French Fight Obesity -- With Cooking Classes

When it comes to obesity, telling people to eat healthier is one thing -- teaching them how to do it, however, is a completely different matter, and it's something that's crucial to changing their habits all year around. That's the idea behind an innovative program being introduced hospitals hospitals in France to fight the war against obesity -- they've added healthy cooking classes to the menu as a treatment for obesity.

But patients with obesity-related issues at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris are not only being taught how to cook, they're having their beliefs about food re-adjusted -- for instance, patients are taught that it's ok to sit down to a home-cooked meal with family and friends, but that they should avoid snacking and eating TV dinners. It's estimated that one in six French people are obese.

And as for the recipes the patients are learning, it's not all steamed veggies. The aim is to teach patients how to appreciate quality fresh food, so while the meals they prepare are mostly healthy, some 'bad' foods like cream and sugar are allowed in the kitchen in small quantities. "Our approach isn't to put France on a diet - we try to keep the variety, the pleasure and the conviviality, with high-quality products ," Dr Arnaud Basdevant, head of the nutrition department at the hospital, told the BBC. "When you really enjoy good quality food, it sounds strange but you tend to eat less."

What do you think? Would cooking classes work here or is it a waste of time? And if you're looking for something to eat tonight, let chef Curtis Stone help.