AOL's Book Maven

One of the books I've promoted in the last month in the Books area is 'French Women Don't Get Fat' by Mireille Guiliano. Guiliano, a thin, chic femme d'un certain age, is the head of Veuve Clicquot USA -- she has garnered a lot of attention for this slim, entertaining volume in part because she reminds us that French women remain slim even while drinking Champagne (note to self: be sure that when head of famous firm to write book featuring star product front-and-center).

Guiliano's thesis -- that French women remain slender through portion control, eating a variety of interesting and well-prepared foods, and walking far more than their American counterparts -- isn't new; her personal approach is. She gained weight during a youthful sojourn in Newton, Massachusetts (and still seems obsessed with the fact that her father told her she looked like "a sack of potatoes" when she returned home) and lost it when her family's "Dr. Miracle" showed her how to return to the French path.

Without her baked-goods-induced time of trial, Guiliano might never have realized how different the American and French lifestyles are, and therefore one might argue that without her U.S. experiences, she never would have written this book. So please say your mercis now, Ms. Guiliano! The French women of my acquaintance (and I have several) would hardly think of firing up their ordinateurs (that's what they call computers, since sullying conversation with English cognates is a no-no) to write a book about their personal lives.

Part of that is due to pan-European, old-school reticence; most French women (and men) do not trumpet details of their habits and homes in public. But there's another aspect to this reserve that has to do with feminine mystery. In a recent review of Guiliano's book, novelist and frequent 'Vogue' magazine contributor Julia Reed touchedagain and again on the fact that French women keep their bodies trim for their husbands. We hear from Reed (and also from Guiliano, of course) how this enhances relationships, makes it easier to wear fine lingerie, and keeps a spouse proud.

Hmmmm. Here's another thing I know about French women from those of my acquaintance: their lives revolve around their husbands. While there is a long and proud tradition of French intellectual feminism, and no doubt there are plenty of French women who disdain the trappings of wifehood, there nevertheless remains in France a strong vein of traditional marriage. (Note to my readers: I'm not claiming that this does not exist in the States, even in blue ones -- just that it's more pervasive throughout French societal strata.)

Perhaps -- just perhaps -- French women don't get fat because they have a great deal invested in remaining married. And perhaps -- just perhaps -- American women, even those who choose to be traditional wives, feel less constrained by pleasing a man in this way.

Neither path is invalid. On the French side, there are beautiful clothes to be worn, excellent food (dark chocolate only, and no hard liquor), and a certain security. On the American side, there is great sportswear, Hershey's (and Scotch), and a certain freedom. Which would you choose? Tell me, if you like: bookmaven2005 at aol dot com (email is spelled out...you know the drill).

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• #2 Comment from alphawoman1 
  2/17/05 7:20 AM | Permalink

  I picked up this book several weeks ago.  Interesting read.  I traveled to Europe last year and noticed the lack of overweight people everywhere we wnet.  Could it be more than just trying to please a husband?  Since it applies to the male gender too.  I believe it is lifestyle, which includes a lot of walking and very very limited fast food.....
• #1 Comment from majbeck 
  2/15/05 10:15 AM | Permalink

  Alas, the poor french women who cannot bear to think that their husbands would be embarrassed by their gaining a kilo or two from indulging in something like pasta (non, arretez!), milk chocolate (mais, non!), or (sacre bleu!) whiskey.  
  French women do however get cheated on more than american women. They loose more in divorce and death settlements due to a insanely archaic legal system.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a lovely piece of french cheese and a bottle of sancerre, but if focusing my entire life around a scale and my husband's unasked-for opinion on my weight is going to make me "thin like a french woman..." well, I'll open a bottle of toasted head chardonnay, eat some cheddar,slide myself into my size 10 gap jeans and hit the mall.  Ms. Guiliano should have written a book titled, " I was smart enough to marry an American" and sent it off to the french public. They may be thin, but we by far, have better lives.  Quelle hubris from MS. Guiliano.
  I refuse to buy this book- or even take it out of the library- even though one of my best friends in the world has recommended it.