HOW ARE THE FRENCH SO THIN? Why "French women don't get fat" & the French don't gain weight
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- People have long wondered: how do the French stay so slim? In the land of incredible food, how and why are French people so skinny?
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Why French women don't get fat despite 'never dieting' and why French people don't get fat - at least not like we do
It has been Googled hundreds of thousands of times - "why are french women so skinny?" , "how the french stay slim", "how the french eat", with foreigners trying to understand and replicate their diet.
Perhaps you're one of the millions of people asking:
- Is it true that French women don't diet?
- Why are French people so slim?
- Why don't French women get fat?
- Why are the French able to eat so much butter and cream and not get fat?
- How do French people stay slim without dieting or going to the gym?
- What is the typical French diet?
And in this quest to understand why French dont get fat and eat like the french, we seem to be missing the biggest reason of all - the culture.
So before obsessing over how french women stay slim, how are the french so thin, why french dont gain weight, and so on, we need to actually understand what it might feel like to gain weight in the French culture and see the greater powers and motivators at play.
See baby Rosie's first attempt at understanding French people and weight gain:
Why French People Don't Get Fat: The REAL reasons! • Why French People Don'...
I hope this video gives you inights into why french are slim, busting the myth that french women dont diet, and understanding the deeper reasons around how french stay slim.
Any questions, let me know!
Bisous
Rosie
#France #Frenchculture #Frenchdiet
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For people searching french people thin, french women diet, why french women are slim, why dont french women get fat, french thin
HOW ARE THE FRENCH SO THIN? Why "French women don't get fat" & the French don't gain weight : • HOW ARE THE FRENCH SO ...
I'm French and though you said several times you didn't expect French people to understand, I have to say I relate and understand most of what you said. There is only one comment I disagree with: "food is seen just as a necessity, not something to do for enjoyment" -> you can't say this about a country which spends a lot more time to eat than other countries, and which has its own gastronomy recognised as an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage. I'd say this is much more complex than this. We value good food (like a lot: made in france, regional products, and so on) and enjoy eating, but at the same time we also feel extremely anxious about the idea of putting on weight because it's a lot more complicated socially speaking when you're overweight. There is a dichotomy there which is fascinating and also scary, I have to say. In any case, I think this is sociologically speaking more complex than what you just presented, though I definitely agree with a lot of what you said.
I totally agree with you about "food is seen just as a necessity, not something to do for enjoyment" NOT being an accurate description of French society at all - in fact, I find that it applies more to Americans, whom I always hear referring to food as "fuel"... Just the fact that (most) French people stop everything and sit down for lunch at work tells you how important food is for them...
I agree, saying we use food as necessity and not enjoyment cannot be further to the truth since this is exactly the opposite. We are probably the country that uses the most food as an enjoyment. To me this show she hasn't understand France at all, maybe being too much into Paris and not enough into France.
@@pasdenomdegroupe I think Rosie's work environment in Paris sounded very particular and not necessarily typical of French society, certainly the intrusive comments from her boss/coworkers... that's just rudeness IMO.
I'm French and when I worked for a big international corporation in France, the top boss of our department was American (working remotely from the US). She told us she was "disappointed" that we took an entire hour for lunch - that showed how much she misunderstood our culture...
@@mgparis I’m American and have ALWAYS found our corporate ‘30 minute lunch’ to be ridiculous. And children in school only get 20 minutes! That starts a bad habit of rushing thru meals at a young age. The French have it right - an hour minimum for the afternoon meal.
further than that, I think that places like the US, Australia and NZ don't actually enjoy food as much as we do, which is seen in what and how they eat.
“It’s hard to read the label when you’re in the jar.” Love that ♥️
I could see in your eyes that this was hard for you to discuss. I hope that you are doing fine and continue to create awesome videos.
Salut Rosie! As a French fat woman making videos, I understand and MERCI for bringing this up. Keep strong!
As a French woman who now lives in the UK, I partly agree with what you say about social control but it is not at all as negative as you portray it. I think you miss an important point here which is that French people are very mindful of their nutrition because we have been taught healthy balanced eating habits at home and at school since early childhood, even the food ads on TV have to have warnings about excess sugar fat and salt. It is not only about maintaining weight, it is about staying healthy. For example we get comments each time we add salt to our plate not because of weight gain but because of risks for blood circulation.
...well what about the smoking then?
@@amakaa2393 NOT everyone smokes! contrary to popular belief...
@@mgparis no, not everynody smokes, but for a country that is supposedly so mindful of health, the is a sizeable proportion of the population that do.
Exactly! Most people nowadays eat like pigs (quality and quantity wise). French people eat like a human should. As simple as that.
@@amakaa2393 I haven’t seen much people smoking when I went to Paris actually. Here and there, but it’s not what American’s visualize where there is people all over on every block smoking with their “beret’s” 😂
Thank you for being vulnerable. You can see how this has affected you personally. You can't control who your coworkers are, but you can control who you're friends with. Anyone who is so knit picky about your weight or any other things you can't control does NOT sound like a friend at all..
How gutsy of you to make this video! Exposing the French slim culture, never really saw it clearly like that. I come from a different European country and I have to agree 100%, we think like that too. Including myself. I’ve lived in the States for over 20 years now and I went through body shaming others and myself for most of my life. Only in the last few years have I realized I need to embrace the natural way my body is. It even dawned on me, that hiding my grays is only necessary, because society expects it.
I fight with myself of being critical of others’ looks even now, it’s just so ingrained.
I commend you! Self awareness is a huge step in our inner growth as a person. To be able to admit to ourselves where we need to improve takes a humility that is usually not present when we are young. And many never do become aware that they could be imperfect. We all are. Admitting our own faults makes us much kinder towards others. I guess it used to be called wisdom.
I feel as though the appropriate response would be as direct and assertive as a Frenchie - ie: “I don’t value negative opinions about my lifestyle choices or degrading remarks about my body. I do and eat what brings me joy and it’s none of your business.” ✨
Its not a pride To be obese wtf
Wtf. No one is obese in this scenario. Just not stick thin and not in the mood.
Also, you don't have to be proud of something to not take shit about it. Boundaries.
From the way Rosie speaks this is not just personal, it is VERY personal.
As it should be! Sounds like she’s claiming her truth
@@HitchcockBrunette it’s not her truth… it’s THE truth. Truth is not ambiguous. Don’t be so foolish & thoughtless.
@@racheludehjackson I'm sorry you had bad experiences. And I don't know about creole culture. But I promise in France (out of Paris and its beauty standards) comments are not said to judge you but to help before you get health issues. Of course it is badly taken as the person automatically feels bad when hearing that. But thz problem is not the comment but how it is said. Because when we understand "you are fat, you will be ugly" it was actually "be carefull I don't want you to have pains every day so it is still time to do something and I want to help".
Of course I am talking about family, friends comments etc in France. Not about those mean people who take advantage of people's weakness to make fun of them.
@@charbhel26 Firstly Creole culture is rooted in French culture. Secondly, either way it’s toxic behavior. Thirdly, my father is a French expat & he took on that part of French culture as well so I know it well.
@@racheludehjackson Sorry to hear that about you Rachel ! I am french myself and live in France and never saw any discrimination like that in my surrounding and would be the absolutely first to take part of it and support the targeted person. Anyway I hope you feel better now
Hi,
As a French girl I can totally relate with this. I am only 18, but I have felt so much pressure on my weight since my childhood. Yet I am not even overweight : my stomach is just not flat and I have cellulite, but I have a "medium-sized" body (55kg for 1,62m). I have always felt the need to be careful when eating : always having carbs with vegetables at lunch, and no carbs at all at dinner. I have been bullied in CM2 (10 yo) because I was considered chubby (French children are being bodyshamed even from a younger age). As you said people think that your body is a public matter and they do not hesitate making comments on someone body / way of eating… because it is indeed socially unacceptable to not be slim.
