We’ve been hearing for years that in France the women are thinner, despite the croissants, buttery dishes and other saturated fats. A whole book entitled “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” explained that the ladies savour their food calmly, abstain from snacking, and eat small portions.

Alas, no more. Turns out that the American food McCulture has successfully rooted itself in the cradle of modern gastronomy. A recent study found that:

15.1 percent of France’s women are classed as clinically obese, while a further 26 percent are overweight.

The survey, conducted by TNS Sofres Healthcare and Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche, also pointed to similar trends among the male population, with 13.9 percent of Frenchmen obese and 38.5 percent overweight.

The researchers largely blame the modern, urban lifestyle – sedentary jobs, little physical activity, and food everywhere.  On a consolatory note, Doctor Marie-Aline Charles, one of the researchers, said that other countries, especially the United States, were faring much worse:

We’re currently seeing in France the same levels of obesity as in the United States in the 1970s, so we’re about 40 years behind.”

In the US, adult obesity levels are over 30%, and another 30% are classified overweight.

What you need to know:

It’s not just France. Japan, China, Greece, and just about every country that has industrialized its food system is marching down the same, dare we say inevitable, path to obesity. At an age where convenience trumps all, the Big Mac, Coke, and Frozen TV Dinner are creating for the first time in history, more fat people that hungry people.

By the way, the term French Paradox is linked more specifically to the low rates of coronary disease in France compared to the US. In 1991, a study attributed this to drinking red wine. Overnight, sales of red wine skyrocketed in the US. Researchers think that resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, may be the answer.

What to do at the supermarket:

You can try to reverse the trend in your family by going back in time to the day when people actually prepared and ate real food. But you’ll have to invest time and effort. Luckily there are countless resources both online and off that can help you master a few basic dishes in very little time.

Making homemade soup is a cinch, and so is a basic tomato pasta sauce. Even meat and potatoes don’t take more than 15 minutes of work once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

Buy more fruits, vegetables and staples and pull up your sleeves…

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