The world has long marveled at the ability of the French population, and particularly its women, to remain thin in a country famed for its pastries, cheese and wine.
According to a 2009 study conducted by TNS Sofres Healthcare and Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche, 15.1 % of France's women are classified as clinically obese, while a further 26 % are overweight.
The study also reveals that over the past 12 years, the average French person has put on 3.1 kg. Doctor Marie-Aline Charles said urban lifestyles (including the use of public transport and a greater availability of food) were largely to blame!
Okay, it could be worse: in comparison, according to the latest data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) some 33.2 % of U.S. women are classified as obese.
Finally, during an interview for Reuters, Doctor Marie-Aline Charles (who helped conduct the research) made the following interesting comment: "We're currently seeing in France the same levels of obesity as in the United States in the 1970s, so we're about 40 years behind," she said.
To find out more about obesity, read my related post
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