Thank you for handling this topic : it is genuinly how it’s going in French society
Sincèrement je pense plutôt que c'est principalement dû à la façon de manger... En France on mange beaucoup plus sainement, nos produits sont de bien meilleure qualité et on est habitués à manger varié. Autre point: on va beaucoup moins dans des fast food. Et quand on y va, les quantités sont bien moindres, vraiment aux États-unis c'est un truc de malade leur quantité et leur qualité de nourriture. Jai toujours eu du mal à prendre du poids en France alors que je ne me privais vraiment JAMAIS puis en seulement 5mois de vie aux États-unis jai pris 4 kilos! Il y a quasiement QUE des frites et des nuggets proposés à la cantine et ça TOUS LES JOURS... Peut-être qu'en France on fait plus attention à ce qu'on mange, peut-être qu'on fait plus de commentaires aux autres sur ce qu'ils mangent et c'est regrettable mais vraiment, après avoir vu les 2 modes de vie, je peux t'assurer que la raison de ce peu de surpoids en France vient à 90% de notre façon de manger... (d'ailleurs ces commentaires sur le poids viennent sûrement du fait que les français sont moins habitués à voir de gens en surpoids et cest moins accepté socialement (on fait donc plus attention) PARCE QUE on mange de façon plus saine... genre cest plutôt notre façon saine de manger qui entraîne ces commentaires (qui sont inadmissibles) et cest un cercle vicieux, je sais pas si cest très clair haha)
I've been shamed for my weight as young as you were. Even when I was 14-15 years old, wearing MEDIUM sized clothes, my doctor shamed me for being "obese" it was horrible. Especially because I kept gaining weight regularly since then. Until we discovered that both hormonal imbalance and medical treatment were making me gain weight and I couldn't do anything about it anyway. French people (women or perceived as women, especially) are indeed constantly under social pressure and... it's kinda horrible, yes.
Funny thing I changed medication 6 months ago and I'm losing weight so rapidly my current doctor is frightened, and my diet hasn't changed at all.
Et sinon... 55kg pour 1,62m c'est pas "moyen" haha ! C'est plutôt mince (et si tu as pas mal de muscles, c'est même presque pas assez). Mais pour le reste je suis à 100% avec toi. Ca commence super jeune et c'est une pression incroyable. Surtout que c'est une pression mise souvent par des gens qui n'y connaissent pas grand chose en diététique, nutrition ou poids... (et plus terrifiant, y compris du côté médical. Entre mon ancien doc' qui me trouvait "obèse olala ça va pas du tout faut que tu perdes du poids et que tu fasses du sport tous les jours" et mon nouveau doc qui me trouve "en léger surpoids mais honnêtement on s'en occupera plus tard parce que là y a d'autres priorités" ... j'ai pris 15kg et 0cm de hauteur entre les deux discours... uh).
@@MissRongeur tu as tout dit. J'ai la même expérience que toi, jamais privée de rien, je me gavais de biscuits, nutella et autres sans jamais prendre un gramme. Puis 6 mois en Australie et +7 kg sur la balance ! Alors que j'étais dans une famille qui mangeait hyper sain. Après mon retour en France, j'ai tout reperdu sans faire de régime. Alors oui il peut y avoir d'autres raisons, mais on va pas se voiler la face, les habitudes alimentaires c'est la clé.
Je voulais juste te dire que ton poids est très bien pour ta taille, je fais 1m60 et je ne l'ai jamais eu à ton age je faisais 60kg x) je pèse maintenant entre 65 et 68 kg selon les jours et je le vis mieux qu'avant. Enfin depuis que quand j'ai dit à un ami ya 4 ans que je complexais un peu alors que bizarrement mon alimentation était pas si pas sain (jamais eu de Nutella chez moi etc) et que au final ça devait être mon métabolisme.
Il m'a dit "mais tu fais du sport?" 10 ans que je faisais de la natation et cette année là j'avais voulu m'essayer en plus à la boxe et à l'escalade, j'ai cru que j'allais le tuer x) depuis je me dis que c'est ok parce que sérieusement je vis plus sainement que la plupart des gens donc mzrde quoi XD
Oh we just call that rudeness here in the states. Keep your favors for yourself. Be healthy not skinny.
Was me the only one who was chacking the speed settings here, then realising it's actually Rosie who is talking this fast?
Yes I was sure about this! But I appreciate fastness, that's why I had to check my settings, because usually i watch everything with double speed 👍(well not quite everything, for example this video 😉) (and this video was the most interesting video today, and this comments are super interesting too!)
I love that you are brave enough to talk about this! I’m an extreme Francophile and I have always enjoyed your videos, but this one is by far my favorite. Thank you for your honesty.
OMG I used to be obsessed with your videos on the "French diet" and your tips have worked so well for me in the last few years!! I'm so happy I found your channel again. Walking everywhere, regular meal times and eating more slowly are absolute game-changers. It's just more aligned with how we're naturally meant to eat!
Also as an Irish person I felt so sorry for the French woman whose family was happy to see her losing weight in an unhealthy way. In Ireland, especially amongst older people, we're usually delighted to see someone looking a bit "strong" because it's a sign that we're eating well and being taken care of, probably because of our history of famine and scarcity where being thin was something to be genuinely feared in the not-so-distant past.
Praise His Holy Name.
Frenchy living in Australia here. I must agree with you, I put a few kilos on when I first arrived here and when I went back to France after, that's the first thing my sister said to me...Always nice. Little comments in passing but enough to hurt...I hadn't necessarily felt that way in Australia until I flew back, no judgement here...
I'm so sorry people have made comments about your weight, I think you look lovely. Love this channel 😘
Might I suggest some places they may stick those comments…?
@@NotEvenFrench this is very sad that you get rude comments like this.
@@NotEvenFrench I'm so sorry. You are beautiful. People love your channel.
@@NotEvenFrench About your weight? Really? I'm a 27 year old guy from the states and have found you to be one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. I don't know if it helps to know that some random guy online finds you incredibly pretty and your accent adorable, but if it does, I'm glad I commented!
@@NotEvenFrench The most ridiculous part about it is the idea that somehow it's even anyone else's business, that somehow strangers are entitled to have you look the way *they* want.
Well being French I agree on the "socially unacceptable" weight gain. I have felt a lot of pressure since my childhood about my body, and I'm 43 now. I will always remember the admiration of my grandma towards very thin, skinny women, as if it were a sign of wealth. The best compliment given in my family is "wouah you have lost some weight, great job!". Don't believe people when they tell you they're never on a diet, everybody pays extra attention to their shapes. Body positivism is on its way, but it will take a long time. There is also the fact that people born in the 1970 and 1980's grew up with invasive advertisements showing skinny girls everywhere.
Girl who grew up in France here! I had never really thought about it that way until this video gave a real answer to what i had thought was normal. My grandmother and mother would ask me if I really want that last biscuit, or if I really want that second portion. They’d praise me for not developing cellulite yet. They gave me the secret of 17 spoonfuls of food per meal and as a 12 year old I was like what?? I thought they were being helpful but I understand now that it was also taught to them. I hope it changes soon and I will gladly take a part of that.
Hey frenchie here living in New Zealand after living for almost 10 years in the us. Thank you for making this video, I completely agree with you !
I used to feel so miserable during my childhood and my early 20s about my body and I couldn't understand why.
When I moved to the US I realized exactly what you are saying, that french people are extremely judgmental especially about women's bodies.
The entire french society pushes you to become extremely skinny, even to the point of being unhealthy. Like one of your commenter, at some point due to depression I lost a lot of weight and people around me (family, friends) were telling me that I looked great and were "happy" that I finally stopped eating chocolate (their words).
Later in the US, I actually learned that the weight I had during my depression was actually way too low on the BMI and extremely unhealthy despite being viewed as "great" in France.
Many time my family told me that I was unlucky to have natural curves (WTF ..) as I have "broad" shoulders and hips. I wished many times as a teenager that I could "cut my bones" to appear more slender.
Since I've moved, I've never been happier ! In the US or in NZ, at worst people don't care (you do you) or at best, they love some curves ;)
I've gained a lot of self confidence about my body being abroad that I know I wouldn't have if I stayed in France. I'm always dreading going back for vacation as I know all the comments will come back...
As an American living in France and a dietician i have witnessed women doing extremely unhealthy things to be thin during and after their pregnancies. I was absolutely shocked. Some of them didn't even eat for a few days while they were pregnant and barely nourished their bodies while in postpartum. They may have been "thin" but extremely unhealthy and not very strong.
Hey hi 👋🏽 i am french and i definitely can relate. This attitude towards food and one’s body in France is so toxic. I have suffered from eating disorders pretty much my whole life and am still struggling to love myself fully. I live in India and i know that everytime i go back home i’m going to have someone commenting on my physical appearance and especially whether i have gained or reduced weight. Haaaaaa so stressful and toxic! Thank you for saying outloud what everyone thinks. Loads of love ❤️
Hey, OMG this is so true ! I am French and always lived in France. This is such a real thing. People are always speaking about food, weight and diets. And you can be sure they will comment very often on the physical aspect of others. Thank you for this video, I wasn't expecting this but you are right!
Praise His Holy Name.
It's trully something that I hate as a french person. Everyone and everything will remind you that you cannot gain weight. In the stores you cannot find size over 42-44 (L/XL) unless you are lucky and you have a buuuunch of 36-38 (XS/S) size. When I buy something sweet my mother will always judge me like "you don't need to eat that you already ate a huge plate today" and with the lockdown I had depression and fell in bulimia and she kept shaming my body because I gained some weight... It makes me really anxious I already had anorexia once because of that and apparently it was where I was at my best if I listen to my family. Everyone will put you down if you don't have a standard size and it makes me sick.
