French Women Don't Get Fat Diet Book Review

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French Women Don't Get Fat

(Mireille Guilano)

In her New York Times bestseller, French Women Don't Get Fat (Random House, December 2004, $22.00, hardcover), Mireille Guilano, President & CEO of Champagne company, Cliquot, Inc. details her struggle with weight gain as an exchange student in the U.S. during her youth. Upon returning to her native France, she found herself unable to shed the weight as she had been "corrupted" by the American way of eating - specifically the attitude of indulgence without regard to consequence when it comes to food. Ms. Guiliano consulted her family physician (whom she refers to as "Dr. Miracle") who refocused her in the French way of eating and philosophy of balance in life, enabling her to shed the excess weight. She explains that although French women don’t get fat, they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. She explains the French attitude towards food to be one of checks and balances, occasional indulgence, but never without a compensation to make up for it. She stresses the folly of guilt and deprivation with regard to the pleasures of food, but her message is clear -- simply eat in moderation, maintain balance in you eating habits, and overweight will not become an issue. In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too, but your indulgences should be thoughtful, planned, and consciously plan to make up for it. She reveals tricks she uses to fool herself into contentment and avoid overeating, and discusses the how French and American attitudes toward exercise are dramatically different.

According to French Women Don't Get Fat, French women:

Drink water all day long

Consistently choose their own indulgences and compensations

Plan their meals in advance, think in terms of menus, and enjoy shopping to create healthful meals

Don't snack or eat mindlessly, pay attention to what they are putting into their bodies

Enjoy dining in as much as dining out, and love to entertain at home

Walk as much as possible, prefer to take the stairs, believe exercise should come in the course of one's natural movement during the day, and frown on the American practice of "working out and sweating at the gym"

Eat for pleasure

Care enormously about how food is presented

Dress even to take out the trash, follow fashion closely, but don't follow trends

Focus on the simple pleasures, enjoy the moment and avoid anything that demands too much effort for too little pleasure

Believe "love is slimming"

Never go on formal diets

Following the principles and suggestions of this diet plan will undoubtedly improve one's general health, as it promotes choosing and eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water and moving as much as possible during the course of one's day. However, given the fast pace of life we Americans share, is it possible to consistently adhere to this plan? Although inspiring, this program requires that many lifestyle adjustments be made to start down the path to a balanced, thoughtful way of eating. In our opinion, it does not address emotional eating, (as well as binge eating) prevalent issues in our culture today. Also, many may find it difficult to simply "move more" during the course of the day, and actually prefer the structure and camaraderie of organized exercise programs. And why is sweating a bad thing? Numerous studies have confirmed the benefits of aerobic exercise in maintaining a healthy heart. Do French women compensate by drinking more red wine instead?