French excel at leisure

[Coventina]

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

PARIS —- The French are living up to their image, spending more time at table and in bed than many other nations, according to a survey released Monday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of the use of leisure time in 18 of its 30 member countries.

Norwegians spend the most time at leisure, just over a quarter of their day, while at the low end, Mexicans spend just 16 percent of their time having fun.

The French average nearly nine hours a day in bed and, despite their reputation for slimness, more than two hours a day eating and drinking —- nearly twice as much time at the table as Americans, Canadians or Mexicans. But Americans also like their sleep, spending some 8.5 hours a day in bed.

Despite the moderate amount of time Americans spend eating —- about 1 1/4 hours a day —- U.S. obesity rates are the highest in the OECD, with 34 percent of the U.S. population with a Body Mass Index over the critical 30 mark. The lowest obesity rates are in Korea, followed by Japan, with less than 4 percent of the population with a BMI over 30.



Read more: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/05/05/leisure.html

---

Vive la France!

[Javaman]

1. Hey!!! eating is hard work!!! nt

[ananda]

2. People who sleep more are less likely to gain weight.

I read that in an article somewhere
a few months ago.

Also, the French diet is considerably
different than ours.

[JI7]

13. what do the French eat that is different ?

[FrenchieCat]

16. Eat a Larger lunch and a smaller dinner, and smaller portions.....

and less take out.

Take longer to eat, and enjoy the ritual of the meal
as much as the meal itself.

[JI7]

17. so it's not the food itself as much as when and how you do it ?

[SoCalDem]

18. and Europeans eat "real" food.. That was the thing my son was amazed at

when he went to school in Florence.. people shopped EVERY day..and bought food for just that day.. He joked about how he would be RICH if he had Velveeta & bacon..(to sell to his american classmates).. he DID sell the Cookie Crisp cereal I sent him.. $1 a bowl:)..(I sent him a very big box.,..$87 postage....)

[corpseratemedia]

3. but isn't Norway infected with Sweden's socialist nightmare stuff?

How dare the French live with less stress!

Leisure time = communism:P

[demo dutch]

4. Americans spend moderate amount of time eating, but eat all the wrong foods

[smirkymonkey]

12. Also, stress and a fast paced live will tend to cause weight gain

as well. Your body secretes too much cortisol and tells your body to store fat. (fight or flight mode)

[onehandle]

5. Meals are a time for conversation and relaxation for the French.

They eat little. Drink a bit. Talk most and read some.

My wife and I were in Paris for over two weeks last year and had our meals as Parisians do.

Loved it. Want to live there.

[unpossibles]

6. exactly. We scarf down twice as much food in half the time

Not a healthy way to eat or live.

[EnoughOfThis]

11. Anecdotal Information Only

The French, unfortunately, have lower productivity and lower "Quality of Life", relative to the U.S......even if their life expectancy is slightly higher. This was after Sarkozy dropped the 35 hour work week in France....under huge protest.

While we bitch about differences between the U.S. and France, people in Africa and Central/South America have life expectancies that are unacceptable....why???? (one clue....it is not the U.S.) This is a problem and we need a response.

http://www.gaebler.com/Productivity-and-Vacation-Comparisons-by-Country.htm

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/

[JI7]

14. how is the French "quality of life" lower than U.S. ?

is that based on how much stuff we have ?

[YOY]

7. THey way we eat and the way they eat are two different things.

Slow and enjoying versus CLEAN YOUR PLATE!

[Forkboy]

8. LIke I need more reasons to like them.

:)

[2Design]

9. I love paris n/t

[izquierdista]

10. Oblivious

The article reads as though the 9 hours the French spend in bed are spent sleeping.

[Vidar]

15. The French excel at life. Tried to get back to Europe to live ...failed.

[ColbertWatcher]

19. And rioting. Don't forget the rioting. n/t