I feel so sorry for your experience love!!! I am convinced our parents do not really understand the damage they do with such remarks. Nobody deserves this, I hope you are doing much better!
@@nicolettedoves I'm trying to heal overtime! I do not blame them because they grew up in this kind of environnement and like it was said in the video it's just... normal here. Luckily I feel like the younger part of the population is starting to be aware of that and it is starting to change. Thank you for your kind message :)
@@NotEvenFrench You are really nice and sweet! :) I'm really thankful for this video I hope it will make people realise how in France you sure have nice food but the social pressure that comes with it is really toxic for a lot of people there. I love your videos xx
Oh man!! The clothing stores here in France really piss me off!! I was in a Devianne with my husband and beau-pere the other day, in the men's section they had sizes up to XXXL, or like a size 54 European I guess, and the clothes were much better made, better quality, more natural fibers, with a tailor on staff to fix hems and such. The women's side only went up to XL or like 44 maybe 46 EU, and I swear half of the stuff or more was polyester and the quality looked horrible. I was complaining to my father-in-law (in French because he doesn't speak any English) about it, I don't think he ever noticed the disparity until I brought it up. He asked me if I wanted anything and I was like they don't have my size and there's too much polyester, the only man-made fiber I'll do now is viscose which is practically a natural fiber already.
Anorexia is chronic but it can go in remission. You might have developed an additional eating disorder or it may still be anorexia with bulimic features. I’ve had anorexia since I was 11 but my anorexia has had binging & bulimic tendencies but it was always go back to starving which is a sign of true anorexia instead of UED (Unspecified Eating Disorder). I suggest you find a therapist to discuss the roots of why you’re controlling your food & seek a dietician to make sure you’re eating enough. That’s what I did & now I’m at a normal weight for my body type, my blood work is healthy & I don’t miss meals. The best you can do is stay in remission. You don’t have to go into anorexic relapse.
Oof! I'm Australian born, and my mother is Italian, and you have just described exactly how her entire side of the family (females mostly) regard thinness, food, etc. My father is Italian French and just as hyper critical. The constant comments growing up resulted in my brother and I both developing eating disorders.
@@NotEvenFrench so true. I'm glad people are talking about it though.
I'm french so here is what i think. First of all, in France being skinny is the beauty standard (absolutely not saying that it's right), being skinny is élegance and raffinement. Now it's less and less the case though. Then, we have been taught our whole life, even in school, to eat only 3 times a day at precise hours. So no breakfast after 10.30 am, no lunch after 2 pm, and no dinner before 7 pm. And a snack at 4 pm too. And we take TIME to eat, a full 3 dish meal. We take maybe at least 30 mins to eat and our brain actually has the time to acknowledge we're eating. And even when we work, we don't just eat a little sandwish, we take a 1h break to eat a real dish. Also, we eat a lot of different aliments. And we do prepare our meals ourselves and so, we know what we eat, so we eat way less junk food.
Of course, our system isn't perfect because its true that sometimes my parents make comments, even sometimes a friend saying "oh you're aeting a lot today". I think it's absolutely not right commenting on other's bodies. And i've never experienced any comment about my physique from strangers. I think it's also about generations (i'm 18).
And about doctors, so true. If you feel bad or anything they'll always say to DO MORE SPORTS. While at school we have 2h a week only, and in other countries it's a lot more.
So, that would be why we aren't gaining wheight a lot :)
I agree. But all that rules we have learned is not about not gaining weight but about satying in good shape, meaning having a good health, be good in our minds as no taking care of our body and health often means we feel bad or are depressed (for those who usually care I mean). Because it always feels good to take care of ourselves without falling into obsession.
Comments are often said by family and people who care about us because they instanly think you are getting bad or have problems or just want to help before you realize it is too late when you got obese and have all thos health issues without veing able to loose weight. Because as said in this video, it is much harder to loose weight than gain it.
I took time to understand it but know that comments are not about your appearance but about your health.
@@charbhel26 Oh my god, exactly ! Thats the best answer 🤌
@@charbhel26 nope, sorry, disagree there. Masquerading snide and unwarranted comments as 'concern for another's health' is just a cover-up and frankly, disingenuous. You have habits that work for you? Great. But don't impose those eating habits on others, and then deem that person unhealthy because what works for you does not work for them
We're not talking about general healthy habits here like "avoid excessive amounts of sugar", we're talking about someone being shamed for eating a damn cookie or gaining baby-weight!! The premise (among many) seems to be that if you are not a size 34, you are unhealthy and frankly I find that attitude damaging. No wonder France has the second highest rate of Anorexia in Europe...
@@amakaa2393 I am certainly not a 34 size and 80% of my female friends are between 38 and 42 and still I enver heard anything bad about eating a cookie ! So maybe my experience aviut caring about health is not general but the reverse, about receiving a comment about a snack is absolutely not a generality either !
Still, I repeat I don't know about Paris as it might (seem?) to be more usual though. But in "provincial regions" I never heard anything like that, that was taken serioulsy.
Sorry for you if it happened to you though ! But you can know those people telling you to be carefull when eating a cookie should be themselves careful not to become bad witches or skeletons... 🙄😜
@@amakaa2393 We may all have different bodies, but health is maintained in the same way for everyone. If someone criticizes your diet in France, it's often someone close to you who cares about you. Those who don't care about you will never say anything about your eating habits. And you have to stop talking about what you don't know. Anorexia is a mental illness. Just because you receive criticism about your eating habits doesn't mean you'll become anorexic. It goes much deeper than that.
I’m an American who’s been living in France for almost 5 years now, teaching English at the uni and secondary level. I am about 5’3” and I’m over 150lb. The French are obsessed with BMI! For them, it’s THE WAY to measure health. According to it, I’m not obese. But, the French doctors think so. This was the only way I could get an early dose of the covid vaccine, because they considered me obese…sums it up for me, I guess.
The other thing I want to add is that in the US, when I’m visiting, everyone comments on how great I look, how skinny/slim I look. In France, I constantly get told by everyone to go on a diet. It’s hard living in this, like, bipolarity, but I don’t feel good about myself in France…
What's considered "fat" in France is so different from elsewhere... I'm a French girl currently living in Ireland, the same height as you and a little lighter, and in France, I always feel so fat, everyone is way slimmer than me and thinks of me as being on the heavier side, whereas in Ireland I feel skinny lol. "Slim" in France = borderline unhealthy BMI
I’m an American. When I lived in France, I was never thinner, even though I ate SO MUCH MORE FOOD than I did before. I believe the 3 key differences are: 1. types of food you’re eating (a lot of salads compared to a lot of processed junk) 2. Ingredients - French food is much more “close to home” lots of homemade and minimal-ingredient practices. No strange additives. 3. Walking as a way of life. I walked much more even though I had a car to use.
Somehow I still eat here how I ate in France, and I weigh more. I think the weird stuff in American food has so much more to do with this than we realize.
Spot on. I’m french, this is absolutely true.
I'm French and overweight and I can TOTALLY relate to what you said here. I lived in the UK for 6 years and now that I'm moving back, I feel so self-conscious, when it wasn't the case in the UK. Your video made me realise that this cultural obsession with thin-ness is what might have contributed to my disordered eating in the first place. Thanks for doing this 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Im not french but i dont think your anxiety is rooted on a « culture of thinness. A lot of times we want use scapegoats to make ourselves feel better about our lack of self control. I recognize that within myself and i struggled with it for years. It will take a long time to overcome, but it wont happen until we take responsibility.
Though you maybe overwieght its doesnt mean your any less.
Just figure your health and get better. Try your best not personalize these things.
Your health is very important weather you like it or not.
Thank you both, I can see you're trying to help and coming from a good place but please don't worry, I've got this :)
Please, next time you go to France, go and visite “le Périgord”, “la Gironde”, or “les Landes”, and you will see that you will be very welcomed, especially if you like good food, because if those regions, we love our food, and we don’t care so much about getting a little extra centimetres on our bellies. But I agree that this is not a tradition shared by all the regions in France, even if every french regions are full of good foods and delicious recepies.
@@NotEvenFrench And that is what France is outside of parisian start ups and globalized teenager spirits.Despite upper class and gullible young people believing in the "thin is best", France is still the country that spends most time eating in Europe.
Not just those regions aactually. Paris is very different from everywhere else in France, even more so when you work for big corporations, it really skews your vision and your experiences.
