French food warning

What is France coming to ? Four weeks ago they banned cigarettes from most places. From Thursday, a health warning must appear on advertising for food products.

The messages are part of the state campaign against obesity. Compared with the rest of Europe and Britain in particular, France does not have much of a weight problem, but the kilos are piling up, especially among the young and lower income groups.

Under the new law, one of four messages must be carried on broadcast commercials and print and internet ads or the manufacturer must pay a fine of 1.5 percent of its advertising budget to a national health fund. The one pictured above says: "For your health, don't eat food that is too fatty, too sugary, too salty."

Consumer groups are attacking the new law as inadequate. They want specific warnings on unhealthy food and an outright ban on adverts aimed at children.

The messages, designed to convey rules for healthy living and similar to warnings in alcohol adverts since 1992, all begin "For your health..."  The other three say "...avoid snacking between meals... "...eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day...undertake regular physical exercise."

With its tradition of good food and eating habits, France suffers less from obesity than any other European nation except Norway, according to EU statistics. However one third of the country is now overweight -- with Body Mass Index over 25. Obesity (BMIE over 30) has doubled over the past decade to 10 percent of the population according to INSEE, the national statistics institute. The condition affects one in six children under 15 compared with one in 20 in 1980. In comparison, three quarters of British adults are overweight and 22 percent are obese.

[-- Yes they do]

The Health Ministry found in a survey that over 90 percent the French approved of the new advertising messages, which must appear at the bottom of television screens on printed displays or be spoken on the radio. However the campaign was denounced as "joke" by UFC-Que Choisir, the main consumer association. To test the effectiveness of the warnings, it put one on a television advert for a popular chocolate-coated breakfast cereal and showed it to 700 people, half of them children [pictured at top]. Nine out of ten viewers did not make a link between the warnings and the nutritional imbalance of the cereal, said UFC. 

Those who were least able to understand the message were children and less educated people. "These are precisely those who are supposedly targeted by the message, so we conclude that the health message misses its goal," said UFC. The association said the food industry had forced the government to dilute to the point of uselessness its plans for alerting the French to the dangers of processed food.

Patrick Serog, a nutritionist and author, was less harsh. The Health Ministry's intentions were good but the messages are confusing, he told us. "When a commercial for a sugary product shows the message saying that you should not eat sugar, that suggests that the product does not contain sugar. It's ambiguous and the food industry will play on that ambiguity."

At the same time as introducing the food warning, the Health Ministry received commitments from McDonald's and four big food groups on improving the nutritional quality of their products in France. Coca Cola has undertaken to reduce its sugar level in drinks by 15 percent; Danone undertook to stop putting sugar in its Taillefine (Slimwaist) yoghurts. McDonald's France is promoting sports, reducing fatty acids in its frying oil and cutting salt in its children's menus by 30 percent.

Over the past two years, action has also been taken in schools, with better cantine food and the removal of snack and soda vending machines.

The latest health warnings are seen by many as part of a nannying tendency that runs counter to French tradition.  France Soir wondered sacastically today when food would have to carry the cigarette-style label: "Trop manger tue" [Over-eating kills]. In reality, France has had some of Europe's strictest advertising laws on alcohol and tobacco for the past 14 years. All tobacco advertising is banned and beer,wine and spirits advertising must carry the message "to be consumed with moderation".   

Here's a recent map showing the fattest regions of France in red, with the least in yellow. It's no surprise that, with the exception of the southern Langedoc Roussillon, the fattest French are mainly in the north and northeast. Eating habits there are closer to those of neighbouring Belgium and Germany. The south, with its famous olive oil diet, is not so lightweight after all. Surprisingly, the Bretons (on the west) are all apparently thin despite having the reputation for being France's biggest drinkers.  Paris, the most affluent spot in the country, is also one of its thinnest.      

Comments

[jorgandersen]

The French are right to try to educate the public before it's too late and they become blobs of fat like the British and Americans. It's pretty bad here in Austria already.

[Dominique]

I am afraid not much can be done really. Food is only part of the problem. Cultural habits of today's and tomorow's life won't help : seating at your laptop at the office and home, driving our car in between is no good for our silhouettes! More, french cultural habits are vanishing all over : no more long lunch, no more parental education on taste, no more time spent on preparing dinner etc... There is no one like my mum!

[Gigi]

Those warnings on cigarettes did not influence me one bit...I gave up because I couldn't afford it any more and because I was coughing nearly all the time.

As for the food - we know that eating too much fat or sugar is bad and we don't need somebody else telling us that. And anyway, there are days when only a big, thick squashy Nutella butty will do...

