French women really do get fat, study says
According to a 2009 study released Tuesday, 15.1 percent of French women are classified as clinically obese, while 26 percent more are overweight.
The poll, conducted by TNS Sofres Healthcare and the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche also pointed to similar trends among the male population, with 13.9 percent of French obese and 38.5 percent are overweight.
For years the world has marveled at the ability of the French, particularly French women to stay thin in a country famous for its cakes, wine and cheese.
The author Mireille French Guilane 2004 even published a manual on diet entitled French Women Don #39; t Get Fat ( The French Do not Get Fat), praising the eating habits of women who prefer to savor your meal quietly and never peck out hours.
However, the reality is that over the past 12 years, the average French person has risen 3.1 kilos and has 4.7 extra inches of waist, the study .
Dr. Marie-Aline Charles, who helped conduct the research, said that the urban lifestyle was the big culprit.
Obesity rates have risen fairly considerable in urban areas where there is a concentration of sedentary jobs, public transport, walking and less need for much greater availability of food, Charles told Reuters in a telephone interview.
In other countries, particularly the U.S., the situation is worse, said Dr..
We are currently seeing in France the same levels of obesity in the United States in 1970, so we're about 40 years ago, he said.
According to the latest data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), 31.1 percent of American men and 33.2 percent of American women are classified as obese.
The poll by The TNS Sofres Healthcare was based on responses from 25,286 people during the year.
(Reporting by Vicky Buffery, editing by Tim Pearce Spanish)