@@miyounova Paris lost true food. Yes, there are restaurants with 5 stars of course. But, good, high quality and fresh products will ever be better in the small cities or regions. Because that is where they come from !
Le Périgord c'est magnifique, ET la nourriture y est exquise ! En plus beaucoup d'anglophones y vivent/y passent des vacances : si notre nourriture les dérange, il y aura forcement des britanniques pour échanger de bonnes adresses !
Il y a même des restaurants "anglais" (adaptés pour les anglais) dans le Lot (department's name) c'est génial ! Il y en a pour tous les goûts. Les cuisiniers sont habitués à recevoir des gens du monde entier, et contrairement aux grandes villes ils veulent VRAIMENT satisfaire le client
@@b-dtchik5022 Not sure why you’re putting it on the young generation. This specific cultural behavior has been around France, and specifically its large cities, for centuries.
@@afcgeo882 Generations of gullible young people. Thar doesn't invalidate my observation, which isn't about a generation but the places and people that keep this image alive. And that's where it's at today.
Commenting again to say I recently met my first coworker who commented repeatedly on my (admittedly, poor) eating habits... We're both French, but I really thought it was out of line... She had a bit of a holider-than-thou "I mostly eat organic vegetables and so should you" attitude.
Not to mention that I find it incredibly rude to comment on the eating habits of someone who's overweight, it's not like they're not aware of it, but who knows the reason behind it or what they're struggling with... *rolls eyes*
I am so glad you made this video! I remember this social shaming ellement coming up in one of your collaboration videos sometime ago.I think it is important that we talk about it and raise awareness so that attitudes can eventually change. Ever since I can remember I love food. for me having a meal is an experence, a time to rewind ,sit down and enjoy. Growing up with a mother who is never happy with her weight (even though she's always been slim) she's always been : "oh don't eat that, you'll gain weight", "don't prioritise food, we eat to live not the other way around", "you've gained weight, look at yourself,you're fat". I can comfidently say that this is unnecessary shaming and a highway to mental illness and eating disorders. As you said we all know if we gained weight so we do not need people shaming us for it.Not to mention that it is really rudde to say something negative about someone's apearance.I think we all should have my wonderful aunt's attitude towards weight fluctuation: wether you gain or lose weight, that's an oportunity to go shopping for new clothes. I think it's a beautifully positive way to look at it
Thank you for your videos. Just a note about body shaming. I am naturally slim and live in Australia. I regularly am body shamed for being thin. It is the same as you described , but directed to slim people here. I do not diet and am healthy , but it has got to level where my mental health is being impacted. So body shaming is bullying and never OK!!!
I can definitely relate. I'm French & American lived in France until I was 20. Everyone there would comment on my weigh almost daily. When I was little I was under weight but was pushed so much to eat more then I became a little bit over weight. That put me in more of depression. The more people talked about it the worse my self esteem got a d gained more weight. After moving to the states I see myself differently. I weight way more than I did when I left France 6 years ago but I feel better about myself. I do want to loose some weight but I am not obsessed with it. Working on my mental health because that's the source of the issue.
This is an excellent dissection of the structural and cultural factors that inform French weight attitudes, and it pushes back against the many analyses I see that focus on the individual
It’s so strange to me that the French think it rude to ask what someone does for a living but feel free to comment on someone’s weight/body type 🤔
Asking what you do for a living is a classic introductive question to a chat with a new acquaintance. Nothing rude here in France. Asking how much money you make is much more problematic, maybe that is what you were referring to.
Don’t forget that it’s her experience. I lived in Paris and I never had any of these comments. “The French think that” is wrong to say, and there’s nothing rude in asking what someone does for a living.. have you lived in France?
@@sabrinag4512 no but I visit twice a year and have for the past 12 years (minus isolation for Covid). I have only been to Paris though, not other parts of France. Asking how much money someone makes IS definitely rude and I would never do that. 🙂
@@jackieclingman9707 it's actually not considered rude in all countries. In France it is, and I think it's a shame.
Excellent video, very personal to me and my daughter. I really wish people would focus on their own health and well-being and be kinder and less judgmental of others wherever you are in the world.
I stan Rosie. This is my favorite video you've ever uploaded. ❤
Hi Rosie! Huge fan here ^^ not French but been in France for many years now. I always find your analysis on point. I always like to question and analyse different cultures.
Just some insight here also :) to feed the debate.
I think that attributing not snacking merely to French self control is a bit simplistic. I’m Mexican, and enjoy snacking a lot. When I arrived in France I noticed they had so much less variety in the snacking area. At first I thought they were missing something in life. But then I realized that because our palets where trained different, it wasn’t so much pleasant for them as for me, the type of snacks I craved for. I thought that if I hadn’t grown up knowing the snacks in Mexico, that sometimes have some more added things, I wouldn’t be enjoying them that much. Because to be honest, after not eating them in a long time, and eating healthy, then the flavor is much stronger, so I get they sometimes don’t like them. I still love them anyway haha but I can understand now
I also thought that because there’s not a wide variety is because it’s not that important, it’s linked. So I quickly understood when I arrived that they didn’t enjoyed it that much, because they don’t grow with that as much as we do
Same for the cinema. In Mexico there’s no way one is not snacking in the cinema. There’s a huge variety and it almost go together. It’s rare to go to the cinema and don’t buy something, you must be on a strict diet or something to do so. Whereas in France, that offer doesn’t exist to begin with, so it’s not that appealing to compulsorily but something. Again, at first I thought they were missing something in life, they didn’t know the small pleasures of life. But then, I also kind of liked to be capable to separate the food and the movie, and don’t linked them together in my head. I took pleasure on just enjoying the movie, without being encouraged by the environment to eat along. It’s the inverse, back home, it’s like you’re encouraged to buy something by people and by the environment (without you noticing, because justement, I noticed how much encouraged we are to eat and consume by comparing with my experience in France)
So while there’s a problem of fat-shaming, I do also think think that some things are linked with habit routines. There are things that because we grew along with that we value more, probably more than other cultures. I sometimes think that if I had the same variety back in Mexico, I probably would find some exotic flavors weird. So for anglo-saxon culture, (and Mexican too) where snacking is part of our life since forever and we grow with it, then we value it more. Here they just didn’t grew with it, so they don’t think about it that often ^^
I say this also because I’ve seen that it depends on the person and the habits in their family. Can’t say it in a systematic way, but sometimes it is linked to the habits we grew with as a child
Hi from Paris! Along with this.... we have pressure to drink alcohol all the time. Let me eat my food and not drink please 😭
Which begs the question, HOW is it about health when they're knocking back the alcohol?!
I was born and raised in New Hampshire near my dad's immigrated side from France. You nailed it on this video. 👏 My mom taught me to be polite, but ignore the comments. I ate, played, and kept my mind healthy. I was tiny and that would have ruined me. Go mum!
Hey everybody!! Watch the video completely before commenting, it's not what you think. This video is much more nuanced. Thanks Rosie for talking about these things. I currently live in France and at my current weight I would be considered obese by French society. Though luckily my family here never criticizes me and in my area of France is more varied in sizes
I actually haven't had my yearly physical yet since I've lived here in France because I'm terrified of what the doctors will say. I'm pretty much the same size I was at my last physical which was at the end of 2019 in a different country, and my blood and urine and blood pressure were all in normal range (I had a random person, French actually, say to me "well, it's not optimal range though", and oh was I pissed!!). the doctor I had for my immigration medical appointment in France was really nice and understood that people from different cultures and countries see things differently and she looked at my results of my last physical and said they looked good and she said to me that as long as I kept my numbers in that range and that I could still move and be active with no major or any problems then I shouldn't worry too much about my size that by that point getting thinner was only for aesthetics and not for overall health. I was so happy that my first experience with a doctor in France was like that. But I'm worried that my next time won't be like that, and I've been really searching for a GP and OBGYN in my area that is used to dealing with immigrants that aren't used to this French diet culture and are a bit more sensitive and nice.
Frenchman here. One simple explanation to this: eating habits. Fast food, soda drinking from childhood, eating without interruption and HUGE eating portions in some countries explain the difference. Industrially prepared meals are killers.
The French women savior the high fat calorie meals with leisure, where some cultures (like the US) eat extremely fast because we only get 30 minutes for lunch. Also, dinnnertime is rushed in preparation lends to processed foods utilized. That's my humble opinion.
@@NotEvenFrench yep, also eating slower makes you generally eat less. I’m sure it’s a social norm to eat slower for this reason
Eh....... the eating fast and processed stuff in the States is more of a systemic economic problem more than a "cultural" or habit problem. When you have situations like food deserts and short meal times between doing 3 jobs because one job doesn't cover living expenses, and fast food is the only option, and healthcare is expensive so no one goes for prevention before problems happen........... people really like to put blame on the US citizens for problems like this when they have no control over it and it kind of irks me
Emilie, yes! And we are "lucky" to get 2 weeks paid vacation in a year. So we are overworked year-round without every getting a proper opportunity for repose. There is generally speaking no work-life balance for people in the US, except for very progressive areas or very lucky individuals.
