There have been a lot of books written over the years as to why French woman don't get fat and the only truthful thing said in or about these tomes is that they made a lot of money. (Hmm, perhaps I should stop now and do the same?!) There is only one reason why French women are thin and that is because they don't eat a lot.

That's all. Not because of The Mediterranean Diet / Lifestyle or because eating duck fat is healthy or any other such nonsense. I mean, who came up with the notion that eating duck fat is healthy anyway? Fantastic to eat and cook with, but healthy? Ah yes Watson, the duck board I presume.

No, they are thin because they eat fewer calories. That's it. Nada. Rien. Basta. Fini. I could end this article right now as that is basically all the information you need. But I will explain this truth a little further.

When confronted by a list of things they've eaten throughout the day, you may think “a 4-course meal often twice a day - wow, that's a lot!” People, listen up. Now ask them HOW MUCH of each of these items they have eaten.

- A small green salad sometimes with the hint of a dressing
- 2 tbsp of rice with a couple of slices of chicken breast (not a whole breast and no sauce please) and a floret or two of broccoli (again no butter or sauce)
- a sliver of cheese with a small slice of a French stick (baguette) (although eating the cheese without bread is also normal) (and French women most certainly don't eat cheese everyday)
- 1 small glass of wine or champagne (125ml maximum) (so not the whole bottle 'cos otherwise it would go flat...) and definitely not everyday
- 2 tbsp fromage blanc (0% fat goes without saying) and maybe a fruit
(fromage blanc is quark / smooth cottage cheese)

You too WILL be thin if you too eat so few calories, I GUARANTEE it. You will be hungry and miserable, but hey, if you speak with a French accent you might just feel a bit better!

We had dinner with friends recently and discussed this issue at length and came up with the perfect example of the difference between how the French eat and how the rest of us fatties eat. Although I must add that one of the other couples is as thin as the French non-eaters even though they eat – did I mention that they are now ex-friends?

This involves quantity (are you getting the drift here?!). Said (ex-)friends had prepared a leg of lamb on two occasions, once for themselves and one other English couple, and on a separate occasion for themselves and 6 French friends. On the first occasion, they ate the whole leg with not even enough left over for sandwiches. On the second occasion, there was more than enough left over for sandwiches for all...

This is neither a fairytale nor an exception, I promise. A different friend sells the classic Christmas Goose and she tells a similar tale. If she sells a goose to non-Frenchies, they think along the lines of 8 people per goose. The local French restaurant says it's 1 goose for 20 people... Guess who I'm having Christmas dinner with?

(Ex) Dr (Daft) Dukan, the French version of Dr Atkins is selling his dangerous protein diet as a way to be thin like apparently all French women are. Bollocks. I was recently in McDonalds (research reasons only of course...) and believe me, there weren't many thin people in there. Calories in, fat out. Mind you, there were lots of plump French women there laughing and enjoying themselves. Not a grain counting, lettuce nibbling, dry baguette crunching thin woman in sight.

And this (Ex) Dr Daft continues to say that if aspartame (the dangerous fake sugar in diet drinks) was bad, they wouldn't produce it...WHAT?!?! Land mines are bad and yes, they still get produced; nuclear weapons - what, they are now good? Come on, how can you write such nonsense?!

He continues with his unbelievable amount of idiocy and recommended that you get extra points for your BAC (A-levels in Britain, Matric in South Africa, High School Diploma in the USA) if you are thin. So we should have people unable to read or write but who are thin and have a diploma! Thank goodness he is no longer a Dr., but do keep those shares in Mondavi Dr Daft.

(PS: I am not disputing that his diet works as it does, for the short term, as do most diets. But the minute you stop, it all starts coming back. Have no false illusions.)

So folks, no false illusions here. No Get Thin Quick secrets here either. Feel free to go and have a big, non-125ml, glass of wine as consolation. If you want to be thin you have to eat fewer calories - sorry. And that, friends, is the secret as to why
French Women Are Thin.