[Maggie]

And about time to ! the French diet is so out of date I have written about it before.
Look at the Salami, Pate , Rillette to name only 3 ,each one full of fat. Not to mention their passion for Foire gras which is pure fat, or the garlic butter farcie dishes, all eaten with large quantities of bread.!
Butter & cream are vital ingredients in French cooking, & most cheeses up to 60% matiere grasse.
In the supermarket queue I notice the pre-cooked items going through the till, with packets of biscuits cakes, their love of bread with every meal.
Rarely are there vegetables, very little fresh fruit but yes, the inevitable lettuce.
Eat in French resturants & the only veg seems to be the Harricot Vert ! or a very basic salad.
Unlike English resturants where there is usually a choice of vegetable.
It is by no coincidence that the French are the biggest consumers of laxatives in Europe.
McDonalds are opening up like the spring flowers here & they are doing cracking business.
It is simply not true that French women don't get fat, try outside the cities, the country parishes & again in my area of Brittany, you will see fat people in abundance.
I suggest it's a bit late to stop the now inevitable obesity explosion occuring .

[Tom Livingston]

Isn't comparative longevity what really matters?
A lump of donkey sausage, a loaf and a bottle of the red infuriator -heaven!

[Actu75]

Maggie T.?
Yes there is a considerable amount of fat in the tarte tatin, the saucisse sèche, the confits or the foie gras. And, let it be heard, french women can get fat too.
But, if France "traditional" food is responsible for the "obesity explosion" how come it has only proved inevitable "now" and not say, ten, 20, 30 years ago when this traditional food cooked through a traditional social timetable, actually was dominant? Should the blame be put on rillettes or on Pringles? On crème fraiche or on Twisters?
It might, indeed, be un bit late to act. Better late than never however.
Last and least, out of London, those english restaurants offering a full choice of vegetables are Indian or Chinese?

[RG]

On The subject of the French and of food, this from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/dining/28truf.html?th&emc=th

Thanks

RG
Taos, NM

[Helen]

Maggie,
I'm from Brittany.
I eat either polenta cooked with creme fraiche and an egg (with ratatouille as a vegetable) or salad with crottin de Chavignol (40% fat) everyday, and I often have my tea with cream. I never have breakfast, but I often eat a whole baguette or about 400g bread as lunch (bread and pasta are an excellent source of 'slow-release' energy: they don't make you fat). When I have a little money, I buy a Comtesse du Barry readymade dish: aiguillettes de canard aux champignons de Paris, for instance. I've never eaten foie gras, nobody eats that kind of greasy stuff in my family: we prefer oysters.
My BMI is around 17.5-18.5 (underweight), my cholesterol is in the normal range (better, it's mostly made up of 'good' cholesterol, HDL), so is my glycaemia, and only my tryacylglycerols are outside the normal range, just under the lowest value, but it's not something to worry about.
From what I've seen around me, obesity comes from nibbling candies and snacks all day long, having sugar in one's coffee (how many coffees a day?), and not exercising enough.

[christopher muir]

Surely healthy eating is a matter of common sense. However, the demands of life nowadays seem to be making civilised eating habits a thing of the past. The fast food chains have affected people's common sense - families are putting convenience before health in their list of priorities. And the endless contradictions about what's good or not good for you don't help consumers.
One day it's stated that a glass of wine is good for you, but another study follows and says that it's a useless beverage. I notice that garlic is being debunked this week. Apples will be next.

[Tara_Lane]

I agree with Dominique that cultural factors are also to blame. But I don't think that means that there shouldn't be an effort to stop the spread of fast food. I'm an American, but not an overweight one, but it's obvious that the attitude that "if you can, you should" has prevailed over common sense.
Tara Lane in Austin, TX

[Sarah Hague]

It's not the classic French diet that is to blame for the rise in obesity, but the fact that many people have stopped cooking and use ready-meals instead. There has been a huge increase in the choice of these meals (from when I arrived in 1989, for example) and parents cook from scratch less. They are thus eating more additives, sugar and salt. Added to that a lack of exercise and you have a recipe for increased weight.

[Helena Frith Powell]

I live in the Languedoc and am horrified by this map! The sad thing is, just last year a McDonald's opened in my otherwise idyllic town. I am pleased to report though that on a sign advertising its presence someone has scrawled 'obesity' in red paint. So they already seem more aware than the Brits.
www.helenafrithpowell.com

[Ros]

I do agree with Sarah Hague that it's not the French classic diet that's to blame & I have lived in France for more than forty years. Neither is it french "parents" who no longer "cook from scratch" - it is elderly people like myself who are alone and just can't be bothered, also young people - students etc but I think most parents take much more trouble about their children's food than in England!