I'm from the UK and have worked for French companies, alongside other nationalities, and France almost imposed an alcoholic full meal at lunch. They were outraged that we ate sandwiches at our desk rather than take a two hour dinner break.
@@susannatuttapanna2010 Come on no body is forcing you to take 2 hours to eat. Plus in many companies 2 hour is too much. So why be upset about that... Enjoy your "free" time. Relax! Many French eat sandwiches during their break and then do grocery shopping or digest on a bench or do window shopping or go to Dr appointments or read books or do administrative stuff. A long lunch break just mean a long break out of the office. Do whatever you want to do with it.
Mon dieu, thank goodness I live in Canada! I’m 38 weeks pregnant and have gained 18kg - all healthy, doctor approved, and a lot of water retention.
I have noticed that with several Parisienne fashion bloggers who have had babies recently, there was constant articles about how long they continued to wear non-maternity, how quickly their bodies snapped back, how little weight they gained throughout and how they didn’t give in to cravings. It was insane and every article was meant to make you feel like a failure to be ashamed of yourself if you did gain more weight, if you needed to switch to maternity clothing, or held on to the baby weight after.
Thank you for this video and helping break the romanticization of the thin French
I think that is very related to the fashion environment !!! It's not a healthy environment at all and it's all about the appearances... In my opinion it doesn't reflect the real people at all.
I'm an American in Germany and I'm SO glad no one has said boo about my postpartum body. There is definitely a focus on getting your pelvic floor back in shape (Kegels! Kegels!) But I've also seen a LOT of "mommy yoga" routines and "mommy makeover" procedures advertised, so we do still have a long way to go.
I am French and my wife gain 7 kg each time for each time she was pregnant. So once the baby is born she was back at her normal weight. If you take too much weight the doctor will put hell on you. With a monthly checkup French pregnant women are closely monitored.
Salut Rosie! I totally relate to this. I was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder and ovarian disorder, causing me to gain weight. I am going to university in Paris, and my host mom always comments “are you doing sport?” and “no cake”. It’s really really hard to constantly go through this, especially as an American, where it is more socially acceptable. Thank you for sharing your story and bringing awareness to this issue!
Finally an honest video about this
❤
Wow that's totally shocking. I love your raw honesty in this video. So brave and finally not sugar-coated but stating the facts! Let's hope that it's an eye opener for some (french) people who bodyshame without even realising it.
Kiwi having lived in France, my opinion is it is not just what is eaten but how & when. There are more regimented eating times. Meals are eaten over time in an order. This gives the body time to understand it is full rather than gobbling down too much too quickly in a rush. I wonder if French people are accidental intermittent fasters?
Oh I've actually videos where French women say if they ate too much at dinner for example then they'd skip then next 2 meals to "get back on track" and there's even an app to track fasting so I wouldn't be surprised
French here 👋 who has/is living abroad - like many others in the comments, I can only agree with every single point with no exception. I have never been thin but I have a healthy weight. Needless to say the shape of my body is topic #1 that will be discussed when I pass the border.
Funny enough, I am the thinnest on my dad’s side but that has never stopped anyone from saying things such as « On mange bien en Angleterre, n’est-ce pas ? »
On my mom side, comments will be about the best sports I could practice to have a thin silhouette (« tu devrais faire de la natation ou de la danse pour t’affiner ! ») or diet (« on a bien mangé à midi, juste un yaourt pour dîner, ca te va ?»).
I have a health condition that makes it hard/slow for me to lose weight. I do sports, I eat well, I am healthy but I am not thin. And as you said, this is just not acceptable in France.
Thanks for this great video Rosie. As always, you are on point 🔥
Très intéressant. I'm an American who was taller & skinny as a kid and teen & was constantly judged & teased for being too thin! No matter what I ate I could not gain weight and the boys would call me names like giraffe. I remember thinking what idiots they were and I didn't take it personally,, just stupid boys not raised properly. Later in my 30s, 5' 10" and weighing 140 pounds which to me was just fine, I had a boyfriend at the time who asked me if I could lose just a little more weight. Keep in mind that his body looked like bones with flab so he had NO right to judge my body...HUGE double standard. Ya, we didn't last long. People really need to learn to shut their traps about other peoples bodies. What you think of me is none of my business.
Americans generally have over-weight issues as everyone knows but remember this: Women with a few extra pounds tend to live longer than the men who mention it. 😂
Thanks for the feedback. I find this mostly accurate
(I am a French woman from the Mediterranean region, i grew in an obese family, my grandma as well as my mother and aunt are or were obese and I myself was always the most chunky child at school. It has been hard socially, lot of criticism from the other children as well as the school nurse, doctors, and later coworkers... )
Thank you soooo much for being so frank and sharing even the dangers of the medical professionals assuming and not checking symptoms. Self control is fantastic, but prejudice comes in many forms...
Rosie thank you sooooooo much for discussing the real reasons why the French are so skinny. It’s been a huge ordeal for me. I visited Paris, enjoyed my time there. When I came home, I met a French woman who emigrated here… we became friends. And that’s when the critique started. It’s such a part of her that I don’t know if she realises what words come out of her mouth. I couldn’t take the mental anguish and no longer talked to her. I still value her as a friend… but from a healthy distance now. Thank you again for discussing this topic 🧡🧡
@@NotEvenFrench Absolutely! And these sort of interactions start to close doors on relationships. 💔
Well, you should tell people that it's hurtful, especially if they don't seem to realize it at all. It's really hard to change if no one tells you that you are doing something wrong. I try to be a better person to others and watching this kind of videos puts the finger on some bad habits that we don't even realize we have...
I'm French (although my parents are not) and I've struggled with my weight all my life, and I've pretty much given up and accepted that I am destined to be overweight... It's very discouraging, but I've never experienced the comments in the workplace that you did, I find that very shocking. Maybe -probably - they commented about me behind my back, but they did talk about weight/food choices constantly, which I found exhausting!
PS - Having said that, I've been seeing a *lot* more overweight people (mostly women) of all ages in Paris than ever before... Also I've been seeing many more bigger ladies wearing shorts or tight leggings - so maybe things are changing and (some) women are becoming more comfortable and body positive
Courageous video about a serious French taboo: body shaming. Well done!!!
Wow I already knew France was not accepting of being overweight but never to that extreme you really pointed out the issue! As a french person who grew up there, I remember being praised as a kid for having a thigh gap and looking anorexic (at 11-12yo) and other girls commenting how jealous there were I was not gaining weight. When in reality I used to be a depressed kid and starve myself. My mom is obese due to health issues and medication and we went to the U.K. on holiday with family friends and all the women went to the beach fully dresses as they could not dare show their « fat » bodies at the beach. But they realised so many bigger women were freely enjoying themselves (which you just don’t see in France!). I have studies abroad all my adult years (Australia, U.K., Spain) and was shocked how bigger girls in their 20s were compared to France. I have now returned to France and without even realising started focusing on loosing weight as in my head I should get back to the size I was when I was 18. Even knowing that is ingrained by my culture it’s very hard for me to tell if I am actually really doing this for myself or to please others.
The spanish guy is lying, site 42 and 44 are very comment in France.
It is exagerated , I dont understand why is he lying. Myself I wear site 42 and 44 so...
It depends on your family and friendq. It s not "France" don't think that ! Some people are like that but, believe me or not, there are a minority. Even in Paris.
Only french people ( and not all!) can see who is "playing this game" to do as the others, or to intimidate or something like that. A stranger cannot feel that.
And I insist a lot (and a lot and a lot!) site 42 and 44 are real ! In mostly every shop !
Ps: parisiens have a réputation, and they dont represent France but a few part. In France parisiens are the minority so everywhere elsein France, people dont act like that. It is very important to say that in every family there is a "fight" with the pros (think you have to regule your weight and talk about it) and the cons (think you dont have the right to talk about MY weight, MY body, MY life).
It is really painful sometimes but it is a reality : it is really really more complex thn that the spanish guy trying to make you think. And we find site 42 and 44, I swear and do not understand why is he lying about that.
A true conversation (with pros and cons , french AND not french ) about this topic should be VERY VERY INTERESTING, and will permit us a more deeper comprehension
And for my personal experience : i practiced judo all my childhood. There were competitions. As you should know, judo like boxe or others fight sports : it is all about weigjt.
