For years, weight loss experts have pointed out the "French paradox". The French dine on some of the richest foods in the world, yet the population as a whole is slim.
In the last few years, one of the most popular theories has been that most of the day’s food intake happens early, with meals becoming smaller as the day progresses.
Still, considering typical French fare -- croissants, brie, pastries – it’s quite astonishing to see the statistic that just 7 percent of French adults are obese.
The explanation? Size does matter: Recent research says the paradox can be attributed – at least in part – to serving sizes.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and CNRS in Paris came to this conclusion when they compared the size of restaurant meals, single-serving foods and recipe portions on both sides of the Atlantic.
"The French paradox is only a paradox if one assumes that dietary fat is the major cause of obesity and cardiovascular disease," said Paul Rozin, professor of psychology at Penn and lead author of the study, which was published in the September 2003 issue of the Journal of Psychological Science.
"However, recent studies suggest that the importance of fat intake as a risk factor has been greatly exaggerated. While the French eat more fat than Americans, they probably eat slightly fewer calories, which when compounded over years can amount to substantial differences in weight."
When comparing portions in Parisian fast-food outlets, pizzerias, ice cream parlors and a variety of ethnic restaurants to the same types of eateries in Philadelphia, the mean American serving size was 25 percent larger than the French.
Even more staggering is the comparison between Chinese restaurants. Philadelphia's meals were on average 72 percent larger than those served by Chinese restaurants in Paris!
The researchers also found substantial differences between servings of supermarket foods like candy bars and yogurt.
"Many studies have shown that, if food is moderately palatable, people tend to consume what is put in front of them and generally consume more when offered more food," Rozin said.
"Much discussion of the 'obesity epidemic' in the U.S. has focused on personal willpower, but our study shows that the environment also plays an important role and that people may be satisfied even if served less than they would normally eat."
Original Publication Date: August 30, 2003
Last Updated: November 7, 2005
