Hot Topics: I Thought 'French Women Don't Get Fat'

It was news to me that Europe is just behind the United States and Australia having the highest percentages of obesity – in fact, 2.3 billion people will be overweight (a BMI of 25) in 2015 and 700 million people will be obese (a BMI > 30) according to the World Health Organization.  Research by the national health research institute, published in January by Inserm indicates that 31.9% of people over 18 were overweight in 2009, up from 29.8 percent in 1997.  15.1% of French women were obese in 2009, against 13.9% of men.  8.3% of women were obese, compared to 8.8% men in 1997.  

These numbers are increasing at a startling rate.  It appears that French women do indeed get – although I really dislike the word – “fat” despite what the bestseller claims.  So, what are the plans to combat this weight issue in France?  Send Jenny Craig oversees, that’s what!  

On March 9, Jenny Craig’s American-style weight loss program was introduced the France, focusing on evaluations, coaching tailored to the individual needs of clients and some tasty packaged meals.

Will the French fall for this?  It is culturally understood that moderate consumption of rich, yet wholesome foods along with self-discipline have been the long-standing attitudes towards healthy weight maintenance among Europeans.  As this New York Times article also questions, I can’t help but wonder how Europeans are going to react to the idea of packaged meals.

Despite Weight Watchers International’s global hold on the weight loss industry, Nestle, owner of Jenny Craig, is confident that their “American heritage” will be “an advantage” – but I’m not entirely certain how.  Jenny Craig does have a nice start-up story, I suppose – A New Orleans couple realizes that exercise is often not enough for their health-club clients to lose weight, so packaged meals were designed to substitute their every meal until the client lost their desired weight – but how exactly are they planning to sell this idea to a culture accustomed to a different food culture?  

Chief executive of Jenny Craig, France Erick Moreau said, “The French have a negative reaction to American food but in terms of weight loss, the Americans have credibility here.” I however have found the French, and Europeans in general to embrace American food in many circumstances.  I have passed by KFCs filled with Czechs in Prague and Burger Kings bustling with Hungarians in Budapest.  I also came across the McDonald’s in the Carrousel de Lourve, the food court just underneath the Mona Lisa, to be quite a happening spot for both tourists and the French (approximately 450 million French last year).

Perhaps we can revisit this issue in weeks to come to see how successful Jenny Craig proves to be.  I do love the attention this calls to problems of obesity across the world.  More power to Jenny Craig if they can help people lost the weight they need to lost and keep it off!

Click here for the full article from NYTimes.com