So all my life I knew how many kilos I do (sorr for my English). Before the breakfast, after the breakfast. Before the lunch, after the lunch. Before the dinner and after the dinner.
When I was 13 i realize that for fzw people, weight is a big deal.
I was really surprised. In fact there was not a few, but many people.
Still today I am not able to understand how this social pression can touch you and make you feel so bad.
To the french person :I whish I could help you to think like me because when I was a kid I saw my carnet de santé. And in that "carnet" there are graphics with averages concerning tall and weight.
And after this carnet de santé I was not obese, not.
But in "obésité morbide".
Thats mean that doctors think I cannot run, I cannot climb, or even laugh a lot because of a l ack of breathing... It means I should risk an AVC (in French) or something like that.
But I was Lucky : my doctor say to me that it is not always true. He said to me that rakes were averages and not a true reality. I was a very strong boy, not overweighted. Just with mass of muscles. I always can run or climb everywhere, whenever I want.
I am overweighted after their norms, or rules, but if you look at me I am a fit guy. As I always used to be.
I never listened stupid boys when I was a child :should I assume I was fat? No, because I was not : when boys were skeleton I already have muscles so yeah I was heavier than them. That was MY explication.
Dont trust those who judge you above your look : they dont know anything about you and about your HABILITIES !!
Just that. Get confidence and make you proud of you. That is the only medicine that you can abuse.
Conclusion : find a true doctor who knows your body, your limitations AND YOUR QUALITIES AND WAY OF DOING THINGS. 10 doctors will tell you 10 differents things. So choose the good one!
You should be proud then. Youre not obese.
Spellcheck. Check with a dr. may have gotten concussion
An interesting question/fact would be: what is the percentage of French women with osteoporosis?
apparently it affects 39% of women above 65 .
Not sure, but France did have the 2nd highest rate of anorexia in 2013. That's quite telling.
@@amakaa2393 These are the official figures from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research.
And you ? do you have any proof of what you are saying?
WOW, I find it so crazy and disrespectful to comment on people's habits and bodies. These people need to learn to mind their own business.
I'm glad I live in Canada, people aren't as obsessed ;) and Rosie looks totally fine!
Really fascinating! I think your explanation makes a lot of sense.
I witnessed that when I was in France as well (people would tell others to be careful with what they were eating/careful because of their weight, etc.).
I also had a French acquaintance tell me via text message a while ago that he never sees pictures of me on social media anymore and I told him it was because I didn't want to put pictures of myself on social media because I had gained a lot of weight, and he said "Why?"... So I told him I didn't gain the weight on purpose. I thought that was such a stupid question at the time. But now maybe it makes a little more sense.
I am American and I live in the US. I've gained about 30 pounds in the last 2 years, and hate my weight gain (and have every right to hate how I look) and naturally I complain about it and my friends and family insist I look fine blah blah blah (which is really annoying because I literally look like a different person now). So basically it's the opposite of what you've described in France, so I find that really interesting! Additionally, I would be so embarrassed to see my French friends again in person, just like you were saying. (I of course think you look amazing but it is only your opinion that counts!❤)
Thanks for another great video!!
As someone who is Irish on one side and has a lot of French on the other, the comment from the person with depression was so accurate with respect to how weight is perceived. As for the Spanish lady with the thyroid problem, I totally sympathise, I have hypothyroidism - before I was always very slim - 5'6, curvy Uk size 8/10 and ate whatever I wanted... now, if I want to stay slim, I have to REALLY monitor what I eat and eat a very specific diet... sometimes you don't have the time, sometimes you just want something sweet and sometimes, you just think life is too short not to enjoy your food and the French girl in me loves good food.
I'd say that you're right but I feel that's more of an upper class struggle to be honest, like you live in Paris work in a big company that employ foreigners, which is a niche portion of the population. The way you look and the social pressure around it is something you mostly see on rich and wealthy people. I think that in the medium and lower class that's a still a thing but way less. But there is really indeed a problem with weight and appearance in France.
It's definitely more of an elite French thing, but I think it slowly creeps into the lower class and immigrant cultures here more through the medical system. I live in the southern suburbs of Paris, the economics of the area is mixed though, but there is a large "non-white" French and immigrant population in my area and because of this I see body types of all ranges, which is nice. But I agree, when you're in Paris proper and work and live in Paris proper, especially in corporate environment, I can see this tendency to critique happening more often.
I would imagine too as non white immigrants often get the racist stereotype of being lazy and if being overweight is associated with weight gain that would be a factor for it spreading into Black and Brown communities too
I am not sure like everyone I see care about it ! But medium class people can sometimes have less healthy habits and a hard time quitting them so they just stop caring at some point. Like eating lot of food from supermarket and such... lower class people have maybe less this problem because I mean you need enough food in the first place to be bigger or enough unquality one and not doing exercice ! So having a car 🤔
@@sams3015 Non-white immigrants do not have an overweight issue in France, if anything, they are usually more fit than White people. Being skinny is just not seen as attractive in North African/African culture.
I noticed outside of Paris more of just regular people wearing regular clothing ,not designer. All shapes and sizes like seen in every cities.
I have never heard you speak so quickly! I had to check that the playback speed was correct :) Thank you for treating this subject with such honesty. It has been a very difficult year and half for many of us; the last thing anyone needs is shitty comments about weight gain. I share your anxiety about visiting France for this reason ... I hope when the time comes that you have a happy visit xx
Ahaha same but strangely I didn't need subtitles like I often need in English videos. She speaks quickly but so clearly!
@@MissBubbl3wrap It's true! And Rosie is extremely eloquent
You really explained this quite diplomatically!
Thank you for that honest commentary on why French women don't get fat. I think I generally have a good relationship with food and exercise but I honestly don't know how much I weigh since my scales stopped working. It is so liberating not to be worried about the numbers, I just know what a healthy weight feels like along with trying to make sure my clothes fit. That was an eye-opener, I can't believe a male work colleague would feel that is appropriate to comment on a female co-worker's weight!
On of my french inlaw once told me at a family dinner: stop eating this bread.
It was a long meal & I was hungry before the official eating started. It was very harsh for me, because those days I was feeling very sick and they knew that. Because I told them and I also needed to go to the doctor.
So in this circumstance it is very intrusive. Here in Germany it is more relaxed. Women in all shapes wear their bikini with pride!
Paris c'est un pays à part entière. J'habite à 300km, j'y suis aller quelques fois dans ma vie, j'ai jamais reconnu Paris comme la France. La mentalité est bien différente de ma ville de 20 000 habitant situé dans le nord est...
Paris n'est pas la France, Londres n'est pas l'Angleterre, New-York n'est pas les Etats Unis...toutes ces mégapoles sont cosmopolites. J'ai dû travailler quelques années à Paris, il y a longtemps, ça ne m'a pas plu du tout, une vie trop excitée et épuisante, surtout quand on est en charge d'une famille. Aucun des Parisiens avec qui je travaillais, n'avait ses quatre grand-parents nés à Paris ou même en Ile de France. Des descendants de Bretons, Picards, Normands, Provençaux, Gascons, Auvergnats...Maintenant, je passe une retraite paisible en Lorraine, mon pays. Pour faire une carrière, Paris, c'est bien. On peut aussi y vivre, à la rigueur, mais question de laisser ses os, rien ne vaut le pays natal. Je veux être enterré près de mes vioques.😀
I’m Creole French and the daughter of a French Expat. Creoles have adopted this from their French roots and it’s toxic. I admire that she spoke up. I eventually developed anorexia because of this culture now I live with anorexia daily now because it’s chronic. I’m pretty sure not the only Creole French woman who ended up this way. Thanks for calling out the French Rosie. Disregard people who are passive aggressively shaming you for being honest.
Odd… I don’t see such attitudes from Haitian or St Lucian women living in the U.S. or Canada. When you say “Creole” do you mean Africans living in France? Perhaps where you live (the culture you assimilate) is the driving differentiator on this, not where you’re from.
@@afcgeo882 Your ignorance of Creole people is embarrassing
@@racheludehjackson Perhaps you can educate by answering questions instead of being passive-aggressive. What is called “creole” is a VERY general thing. Most white Quebecois are actually considered creole. My experience with Haitians in New York doesn’t share your own, which is why I ask. So to be completely honest, YOU are the one being passive-aggressive here. I’m just asking you about your comment. In New Orleans, Cajuns (Acadians) are considered different from Creoles, even though they are both, by every definition, Creole. In Martinique I’ve noticed that dark-skinned people (Afro or Latino) are called Creole, but whites born there for generations are not. In contrast, in France I see any black, non-African being called the term, and actually even heard it about and from people from Angola, Madagascar and even Reunion. So if I sound confused about the term, maybe because it’s not properly defined or used. Either way, that’s a reason to explain, not attack.
