How Do French People Stay So Fit? | Informal Conversation (w/ subs) for Intermediate Learners 🇫🇷

Violaine: Hi everyone. And hi Nathan. Nathan: Hi.

Violaine: I hope you're well. We're meeting up today for a video on a topic we've been asked about a lot. Can you perhaps clarify this topic?

Nathan: Yes. Well, actually, one or two students asked us this question. They told us a few days ago, "Why are the French people I meet when I go to France thin?

They're not fat. While their food, French food, is fatty. So how do we explain this difference?

" Violaine: Yeah, it's almost a paradox. I think it's a name, eh. It's called the French paradox because it's true that in France, we have very rich, therefore very fatty, food.

And we thought it would be cool to have a conversation together to answer this question, or at least to, I don't know, try to find answers, give our, our opinion. A little clarification: we're in a somewhat noisy place. Normally, the microphones will isolate the noise, but we hope you 'll still hear us well.

Nathan: Actually, there's the road, a small road right next to it with cars passing by, motorcycles, people walking around. But our microphones normally isolate the noise a little. So normally, we hope in any case, that it will do the trick.

Uh Violaine, before we were asked this question. . .

Did you ever ask yourself, did you ever say to yourself it's true that the French are relatively, generally thin, lean. . .

And yet we eat fatty foods. Had you ever thought about it? Violaine: I had already thought about the French being thin.

And I think we're one of the countries where people are the thinnest in the world, but I'd never connected that with the fact that we eat very, very fatty foods because, actually, I have the impression that the French don't eat fatty foods, you know? So I'd never perceived this paradox, but I can understand that foreign students perceive it because it's true that traditionally, what sums up food in France is wine, cheese, bread, so obviously very fatty things, but so there you go, I'd never asked myself the question. And you?

Nathan: Me, yes, once, when I came back from Colombia, from South America, do you remember? We arrived. .

. We spent a year, a year and a half in Colombia and, and the foot. .

. As soon as I set foot in Roissy, at Charles de Gaulle, at the Paris airport, I remember saying to myself "wow, there's a difference in appearance, even physical, eh". I found that a lot of people we met in Paris, in the end, we hadn't seen them for over a year.

So people. . .

Yeah, quite thin, tall too, relatively tall, it depends, but above all, it was this thinness. And. .

. Violaine: Oh you, you go so far as to talk about thinness? Nathan: Yeah, I had the impression that everyone was thin, you know, when I.

. . A year and a half.

(But not thin? ) Not thin! Even further, even stronger, almost unhealthy, obviously, it was just an impression.

It was the contrast, eh, with Colombia where it's true that the criteria of beauty, for example, were not the same. In Colombia, a handsome man, a beautiful woman. .

. Well, I'm not Colombian. So if there are Colombians maybe you can be more specific than me.

But there you go, I had the impression that, for example, the beauty criteria for a woman were not the same as. . .

As in France and that, for example, having a slightly rounder figure, there you go. That was considered something very beautiful and valued in Colombia and in many other countries too. Whereas in France, we agree that a woman or a man who, how can I put it?

Who has a little bit of value even on a social level, on a professional level. . .

Well, we want her to be thin, rather thin. Do you agree? Violaine: Yeah.

I think it changes a little bit anyway, fortunately. But I think we're moving away from the theme a little bit, but yeah, In any case, we are sure that the French are generally thin. We can't deny it when we walk around a city, a big city or even a village, it's the case and we notice it.

Why? Nathan: Yeah, why? Violaine: Despite the fact that, well, we eat very fatty food or at least our food, traditionally, is.

Um, I think that one of the first elements of response, even before talking about food, is, I think, the fact that there is a culture of walking in France. That is to say that even though the French walk a lot, go out for walks or even travel on foot. We hear a lot in France that we must walk 10,000 steps a day.

These are things we hear and these are things that are also possible thanks to the organization of our cities, which are still very "walkable. " The word doesn't exist, but in any case, here it is: we can walk easily in cities. There are sidewalks everywhere.

There are areas in cities that are pedestrian-only. And that means that the French are still almost always on the move. To get around in their daily lives.

And then even with family or friends, sometimes we go for a digestive stroll after a meal. And there you have it, I think that's a big point. Nathan: It's true.

I think that the French have actually integrated walking, strolling into their daily lives. As much as we can criticize the French for not being a great sports country perhaps, we often debated it last year, that is to say that we can win sports competitions at the professional level. But on a daily basis, we don't do much sport in clubs, etc.

Compared to other countries, compared to the Spanish, for example, our Spanish neighbors. But on the other hand, yeah, on a daily basis. .

. Uh, actually, I know a lot of people who don't do sport, even among my close friends, my family, my mother, for example, doesn't do sport, but she goes walking, as you say. So.

. . But every day, and it's true that there are people who don't do sport in France, but every day, they go to work on foot.

So there's less of this car culture too, because in city centers, you can walk, go to work directly. Uh, I come from La Rochelle, a city where everyone also rides a bike. So we've integrated it into our daily lives, not high-level cycling, not doing 50 kilometers, but just doing 10 minutes of cycling in the morning, early and in the evening to get home from work.

