Too often, American Women eat on the sly, and the result is much more guilt than pleasure. The tendency goes with an attitude that should be changed. Nothing is sinfully delicious. If you really enjoy something, as I adore chocolate, there is a place for it in your life. But we cannot allow guilt-ridden scarfing.
-Mireille Guiliano, French Women Don’t Get Fat
Don’t let the title fool you-French Women Don’t Get Fat is not a diet guide book. Nor is it a French woman holding over our American heads how the French are genetically or gastronomically superior. This book is a celebration of food and wine, of pleasure, of a woman knowing herself. Guiliano shares her story of experiencing the American way of eating as an exchange student in Massachusetts. She returns to France a hefty 25 pounds heavier. Step-by-step, she explains how she lost the weight, and how American women can modify their way of eating while feeling completely satisfied. As anyone on Weight Watchers can tell you, most of it involves portion control. However, Weight Watchers is missing a crucial element: learning how to truly savor your food. As a foodie I would like to believe that I savor food well, but even I learned a few tricks to savor from this book.
The most important distinction that Guiliano makes between French and American women’s eating ideology is simple: the difference between pleasurable eating and guilty eating. Why do American women feel guilty about eating something they enjoy? Is it the media? Is it a residual puritanical denial? Is it a lack of cultural table rituals? I believe it is a little bit of everything. However, advertistments are what fire most directly at a woman’s body image. For instance, a recent NYC ad that has caused public outrage:
*Photo from Gothamist
There really isn’t an advertisement out there that represents the American paradox so perfectly. A message that reads “you can never be too thin” that advertises snack pretzels. It represents a woman’s desire to be thin, while piquing an appetite that she must suppress. This ad essentially promotes anorexia. Yes, perhaps the Snack Factory is referring to the pretzel crisps. Yes, maybe some people are taking this ad too literally. However, the direction of the message-“YOU”-is the thing that is causing an outrage. They could have said “pretzels.” They could have said “chips”. But take away the images in this advertisement-the context-and what you have is the message that many ads convey, if only indirectly.
Anyway, back to French Women Don’t Get Fat. If there is any way to ward off the body image beast, it is best described in this book. It is a joyous celebration of food, wine, life, and being a woman. It is okay to indulge and eat pleasurably, as long as you’re smart about it. And being hungry has nothing to do with it.
Contentment…is something you make for yourself. It’s the essence of l’art de vivre (the art of living), which is how we French pursue joie de vivre (the joy of living).
-Mireille Guiliano, French Women Don’t Get Fat
Another great read about food and body issues: Unbearable Weight by Susan Bordo, the book that inspired me to start this blog.
