Do the French Enjoy Life More?

This article should be right up my wife's alley. ;) But, it is rather interesting, in that it speaks of the reasons why the French (and, likely, this can carry over to other European countries) eat more, yet aren't as overweight in general as Americans. It also stretches into broader subjects such as lifestyles, happiness and the pure enjoyment of life.

Its been eight years since I was in Europe, however much in this article I can relate to, from what I saw during my three weeks over there. I spent most of my time in Germany, but I was in France quite a bit, as well. Everyone's so much more laid back, casual, not in a real rush to do anything or get anywhere. There none of this scarfing down an Egg McMuffin on the way to work, as so many Americans are likely to do these days - rushing everything to the last minute and trying to cram as many activities as possible into the same period of time.

This pretty much sums it up, quoting Laurence Hauben, a woman who helps people learn about French foods:

“The French don’t traditionally wolf down a meal at their desk or while commuting in traffic,” she said. “They sit down with family or colleagues at a table, taking the time to relax and share conversation. When you are talking, you are not eating, and because you are relaxed, the hormones released help in the assimilation of calories, unlike the stress hormones we are riddled with here, which trigger hoarding of fat. In other words, eat 800 calories while sitting at a café in Paris, and they will get spent. Eat 800 calories while sitting in your car in traffic on the freeway, and most of them will settle in your hips or gut.”

Sound familiar? I've done it, you've done it. I don't think there's a person in this country who hasn't done that sometime in their working lives.

The article closed with Hauben saying:

“If we want to lose weight, we need to make a choice to enjoy life more.”

Definite food for thought.