Be better! Oh and by the way, I grew up in Flatbush and Canarsie, and still live very close, so don’t start with that.
@@afcgeo882 I’m not being passive aggressive I’m being blunt. Your knowledge of Creole French people is embarrassing. I’m not sure how that went over your head.
French obese person here.
The n°1 thing is medical shame. My doctor ALWAYS point out my weight for any sickness or aches I have.
(My DENTIST once said to me "how can you be fat, your doctor is a marathonian!" Like .. WTF
Also, I am the rounder person in my family and I can't forget it. They won't let me forget it.
@@NotEvenFrench thank you. You're awesome.
Thank you for talking about the 'darker' side of your experience in France
We’re all the same when we pass away. Enjoy LIVING before you get there.
Also screw the people who send you abusive comments about your weight! You are beautiful at any size, and your videos are amazing- don't let the haters get to you!!!!!!!
We visited my fiancé’s French family for two weeks after not seeing them since before the pandemic. I’ve gained about 18 lbs since then. I feel like most of our conversations was more about what they eat regularly and what they stay away from. Not directly about my plate… his brother even tried teaching me how to cut an onion bc I think he thought I’ve never cooked before?? I cook for every single meal. I think it’s there way of gently trying to help me but I just felt so self conscious. They are an incredibly loving family but as an American I am so not used to that… and everyone in the family kept making jokes about Coca-Cola and burgers as if that’s all we eat. I know it’s a stereotype and maybe it’s not meant to be directed at me but I couldn’t help feeling like it was…
Also they are from Brittany so probably not as bad there than in Paris
I wouldn’t be so sure about that… I lived in Brittany. I just felt compelled to say I’m sorry that you experienced this. I imagine that they are very loving but to be honest, I felt I needed constantly to let them know that their stereotypes were incorrect, insulting and disrespectful. I hope you do so in the future if you go back there again. Yes, there are cultural differences and then there’s just plain rudeness
Its a bit rude to be honest. I never knew that french ppl are like that😢its sad😢talking about pple looks is not nice
Extremely interesting, but makes sense to me. Over the years I’ve heard many theories (the French don’t drink milk as a beverage, wine consumption in France flushes out bad fat.. nonsense like that). Here in the USA, looking back to the 1920s, 30s, 40s, we also freely commented on people’s body sizes, how clothes fit, etc. The social brakes on eating patterns eased in the 70s somewhat (especially when the Fast Food industry took off). Coupled with eating too much of the wrong foods and “nobody cares how you look”, we now are reaping the rewards-almost 50% are considered clinically obese. Also, the French adhere to the rules we followed a century ago-we eat together as a family three times a day with almost no snacking between meals. Thanks for posting this most illuminating video.
This is very eye opening, thank you for sharing this perspective.
As someone who has struggled with disordered eating and nearly been unhealthily lean, I'm currently crossing France off of my list of countries to live in
Finally somebody tells the truth!
Thank you!
Really interesting and eye-opening content. Love from Ontario, Canada!
I think this is amazing insight, and makes so much sense!!
I am a Russian woman who lived both in French culture and in English. In Russia we adopted a lot of French etiquette and were greatly influenced culturally. So i was brought up similarly so for example we cannot snack between meals and drink sweet fizzy drinks with meals or ever. I never had any problems with this upbringing in fact I am quite glad so i can control my weight easily and don't sweat about it. I have to mention though I experienced the reverse micro aggressions when I moved to England. I was young and quite thin, not because I was dieting or something (you don't have to diet if your diet is healthy by default), but because I was young, you know you did not have the time to put on weight yet. And I was getting quite a lot of comments from people, like you have to eat more pasta (which I hate), or you are like a stick or like a broom. It was very hurtful, it was done always quietly so nobody can hear. I was dancing once in a club and accidentally touch a guy next to me with my elbow and he said oh my elbow is so sharp maybe I need to eat more. It was coming both from girls and guys. I felt like they were jealous and if they are fat so everyone should be so they can feel better about themselves. So I would not pain a picture that the French are passive aggressive, but the English are so so accepting. I would say the English is passive aggressive the other way, against thin people. So here is my penny to the debate. Totally based on my own experience.
Votre vidéo a un point de vue Parisien et vous le savez qu'il ne faut pas généraliser au reste de la France.
You're gorgeous. Don't listen to the body-shamers. I'm serious. I love your dimples. You look so friendly.
I think this has been a really interesting series! I enjoy knowing more facets to the story; there’s always more to know! I absolutely love the French culture and have all my life. But I do struggle a bit with the food culture. I’ve tried many times to adapt it fully to our family, but it leaves very little flexibility for neurodivergent or chronically ill eaters. It’s left me with a lot of guilt and shame, because I genuinely agree with the French method of nutrition education - much more so than any other culture. However, what is a genuine gift to many can be an infliction on someone having a visceral negative reaction to a scent, texture, novelty, histamine etc. I genuinely enjoyed the video; thank you :)
Very interesting video. After 8 years in France I can definitely say that I’ve met people with scary low weight and food behaviors. So sad that people live in a constantly Eating Disorder. Intuitive eating and balance in life is so much better for your mind and body 💫
Rosie, so glad to see you!
I have suspected this was the case in French.
Thanks for your courage ❤️
This is fascinating! Would love to see you collaborate on this topic with the Maintenance Phase podcast.
Thank you soo much for this video.
Is good to know I am not the only one suffering from this kind of micro aggressions.
You do an amazing job 🤗
It’s so twisted that they would think for a nanosecond that shaming someone is going to be helpful to them. It’s toxic.
Crazy! Thank you for sharing and opening up this conversation. To take it a step further then here in the comments, I’m curious if folks feel this is resulting in institutionalizing / normalizing eating disorders in France?
I’d imagine if it’s this engrained in the medical field, current statistics on instances and rates of anorexia / bulimia / body dysmorphia in France (Paris) would be largely skewed!!
In France we think that like alcohol or tobacco, food must be regulated. This is why we eat meals or foods at specific times. And that why the portions are almost the same everywhere, generally average. When you see someone breaking these established rules, some people can be surprised. This is why some are making remarks.
Even as a man i grew up like this, I pay attention to portions, when I eat a lot one day, the next day I eat something light, just like I do with alcohol. When I drink a lot one day the next days i'm not gonna drink or less. It is a form of self-regulation encouraged by the public authorities
But its nice to do that that's called balance
And this is a very good thing
Good point about men - maybe not all are like this, but for instance at one of my previous jobs in France, it occurred to me that my male coworkers in their early 30s had a pretty balanced diet, whereas had it been in the US, they would probably have eaten a lot more (mostly?) junk food at lunchtime... (I'm French but lived many years in the US)
Hey Rosie! Thank you for doing this video! I was living in Paris for almost 2 years (I am from Hungary). I worked for a company where we ate lunch everyday together at the canteen. There were many options and I choose whatever I liked and each time I got something a burger or steak a lasagne, the looks were coming alongside with the comments how much i can eat and isn’t it too fatty? Every single day!! I found it extremely rude that they said anything and judging for how much and what I ate… I can imagine how much worse it is when you have some extra weight on… I couldn’t handle the french for many reasons and this judging and eye rolling constantly was one of them.. I hope you will be alright and just not taking it to heart. We have a saying it goes into one ear and goes out from an other!!! 😊
I don’t know who you surrounded yourself with in France but those people are rude. Just rude. I never had a coworker or family comment on plate saying « be careful you’re gonna gain weight ». Quite the opposite actually, French people tend to eat very generous meals ( like starter, main course, cheese and desert) and they just don’t snack.
Your point of view is valid of course but si wouldn’t say it’s général to the culture.
Omg like appart from my family no one told me that but lot of my friends said "that is unhealthy I will not eat it I don't wanna be fat" when you propose to eat something which make you feel equally guilty I think 🤔
@@PC-mw6qx people like that I just tell them 'well I don't care about my weight'.. It's all about balance, eating one fat thing during the day won't get you fat, but some people just don't get that. It's sad (mostly for them).
I am so Proud of you for addressing these concerns that people have with others who are so called "overweight" "fat". I'm American expating to France and people always tell me I'm underweight when they have no idea how or what BMI is. French people have to further educate themselves on what body mass index is before they accuse others of weight gain/loss. It would be kind if people would mind their own damn business though.
When it comes to these reports and conversations about how French woman are and stay thin it's rarely touched on how much of has to do with smoking. Smoking is an appetite suppressant as well as used for meal replacement, to the detriment of overall health. Also nobody needs a comment about their weight positive or negative. Most people have mirrors and have to button their own pants.
