A French Lunch – A Nutrition Lesson for the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand
For a complex mix of anthropological, historical, and geopolitical reasons, English-speaking countries and their former colonies have not fared as well as France-or many of its past and present cultural spheres-when it comes to population health.
Obesity rates (%):
USA – 42.64
New Zealand – 32.99
Mexico – 32.22
Australia – 32.05
Ireland – 30.70
Canada – 28.16
UK – 26.94
France – 10.18
Among high-income nations, only Japan has a lower rate (7.63).
Why is France the leanest country in Europe, with over 60 high-income nations recording higher obesity rates?
The answer lies, at least in part, in a deeply embedded culture of food. In France, food is not incidental-it is central. There is care in preparation, respect for ingredients, attention to presentation, moderation in portion size, and, importantly, the social ritual of eating together.
Our lunch today offered a simple illustration.
Three adolescents were spending their school holidays at their grandparents’ home; two of us joined them. The meal unfolded in the traditional French rhythm-unhurried, structured, and varied.
- Oysters, freshly harvested from the nearby bay
- Two salads: grated carrot and beetroot, both delicate and vibrant
- Chicken in a mild curry with a light cream sauce
- A mash of broccoli and potato
- Several varieties of cheese
- Dessert: fresh strawberries with Chantilly cream
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There was no frying, minimal use of oil, and an abundance of fresh vegetables. Wine, often part of dinner, was absent at this midday meal-another example of moderation.
Before this trip, I placed a continuous glucose monitoring sensor on my skin. It tracks post-meal glucose excursions alongside activity and stress-both relevant, as stress hormones can elevate blood sugar.
After this meal, my glucose peaked at 120 mg/dL, entirely within the normal range.
This is revealing.
It is not merely what is eaten, but how it is prepared, structured, and consumed. The French model-fresh ingredients, minimal processing, balanced courses, slower eating, and social context-appears to mitigate excessive glycemic spikes and, over time, the trajectory toward overweight and metabolic disease.
PS: I do not have Diabetes.
By contrast, the industrialization of food-so characteristic of the United States and widely exported to countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and the petroleum rich countries of the gulf-has been a central driver of the global obesity epidemic. Interesting to observe, in the context of politics, Iranians are leaner than the Arabs of the region.
When I am in Miami, I get very little chance to walk whereas in France, I walk with glee to do my errands, to my cafe, to the supermarche!
PS i arrived in France yesterday. I have walked more in the past 36 hours than the week prior in Miami!
France offers not perfection, but a compelling alternative: a way of eating that is cultural, deliberate, and, above all, human.
Vive la France.
Original Blogger URL: https://medicoanthropologist.blogspot.com/2026/04/a-french-lunch-vive-la-france.html