[john gregory Flinn]

People eat more and get fat because they can.
Food is more convenient, more available in larger portions, more fattening, more varied, more sociable and relatively cheaper.
The media and advertising industry go to great lengths to encourage us to indulge and self-indulge a proclivity for food so that over-eating is now a habit. Self-control is diminishing especially since convenience and 'take-out' food is replacing and reducing family authority over what we eat, consume and how much. Labelling people as fat or greedy is less socially acceptable and less effective because the it is more and more excused as a gene/DNA problem than personal gluttony.

These factors still vary throughout the world and are not yet so general as they appear in the USA, Britain, and some other countries. But French cultural habits are succumbing to the fast convenience food phenomenon
It is a scientific fact that as we eat more, so our stomachs adjust in size, and the more we need to eat to satisfy feelings of 'hunger', and so on, which eventually leads to obesity.

Its one of those paradoxes of democracy where our personal liberty can contrive to weaken both the individual and collective nation. There are many other such personal extavagances that similarly threaten our liberties, and promise some kind of creeping controls that could swiftly become petty tyrannies.
Thus it's as though democracy allows us to sow the seeds of our own destruction, because, for example, controlling obesity is not possible by exhortation alone.

[Mary Chin]

There have been articles like this in the French press for some time. While they point out that the French no longer have long lunches or eat homecooked meals, they all propose the same solution: women should cook more! How reactionary! Never a word about nutrition or how to shop, never mind the lack of nutritional information on processed food packages.

[Maggie]

I shall just add here , that McDonalds are frequently referred to as the baddie, unfairly I think.
A burger occasionally does no harm at all, it is the frequency & quantity that is the problem.

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

CAMEMBERT "Lait cru" is the only real Camembert of Normandy. Do not let Nanny take it away from us!!

[Dominique]

Mary : "women should cook more!" Where did you read that? I know there is a lot to blame in France nowadays, but I also know that a lot of countries admire the fact that french women are often able to work and make children with the support of the society. Having children is still a handicap, but less than in other countries. That's at least one point for France!

Maggie : of course "A burger occasionally does no harm at all, it is the frequency & quantity that is the problem". But guess what? Mac Donalds wants us to eat at their table as often as possible! They even make commercials didn't you notice? I never heard anything like "come to McDo only once a month" nor "eating to many hamburger is no good for you". Come on, open your eyes : food business just wants to sell food, and does not care about our health. Same problem with cigarettes.

[Valentin]

The problem with MacDo's, just as with Coca Cola and others alike, is that they're pretty addictive. Bring a child to MacDonalds' and he'll always want to come back for more. I witnessed happy sunday celebrations where children were brought to MacDonalds' (instead of, say, a theme park).

As to reactionary thoughts, there are many more going that way, like babies are more and more in babysitters' care because of mothers want for a career, teenagers lack education for the same reasons, families are disrupted and marriages unstable because women assert their independence while men become complacent in a partner (instead of a more responsible kind of) role.
Then there are those speaking about this obsolete notion of family and so on.

Oh well. Des grands débats de société, comme disent les français.

[Robert Marchenoir]

What is reactionary about women cooking?

[Sarah]

I agree, Maggie. Burger bars are very useful for an occasional treat, or when the cupboard looks unappealing. As with everything, moderation is the key.

[San Ying]

All the French government is doing are well-intentioned and good. But they forgot the most important thing:Children must be taught to enjoy food by eating slowly, chewing food well, and Stopping before 80% full!
And before teaching the children, adults should practise those golden rules at every meal!
The above golden rules applies to all other countries as well!

[Mary Chin]

The article I read was about a year or so ago, but I believe it was in Le Nouvel Observateur. However, it was not the only time or place where this topic was discussed.

And as for women cooking, I am a great cook myself. But women AND men having a better knowledge of how to put together a healthy, interesting meal is a better, long term solution, in my opinion.

[Maggie]

Dominique, Yes of course McDonalds are there to sell their wares & yes children do like to go there , but surely parents should apply the obvious rule which is their duty, just say NO.
Stop blaming the kids, when it could be said it is lazy parents that decide to feed their children hamburgers & chips, too often.

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

If the Camembert made from pure milk is banned, then the next step will be the disappearance of goat cheese, also made from natural milk.I knew a young man who spent seven years before he showed a profit, his wife working in the Lycee to support the business. His tiny "factory" is immaculately clean, with stainless steel and white tile, and is visted regularly by inspectors. He has won gold medals in Paris for his produce. If they get away with banning true Camembert, it's "chevre" next and then the avalanche will start.

[Dominique]

Maggie : "Stop blaming the kids, when it could be said it is lazy parents". What about the reponsibility of the one who sells? Is it aloud to poison people? Why did we forbid the abesto? You can surely live with "a little absto" aroud. You surely can't if you breaze only that. Same with fat.

[Dominique]

Maggie : "Stop blaming the kids, when it could be said it is lazy parents". What about the reponsibility of the one who sells? Is it aloud to poison people? Why did we forbid the abesto? You can surely live with "a little absto" aroud. You surely can't if you breaze only that. Same with fat.

[Maggie]

Dominique,
There is no comparison with Asbestos, simply because the dangers were unknown at the time of usage. Unlike the known facts on healthy eating. Do you want alcohol banned because there are alcoholics ? do you want sweets, chocolate, salt etc, banned or controlled too. ?
The whole point is this, we should have choice, it's the responsibilty of the individual or with children , the parent.
Many French dishes contain MORE fat than a burger, the French Quiche, to name just one.

[Dominique]

Maggie: you are missing one point : reponsibility is SHARED and is never one way. Commercials for alcool is forbidden in France and i think it is right. I do not want to "forbid" or close all McDo. I also know that most of "French dishes contain MORE fat than a burger", but responsibility teaches us that we should not eat "foi gras" (to name the worst) at every meal. I just don't get your message. Shouldn't adults tell the children about good food and bad food? McDo is run by adults as far as i am aware, and i do not see any reason why they should be allowed to cheat our children. That's always the same economics versus moral thing. Economics is not above moral and those who sell are partially responsible for what people do with what they sold to them. This is the reason we do not sell guns is supermarkets.

[Valentin]

"This is the reason we do not sell guns is supermarkets."

Of course, and it's a bit hypocritical to debate so about smoking (or car speed limits for that matter), when we can simply forbid car makers to produce cars going over 100 kmph, and stop tobacco production altogether. This is not about personal liberties or freedom of choice but about habits that are dangerous to oneself and to society.
There is no doubt as to the dangers posed by fast cars or smoking, or about how much car accidents or lung cancer cost the society - and these are known data, not statistics. Why allow them, then, and waste time in pointless debates.
As to the food, it may seem more difficult, but I suspect it is not really. Excess of sugar, salt, fats are obvious subjects for strict regulation.

[Valentin]

To go even further, it's as hypocritical to allow the ad industry push so much on the sex side of things, with no restrictions whatsoever - on the contrary, it's more and more hip to show off nudity, regardless of the effect on children, for instance.

In fact sometimes I wonder whether fanatic islamists are really wrong with their "corrupt western society" slogans.

[Véronique]

Today, cheap, calorie dense food is more abundant than ever before in the history of mankind.

The issue is not "fat" but rather, good fats (natural ones like butter, cheese and yes, foie gras) vs. bad fats (adulterated trans-fats), salts and cheap, high fructose sugars. All of these end up in calorie dense, low nutrient foods that are very addictive. Add that to the fact that the human species has the primitive capacity to very efficiently store fat due to our pre-historic genetic code of the hunter-gatherers, people who typically enjoyed feast or suffered famine—we have a big problem!

Prior to the advent of fast foods, sugary drinks and "imitation" everything from cheeses to fats in so-called foods, there was no obesity epidemic. People of course did more physical work years ago. However, even during the industrial revolution and beyond there were plenty of office and factory workers who were "sedentary" yet, it was an anomaly to see a really fat person.

As for Valentin's statement regarding the Islamist claim of "corrupt Western societies," please know that Muslims in particular Arabs have just as many problems with obesity as do westerners. Indeed, the obesity epidemic has hit everywhere from sub-Saharan Africa to China to Russia and beyond. It seems "everyone" is choosing the bad, western manufactured foods and getting addicted to them.

While we must all take personal responsibility for the human condition, there is plenty of blame to go around. The food manufacturers are producing toxic products that are addictive and ultimately give people serious health problems from Type II diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, etc. to just plain looking disgusting and not being able to do much of anything.

It will take time, but, with laws and personal responsibility humanity may just end up with real food once again. The "Slow Food" http://www.slowfood.com/ movement is growing.

Véronique

[Egallifrey]

So what are the foods that will be labelled? Surely not all those tasty French foods that are practically pure fat? Or croissants? Nope, much more likely to be burgers......... another stab at MacDo and ignoring the real problems of a sedentary lifestyle and the freer and freer availability of cheap, high fat food that is no longer the luxury it previously was.