France - Government Ads Against Snacking !

Less fat, less sugar and less salt: Even the mostly svelte French are cracking down. Beginning last Thursday, the French government ordered food ads to carry cautions telling the French to stop snacking, exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables. Health officials fear the nation's youth face a growing risk of obesity. This from a nation where just slightly more than 9% of the 63.4 million citizens are obese and fewer than a third are overweight, according to government figures. In the United States, by comparison, one-third of adults are obese, about two-thirds are overweight. Several Mediterranean and Eastern European countries have similar statistics. The ad restrictions fly in the face of the image of the trim and cuisine-conscious French, perpetuated by books like Mireille Guiliano's best seller "French Women Don't Get Fat." The book argues that the French can eat croissants and foie gras without ballooning because they take time to savor flavors and eat judiciously. Apparently the French government is not buying the US bestselling theory!