And when we know that, well, one of the, one of the keys to staying in shape, to staying slim, to staying healthy, is regularity, is walking, for example, a little every day. . .

Well, actually, that explains, perhaps, why the French are staying in shape, continuing to stay in shape. Overall, eh, overall. Violaine: And then even in big cities at the moment, there are more and more measures to install cycle paths.

So we really want. . .

In any case, politicians really want to direct us towards that. And it's true that that also explains, that 's why we're more or less in shape. If we talk about food now strictly speaking, like food, what we eat.

I think that one of the elements that makes the French more or less in shape is that I believe that the quality of food is superior to the quantity. That is to say, we're not going to eat a lot. Uh-huh, we're not going to eat a lot, have huge feasts of food, but on the other hand, what we're going to eat is going to be super quality.

It's going to be local products, more or less, or at least, raw products. You see? Nathan: Yeah, it's hard to generalize because (it's very hard to generalize!

) not all, not all French people eat raw, organic products , etc. But. .

. Even if there is a trend. But in any case, I agree with the small quantity.

We've been used since childhood, from the school canteen in fact. . .

Already, to eating quality things, in any case, balanced meals. Vegetables, fruits, it's imposed at school. So we're already a bit used to that.

It's a form of education, you know, food. And then what I wanted to say, I forgot. .

. But yes, the small quantities. It's true that I remember that in the canteen, I was always very hungry after eating and that for me, when I was 10, 12, 15 years old.

. . At school, I found that it wasn't enough and that's the reason why, often afterwards, at the end of the meal, there were students who stayed to have extra , as they say.

That is, if there were leftovers. . .

If there were leftovers in the canteen, we could wait until the end of service, around 1:00-1:30 p. m. , and we could go and get more, get a little more food, but overall, we eat, it's true, I think, in small quantities and something else, especially, we don't snack between meals.

That is to say, we don't eat between two meals. We eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Violaine: And at snack time too.

We often make fun of the French when we say there's a snack. So in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. But in reality, compared to other countries we've traveled to, the French don't eat at all hours.

It's really, it's still quite rhythmic, as you say. There are three or four meals a day and then the rest of the time, not too much, you know. So I think it also plays a big role to have these somewhat structured schedules and these somewhat structured habits.

And there you go, we don't snack and. . .

Again, it's hard to generalize. Nathan: It's very hard to generalize. Violaine: But in our eating habits, on a global level, there's this that emerges.

What else? Nathan: I also think that there is a, again, I'm going to come back to the beauty criteria, but in any case, the beauty criteria of. .

. Maybe our generation, I don't know, but that of our parents, our grandparents. Me, I heard when I was little, I was always told: "be careful, don't eat that, stay slim.

You'll gain a kilo or two. Sorry. You'll gain a kilo or two.

Even among friends at school, I remember. . .

It wasn't very smart, but obviously, when we started out like me, for example, I started to have a little fat, a little roll as they say. In short, when I didn't have all my, my abs defined. .

. Even among friends, we would say to each other: "oh, you're fat, you're a bit overweight" when I was actually slim. And so there was.

. . I don't know, maybe pressure, but when you're young, you're told: "be careful, if you eat too much of that, you'll gain weight.

" We're told that again and again. There you go. So.

. . Violaine: Yes, there's a big culture of moderation, at least for food and for fatty or ultra-fatty things transformed.

Nathan: And even beauty standards, ultimately. Violaine: Yes, yes. Yes, yes.

And so, it's true that often, for example, I think that. . .

So men feel it too, but I think it's also very much aimed at women. But for example, at a family meal, if we go back for more. .

. And I'm thinking particularly of women, but if we go back for more, we'll say: "ah, but you're going to eat all that. Oh, but you have a big appetite.

" You see? We're going to point out the fact that a person eats a lot when in fact, they just eat a normal amount. They enjoy their meal and they help themselves to another portion, you see.

I'm not talking about something gargantuan, but I think that this culture of moderation and therefore the criteria of beauty, that plays a huge role. Nathan: Yeah. And then also, I think that sometimes foreigners, non-natives are surprised when they go to France and see all this gastronomy or this food that is a bit fatty, they say to themselves: "but the French, if they eat that, how do they manage to be like that, to stay in shape, to have the, to keep the line?

" as they say. Well, in fact, quite simply, it's because there are very few French people who eat, for example, croissants every morning, who will go eat a. .

. How can I put it? A croque-monsieur with fries every day.

So those are dishes a little French bistro classics, but ultimately, we rarely go there. We go there from time to time and there I can generalize. It's rare for people to eat, you know, all the products, the very fatty pastries with butter, etc.

Me, honestly. . .

But even you, it's the same. We'll buy, maybe a croissant, but not once a week, maybe once a month. So when it's balanced like that, when it's from time to time, we're not going to gain weight.

Violaine: But besides, the last time, we were in a restaurant, a French brasserie and we were on the terrace and we were the only French table there. Around us, there were only tourists or at least foreigners who spoke another language. Nathan: Yes, so on a daily basis, we're careful.

