The Fat Fallacy

As an American who loves France, I find it interesting that we were partners in the genius and genesis of freedom in the western world, and have consistently fought side by side in times of trouble. And yet, like brothers a bit too close in age andattitude, we wrestle with our ongoing relationship. Our ongoing confusions come in part from our different cultural biases. A perfect example? The fact that we label French dietary successes in health and weight as a “Paradox.”   My own assumptions about the French diet cleared up after being awarded the Chateaubriand Fellowship to work as a neuroscientist at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences in Lyon for 2 years. My family and I were surprised by many things, but not by the food. We expected sumptuous, delicious dishes and were not disappointed.   But our American dietary training told us that they should all be gigantic and heart-diseased! They eat butter – not margarine; eggs – not egg substitute out of a plastic carton; milk – not low fat/no fat, low taste/no taste products; and real cheese – nothing out of an aerosol spray can.   Compare this to our American belief that only suffering can earn one dietary salvation. Food, for us, has always been the “bad guy” we must endure. Only then, we believe, can we be thin and healthy. American nutritionists tell you to give up your fresh breads, and others swear that you should never have another piece of cheese! Most of our doctors will advise an aspirin to thin your blood, but not a glass of wine.   It took no time at all to see that all our assumptions about health and weight were just flat wrong. In fact, when we returned home after two wonderful years of this giddy culinary seduction, everyone – except the cats – had lost a considerable amount of weight.   “What about all that cholesterol?!” my friends preached from the dietary pulpit. But my doctor informed me that my cholesterol levels put me at an unusually low risk of heart disease, despite my dangerous love affair with French cheese, daily wine, chocolate, and that unique blending of dietary uncertainties, the buttery croissant.   For this reason, I wrote The Fat Fallacy as a common sense antidote to our carnival of dietary theories. Here, French cultural habits are applied to even our fast-paced American Lifestyle. And Americans have embraced The Fat Fallacy by taking more time with their meals, loving their food again, and losing weight in the delicious process. Most are stunned, frankly, that the sensual pleasure of food is consistent with good health and low weight.  The best part is that it’s not a theory at all, but the simple observations of another set of traditions. Thus, you know it works! You know it works because an entire culture has been practicing these traditions that have produced an obesity rate around 10%, heart disease rates 3 times lower than ours, and longer lives than American men and women. It works for them and we are now finding that it works for us just as well. The message is as plain as it is powerful. Do what they do, and you get their delicious results. The only thing standing between you and a thinner, healthier form are the sumptuous foods and habits of the French, who’ve already worked out the details for us through the patient distillation of centuries.   To purchase a copy, visit The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets…