Les Gros Francais

‘AND now for some really good news - the French are getting fatter.

The French synchronised swimming squad

The average French person has gained two pounds in the past three years and almost four pounds since 1997.

So, they’re not a nation of porkers yet, but at least they’re moving in the right direction at last.

For years, adults in the developed world have been getting fatter. Some, like the Americans, are now so fat they are all about to burst.

But throughout it all, the French have always managed to stay slim and trim - and have been only too happy to look down their Gallic noses at us as a result.

However, the Independent reports that a new study confirms that almost 10% of the French population is obese and, if the trend continues, by 2020 that will rise to 20% - the same proportion as predicted in the United States.

Of course, the two countries have slightly different definitions of obese.

In France, it is a slight movement upwards on the bathroom scales; in the United States it is a large movement downwards on a roadside weighbridge. ‘

Posted: 19th, June 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink