One would think, given the legend of French women, that there is no such things as a fat French woman. The average Parisian, for example, manages to keep her weight within a few ounces of her optimal size for several reasons. One, they don’t have a lot of closet space, so she can’t manage an expanding wardrobe that many American women enjoy. If she can’t fit into her clothes, she takes whatever steps necessary to return to that size.
This sets the bar for Parisian Woman. They are slender, chic, well-dressed, and successful. According to an art gallery director in Paris, “C’est simple. Chic plus mince eqale succes.”
Meaning: It’s simple. Chic and slim equals success.
It would appear that if you are fat in Paris, you don’t get the jobs. This might explain why the only women seen in most public venues are slender, they fit the mold. It would appear that only the women who are self-employed can overcome the intrinsic bias against a heavy woman.
The heavy woman in Paris cannot find clothing to fit her. She cannot find a job unless she makes one herself. And the dieting industry in France is easily as profitable as it is in America. There appears to be a greater pressure on French women to maintain a certain body habitus than in America.
In fact, in France, “fat” is considered a dirty word.
They manage their weight the way we are told to manage ours. A sensible, balanced diet. Fresh product. Regular meals. Daily walking. Everything in moderation.
But it would appear that while most women in France do follow those recommendations, it would appear that to stay as svelte and as thin as Twiggy, most French women need to starve themselves.
It would appear that for them a meal consists of steamed vegetables and a cup of tea. So unless they adopt this as a lifestyle, they do grow fat.
But in France, to be fat is considered to be a failure. To be stupid. Bovine. Ugly. A loser.
It would appear that while France seems to have come very far in terms of progression of women in politics and work equality, their apparent confidence is overshadowed by their increasing obsession with weight.
To be slender in France is to be considered a success. But at what cost?
The obesity epidemic found in other parts of the Western world can’t be considered successful. Yet, heavy women outside of France do remark about a greater feeling of overall satisfaction with their life.
What, then, is the answer?
