Vrai ou Faux: "French women never get fat"

There are many cultural myths that exist throughout the world today. "French men are the best lovers", "hot Russian women are spies", and my personal favorite: "Black men are hung like horses". Myths of this type have often begun as seedlings of personal experience nurtured into generalities (as in the latter example). I remember seeing a report on 60 Minutes years ago about the stunning lack of heart disease in France - considering all the consumption of cheese, butter, and cigarettes that is at the core of french culture. Scientists were just beginning to study this phenomenon, one hypothesis being that red wine was acting as a counterbalance to the high cholesterol in their beloved frommage. Yet, when I arrived in France three years ago and settled in, I noticed publicité around town regarding the issue of heart disease in France. It seems 1 in 3 french citizens will die from this malade, and we Americans were believing just the opposite! The myth that french women don't get fat may be fun to perpetuate, but the real truth is this: obesity is on the rise in France. The reasons are many, a mélange of the introduction of processed foods in to the french diet, (bread, pasta, and potato consumption is down, while processed pastry desserts and high fat quick meals are up). Depression is cited as a cause, which runs high here. I have noticed adults smoke less, which could also be a factor. Personally, I blame the craving for American style junk food for the current trend, in 2008 KFC infiltrated Paris (which can only add to the problem), and I have seen parisians line up outside the door for a Big Mac! It's easy to see the difference in the french silhouette since I first came here as a tourist in 1998. As they absorb American culture into their psyche, blue jeans, hip hop style, McDonalds and Pizza Hut, the french are also beginning to sport muffin tops and pop Lipitor. It's a slow and steady gain; according to researchers the number of overweight people in France has risen 6% in 12 years. So, the answer to the question "True or False, French women never get fat" is this: False! Thank you for participating in the poll. I have pretty savvy readers, 62% of you voted "false", while 37% bought the myth and voted "true".