Same for butter, that kind of thing. We love butter, but. .

. I eat a little bit in the morning on my toast with jam, but the rest of the time, I don't eat any. It's very balanced.

And I honestly think that if someone in France ate croissants every day, croque-monsieurs, in short, all the traditional French dishes that are fatty. Well , of course, they would gain weight. There's no magic recipe.

There may be a genetic factor as well. It's true that if your parents are thin, well maybe you have a better chance of staying thin, later on. Violaine: I don't think there's a genetic factor in all French people, but it makes me think about eating habits, something that hasn't been specified, but we still eat at the table all the time.

We sit down to eat. And I know that in some countries, it's completely different. People will eat either in front of their computer at work, or they will eat, you know, in front of the TV.

(That's it. ) And in France, it's true that we sit down and take the time to eat. In general, I don't want to generalize, but in general.

And in fact, when we take the time to eat, when we sit down, well we are a little more aware of what we eat. And as a result, satiety comes more quickly. Nathan: What is it?

Violaine: Satiety is when you have the sensation of no longer being hungry and as a result it comes more quickly and it allows you to avoid excesses or eating when you are no longer hungry. But that is a very important thing. And me, when I talk with my students who come from other countries, well it's not automatic, you know, to sit down at the table to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner.

So that's an explanation too. Nathan: It's true. It's true.

We've been drummed into five fruits and vegetables a day since we were very young. (Yeah, I was going to say that! ).

Eat a balanced diet, walk a little. We try to do it, even if we have to qualify it a little, temper it all. Like in many other countries around the world, we talked about it in a podcast episode, I think, but France, for the past ten years, has also been affected by waves of obesity, especially among the youngest.

The new generation, which is more on screens too, will walk less, exercise less, and will eat junk food, as they say. Junk food is. .

. Lots of processed, ultra-processed products that weren't traditional among the French. So maybe, I think that.

. . It's true that if we look at the new generation, teenagers and those who are 18, well we're going to see fewer thin people, in fact, than maybe in our country or in our parents' generation.

Violaine: Yes, since it's true that there is a. . .

Still a bit of globalization of products. So now, it's super easy in France to find, I don't know, ultra-processed products that we have, that we didn't have before or that we didn't consume before and which come from other countries. So that's particularly true for the youngest, as you say, and it's true that it needs to be qualified, since I.

. . France is in a critical situation, eh, I think, with regard to obesity.

But but that's all we told you before still remains true and valid, I think. Nathan: That's it. And then here's me, for me, in any case, if I give my opinion: the key to not getting fat, I see it in myself: I gain weight every time I don't go out, when I don't walk.

If I drive, etc. , all the time, well it doesn't work. So that's really the key.

We can continue to eat a little fatty food, not too much, but a little, and do physical activity alongside it. That's it. .

Like many French people. So there you go Violaine. Violaine: Yeah and then also, as you said, in the media, we are still educated to eat, there you go, super healthy and then to do sport.

So obviously, it gets into our brains and there you go. Nathan: And then, once again, it's not because we're slim or thin that we 're necessarily in good health. There you go.

There are plenty of French people, I know some who eat very badly, let's say, who eat fatty foods and who manage to be totally slim. That's a mystery. So I don't know, maybe they're still young and that will change, but there you go, each body is also made differently.

Violaine: Yeah, but I also think that an important thing that plays a role is psychological. I think that the French, since they have a fairly balanced diet, generally speaking again. .

. You see, when they eat, I don't know, a pastry or something sweet, we'll do it without feeling guilty. You see?

It's really just going to be a pleasure. We don't feel guilty because we know that it's not our daily diet. And often, we say that when we eat without feeling guilty, that's also the secret to staying in shape.

So there you go, I think there's a bit of this psychological aspect that also plays a role. Nathan: There you go. But hey, you have to remember one thing, it's that the French don't eat all the pastries they see when they come back, when they come home, you know!

It's. . .

Besides, when we lived in Spain, at one point, when I came back to France for the first week, I was living a bit like a foreigner. I wanted to taste everything again. I wanted to try everything, right, do you remember?

A bit like the cliché dishes like café gourmand. I wanted a tropézienne: it's a cake with a lot of cream, do you remember? The mille-feuilles etc.

I ate them for a week. So, I gained weight, but but there you go. So.

So, I think we've covered it, Violaine. Violaine: Well, I have nothing to add, so. .

. Nathan: There you go. So, tell us if you liked this format, that is to say, answering a question like that, in a completely natural, authentic way, without a script, without notes.

There you go. I think it's useful, obviously for you, there are the how-tos. .

. There are the subtitles, there are the transcripts too which are there to help you. So, write to us, (in)ally tell us in the comments, if you liked this format, perhaps Violaine.

Violaine: Yeah, then give us other ideas for topics, questions perhaps that you would like us to answer. And then that's it. Nathan: That's it.

Violaine: See you soon. Ciao ciao. Nathan: Hi.