tastes gross? Change your attitude, change your waist :-)
I think the biggest difference is what you view food for. Americans view food as something they can never get enough of and are insulted if they aren't given heaping platefulls. French/Euros view it as an art and an experience. Savor it. I'd rather have a little of something nice than alot of something bad. Do we really need 3 crappy cheeseburgers to make us feel better when one tastes gross? Change your attitude, change your waist :-)
I've lived in "Europe" for the past few years. I think what you said exaggerates how Americans eat - as if they are pigs eating slop off of the ground. And you are also wrong about these "Europeans", who will only eat caviar and perfectly ripe strawberries.
Um - that's not how things are here! If you've ever been to Paris, you would know that there is also a fast food culture there - the nutella crepes? The street paninis? The pastries and bread on every corner? McDonalds, anyone?
ive lived in america , nfld, and with europeans (even married one , divorced now tho). i think its all about perspective. if youre american of course youre not gonna see american eating habits in the same way as an outsider. coming from nfld with a euro background both family and marital wise, i was shocked and grossed out alot at the american extremes in fastfood, junk, just overeating in general. not to offend anyone but your portion sizes are really large and you do eat alot more and its alot more of the wrong things. im not perfect i got to a high of 335 but that took over 10 years to achieve. ive never eaten the way i saw some americans eat. my sister was 120lbs -went to live in ontario which is right next to america and within a year she was 300+lbs. the lady that described french eating-thats pretty much how i was raised. when you have a cooked meal here it often does take an hour and if youre at a restaurant its going to be like 2-3. we definetly dont go to restaurants every day and we dont do fastfood everyday yuck. stereotypes sometimes have a basis. you cant say its just a stereotype when you have the largest obesity percentage...it didnt come from nowhere XD im not saying americans are pigs of course youre not, no country is perfect, but your food culture is far more excessive than say frances. companies make a lot of money creating this excessive food culture in america, billions and billions and than the healthcare industry makes billions treating the obese.
I'm SO glad my normal eating routine does not last 1-2 hours of eating time! That sounds dreadful to me! I think I would get that stuffed full feeling every meal. As an American - I was simply not bred to eat for 2 hours straight!
But they dont eat for 2 hours straight. they eat for 5 minutes, talk for 15. Eat for 5 talk for 10...LOTS of talking. Lots of time between courses.
We had a restaurant open here in my little town and the first thing they did before they even opened was cater the town's annual dinner where the main street is lined with tables and it is supposed to be a 5 course fancy dinner. They had kitchen problems, but they werent stressing because they were all european and it was a lovely evening so they saw NO problem with the fact that it was 20-30 minutes between each course and that the first course started an hour late. The patrons of the dinner didnt see it that way.
But they dont eat for 2 hours straight. they eat for 5 minutes, talk for 15. Eat for 5 talk for 10...LOTS of talking. Lots of time between courses.
We had a restaurant open here in my little town and the first thing they did before they even opened was cater the town's annual dinner where the main street is lined with tables and it is supposed to be a 5 course fancy dinner. They had kitchen problems, but they werent stressing because they were all european and it was a lovely evening so they saw NO problem with the fact that it was 20-30 minutes between each course and that the first course started an hour late. The patrons of the dinner didnt see it that way.
its the same here, talking is more important than the food, we got to restaurants more for the social part and the experience. reminds me of a funny story since we are talking cultural diffs. i was at a restaurant with my friend and these two americans were across the way and the waitress was asking them what they wanted to drink and one american was like i heard you have beer (it was about noon) and the waitress says yes what do you want and he was shocked beer could be gotten at noon lol and than the other one asked if we had tea like the british(doesnt everyone have tea lolll i know they do in the states, maybe they thought british tea was diff), they ended up getting a pot of tea and jug of beer and they just stared at it lol it was amusing. anyways yea its normal to be at a meal for an hour and only have half your plate down cause you got to talk how else are you going to find out whose sleeping with whose husband and whose having a baby, etc etc,
Last edited by CherryQuinn; 01-02-2012 at 03:29 PM.
3pm-6pm (because my boy goes to bed at 7pm and they adjusted it for him), I hardly ate a thing because there wasn't much eating. There was not a lot of food, but what was there was rich & fatty. It was nothing like a 'family' or 'holiday' meal as many here would describe.
and very best wishes. 