Interesting topic! I lived in Paris for one year and saw that people tend to be very judgmental, but I actually didn't realize there were so many conversations around food and weight.To be honest, I didn't really connect with Parisian people, so my friends were expats or French but from other ethnicities. This means that the conversations were not at all around those topics. I guess I dodged a bullet here :)
Me too, the vast majority of my friends were Pied Noir
It's because in the USA we have Ronald McDonald in every street corner trying to get our children fat.
unfortunatly we have it too, in France !
@@lilimaka3721 Have you ever lived there? The food culture is quite different too and it doesn’t help. You can find great food but you have to pay the price for it. In France it’s more affordable
@@vanessad.8661 Yes I know and you are right. I went there ...a long time ago . I tried my first hamburger in the US, they didn't exist in France at that time.
Fruits are so expensive in the US!! I went there only once and clearly I understood why people that are not wealthy are forced to eat unhealthy. Buying one apple was 5 time the price of it in France. And it was like that for everything. And on the other hand, eating a whole 'meal' at Macdonald's was way cheaper than in France. How are you supposed to make healthy choices for your family if it costs so much and you can't afford it?
thank you for this honest video. I'm from Belarus and live in the US now, and I can relate. We have people of all sizes in Belarus, but only thin people are considered beautiful, and everyone is encouraged to become thinner. I don't think it's necessarily always bad because at least in Belarus, the way I see it, weight gain is associated with unhealthy habits in most cases.
I relate as a french
Hi Rosie. Many thanks for your video. I could tell this was quite emotional for you by the sound of your voice and the way you spoke. I am French but didn't grow up in France. I am about to move to France and I have a young daughter. I am concerned with how my daughter will grow up in France. I wanted to avoid living in Paris area because of the body-shaming culture is rampant there but the type of work I do can really only be found there. I am average size but definitely not Parisian slim but I don't mind. I have a balanced diet and I'm quite active. I am hoping to teach my daughter the same: no food is off limits and being active is important for your health. Then she is the size she is and as long as she's happy and healthy, it really doesn't matter what size she is. I am lucky that my family don't comment on weight. They would behind people's back if you're overweight but if you're average, then they don't care if your stick thin or not. So compared to the average French family, that's not too bad although I 100% agree with you that it should never be considered.
I thought your comments on looking forward to road trip snacks and sleepover binging is not something French people look forward to very interesting. You are right but I think you attribute the no snacking as a control issue for French people. It might be the case for some, but for most of us (myself included even though I didn't grow up in France), we just don't snack. Lots of junk food is genuinely unappealing. Snacking isn't something we want to do. I didn't realise people snacked so much until I started my first job in the UK. I was so surprised how much people eat outside meals. I'm not saying I never eat between meals but I do it purposefully; if I am genuinely hungry between meals and my next meal is a couple of hours or more away. Snacking isn't just how we eat so it's not appealing to us. It doesn't stop us from having the odd ice cream at the beach but it's just not a habit. I've done many road trips in my life and it genuinely never occurred to me to eat snacks during the road trip :)
Finally, I hope you still enjoy your trip back to France. Your body is your business and no one else's. I am very sorry you've received comments about your weight. You are a very beautiful person inside and out.
yes, I agree with you about snacking. in Italy it's the same, we have sometimes a break between lunch and dinner, called "la merenda", but it's more for kids and it's not supposed to be about junk food. I think other cultures are normalizing junk food and that's dangerous, actually! if you have healthy meals with real food with complex carbs, fats and proteins, you shouldn't need much more in between!
Snacking is definitely a habit formed whilst growing up. My mother was a chef and never allowed us to eat between meals as it would ruin our appetite for the nutritious meals she prepared with love. This habit of no snacking stayed with me all my life and I was brought up in UK. I found it strange when I saw work colleagues eating crisps and drinking coke mid afternoon and then constantly complaining about their weight.
I'm English, 53 and have lived in Australia for 16 years. Until recently I have always been conscious and obsessed about my weight and how I looked. I was also very conscious of how other people looked and was constantly plagued by critical thoughts about my own image and the image of others. I knew this was wrong but felt powerless to change it. I have told all of my children at some point that they look too fat or too thin and now they are all very self conscious and insecure about their own body image. I thought I was helping them to stay healthy at the time but realise now how damaging it can be to a childs confidence to grow up in that type of environment. After realising that the word Narcissist (obsession with one's own image) applied to me I decided to stop looking in the mirror constantly and checking on how I look. It felt very disconcerting for a while but these days I might look once a day at the most. It actually feels incredibly liberating not to be obsessed with looks now and find myself able to interact with others much more freely and happily. I feel awful when I consider the damage I did to my children and probably many other people as well but I also feel that society places way too much emphasis on how we look. From television and movie stars, musicians, models, athletes to politician's and everyone in between we're bombarded with what we should look like. I don't believe this is just a French issue except maybe they are more out spoken about it than other countries where it would be deemed as rude. Not saying something doesn't mean people aren't thinking it and I believe in some ways this can be worse because the problem becomes more covert. These days my mind isn't full of negative thoughts about my image or the image of others. It allows me to think of much more enjoyable things.
So, the French are very sensitive about all things we might accidently say or do which are not even personal, yet they can directly say straight to you that your getting fat or eating too much! Apalling! So shallow and materialistic. Can you do a video for what French people should not say to anyone outside of France or at least in NZ and OZ?
Hi Rosie, thank you for another very interesting video ! I am french and have only started to think about this issue in the past years. I think fatphobia is engrained in French culture. In my family we do not necessarily make fun of other people's body shape, however losing weight (whatever your starting point is) is praised upon. When I was a teen and got my first crushes, I had butterflies in my stomach and very littel appetite, so I did not eat and lost loads of weight. My mom really admired and encouraged that. She also noted whenever I or my sister gained weight. I love my mom nonetheless but this is something that is there in my education. It is also very true that in France, we do tend to think that a mature/responsible person is someone who controls their eating, their drinking, their laughter, the loudness of their voice. I have to say however, that I think we are not the only nation with this systemic fatphobia. I lived in Sweden for a year, and I feel like they have a very similar approach to weight. Being healthy there means being slim, eating well and exercising.
So interesting you say that because growing up, my mom never commented on her body, and never commented on mine (I’m a woman). This was in the US, but I do realize this happens so much (mothers to daughters) in America, too.
I believe in the Nordic cultures it’s actually perfectly fine being large. They do value ACTUAL (versus perceived) health though, so exercise, going to the doctor, eating well, etc. are popular concepts. However, I find that the French don’t exercise or eat all that well compared to other cultures, nor do they have particularly good attitudes toward medicine. They do seem to be very obsessed with looks though - with aesthetic/physical appearance. You’re far more French if you’re skinny, but smoking, drinking and doing drugs than a large person who is a weight lifter and doesn’t have bad habits.
I think we did in England until about 30 years ago. I think my dad and grandparents are/were very fatphobic - my grandad would always pass comment on my cousin who is naturally a bit bigger, he used to say "In the army they always liked it if they could see the ribs in the young men [he used to say tinny ribbed] because if you're fat when you're young you have no hope when you're old," I honestly blame access to good food and stagnating pay. For 15 years no one has had pay rises and everything has become so much more expensive - we now work harder for our poverty and bad food is cheap 🤷♀
Hello ! I am horrified . How could a normal person comment like that ! You re so beautiful ! I am french and I am overweight . And I am felling the pressure you re talking about . I am not doing diet . But a lot of person in my cercle says : « tu ne fais jamais de sport viens faire de l’aquagym » « tu sais c’est juste un rééquilibrage alimentaire qu’il te faut » « c’est pas bon pour ta santé » and that’s going round . I know I am overweight so I don’t want to wear a swimming underwear . ( maillot de bain ) i feeling ashamed and the society is not helping me ! And then you parents says : « tu ne prends pas soin de toi « » it s a real problem for me and I am so glad you made a video about it !
Tu mérites mieux Lumine ❤
C'est intéressant de lire ton expérience. Merci de l'avoir partagé. Est-ce que tu leur as dit que leurs commentaires ne t'aident pas ? Je ne sais pas si ça aiderait ou pas.
@@meganslater9547 oui je leur en ai déjà parlé mais ça touche aussi à leur ego donc les réponses sont souvent les mêmes : si je dis ça c’est pour ton bien . Ou encore : tu crois jamais ce que je te dis essaye tu verras .
@@lumineenladris5193 oh la la c'est fou ! 😔 c'est embêtant non ? Courage 💖
I have noticed other videos on “why the French don’t get fat,” sound pretty dysfunctional. I’m glad it isn’t just me who sees this. Some of the “meals” do not look like enough food for an adult.
I love your channel and I support you!