Women in other countries are healthier, and now, we know their secrets! Photo: Cavan Images, Flickr

We get a bad rap here in America, and with some of our unhealthy habits, it's at least somewhat well-deserved. Our portions are big, we drive everywhere and most of us do lots of things that don't help our waistlines (or our overall health).

Women's Health magazine took a look at some of the healthy things women in other countries do and came up with great, easy ways for us to incorporate some of those habits into our lives. No, we're probably not all going to suddenly become faux-Norwegians, eating vegetable soup with a bit of fresh fish for the majority of our meals or walking for our main mode of transportation. (There's a reason Norway is approximately 20 years behind the States on the obesity curve.)

But, taking a few tips from foreign lands could make a big difference.

French women don't get fat, that much we know. In fact, 5 percent of French women are actually underweight. But they're far more likely than women in other European countries to worry about that number on the scale.

In fact, a study out of France's National Institute of Demographics says women in countries like Belgium, Spain and Portugal are more likely to be overweight. But interestingly, those same women are more likely to perceive themselves as thin.

In short: You might be overweight by BMI standards, but it's comparing yourself to your girlfriends that makes you feel fat or thin. "If a French person who feels fat were to go to the United States, he probably wouldn't feel fat any more," study author Thibaut de Saint Pol told AFP in an interview. He thinks that French women are under enormous pressure by French men to be thin. Unlike other European countries, French men fall solidly in the "normal" (and not overweight) category, on average.

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We all know by now that French women don't get fat. And it seems the French government is interested in keeping it that way, what with proposed taxes on junk food and laws against images depicting too-thin models. Now the French are taking their message of health to the media and running 'healthy living' ads on TV and radio stations across the nation, as well as in print. Kind of like this one on Fitsugar, which reads 'For your health, eat at least five fruits and veggies a day.'

I think if introduced in North America, these ads would be a refreshing break from all the pizza and fast foods commercials we are bombarded with on such a regular basis. But would they work? What do you think?

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Maggie told us on April 11 that France lawmakers were considering a ban on the promotion of ultra skinniness. Well, they considered it. They pursued it. And yesterday, they passed a groundbreaking bill that would make it illegal for anyone, including advertisers, fashion magazines, and web sites, to publicly incite extreme thinness. The bill goes to the Senate in the next few weeks.

If passed, this law would be the strongest of its kind anywhere. It's getting some strong support. Some say encouraging severe weight loss, which can lead to eating disorders -- and contributed to the 2006 death of one Brazilian model -- should be punishable by law. It's also being met with strong opposition. Those involved with French couture don't like that boundaries may be placed on beauty standards.

Regardless of the outcome of this bill, French lawmakers and fashion industry leaders did sign last week a non-binding charter to promote healthier body images. A step in the right direction. But is it enough?

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Last Wednesday, French fashion houses, advertising firms, and media houses banded together to declare super-skinny models out of style. With the support of the Minister of Health, they signed an agreement to stop using models whose appearance could contribute to an unhealthy body image for girls. The agreement doesn't exactly restrict the use of too-thin models, but it's a show of good faith.

France's National Assembly is also reviewing a project that could make the promotion of unhealthy body images punishable by law.

Young girls in particular are susceptible to low self-esteem and a flawed body image. The number of pro-anorexia web sites on the Internet is proof that body image is an ever increasing concern. It's high time we all learn to love ourselves a little more -- bumps and flaws included. Fitness and nutrition is for health and wellness -- super-skinny may look good in pair of size 0 jeans but it's far from healthy.

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That's pretty much what the mayor of a town in France told the locals after the neighboring town's council refused to let them buy adjoining land to expand their crowded cemetery. Apparently needing more room to bury people isn't a a good enough reason to expand, it "isn't justified."

What?!?

Anyway, as a result of this frustration the residents were told they are "forbidden from dying" and are being threatened with "severe punishment" if they die anyway.

Ha! As if dying isn't bad enough.

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A British friend of mine is always quick to point at America as being the nation spearheading the recent obesity crisis -- to him, most Americans live on little more than junk food. But if he wants to see an example of a gluttonous, junk-food-obsessed country, he needn't look further than his own home, according to this article from The Daily Mail.

According to research, 45% of Britons are addicted to junk food, compared with 44% of Americans and 35% of those from the United Arab Emirates (Emiritians?) The healthiest eaters? The French, not surprisingly.

Perhaps it's time we all picked up a copy of Why French Women Don't Get Fat?

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Those smokers who think eliminating smoking in public places withing the U.S. is more akin to democratic rights trampling more than public health, listen up. Our friends in France are going down the same road. That is, banning smoking in public places.

As of New Year's day, smoking in most public places in France is now against the law. Again, health freedom against the inhaling of toxic second hand smoke wins the day.

Smoking bans are not just happening in the U.S. -- far from it. World health officials realize that the fumes from smoking are killing millions of non-smokers globally every year. That's the reason for the ban, as opposed to finding ways to limit one's personal freedom. Agree or disagree?

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The world is a big place and it seems like we get news items and magazine articles all the time about which nations are the healthiest or most-fulfilled. If you've ever wondered about how people in different locations around the globe stay fit and happy, this piece is pretty fun and interesting.

It includes tips and secrets from people as near and far as Florida, Mexico, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, England and France on how to maintain a healthy mind and body. I don't imagine these people are experts or anything but sometimes it's nice to take advice from people based on personal experience.

Some of the secrets doled out include doing a water fast once every couple of weeks (Japan), get ting outside and walking as much as possible (Ireland) and breathing to lower stress (South Africa). If you're interested in all of the tips and the perceived benefits then read the piece in full.

Have you got any health or wellness tips you can share?

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In the morning, French President Nicolas Sarkozy did what many people in America do every morning. He pulled on his favourite NYPD t-shirt, laced up his running shoes and went for a jog. Sounds pretty mundane, huh? But it's sparked a lot of reaction, both in Europe and across the pond -- because not only is jogging too conservative and American, it's bad taste to be photographed with your knees exposed.

A British Politician has this to say: "The Sarkozy jog, say his critics, is a sad imitation of the habits of American presidents ... as bad as the influx of Hollywood movies ... The very act of forcing yourself to go for a run, every morning, is a highly conservative business. "

And from another source: "No decent conservative would dream of jogging. It's a vulgar, untraditional form of self-advertisement that might frighten the horses. What's wrong with croquet?"

Huh? Am I missing something here? Maybe jogging isn't a political statement -- did anyone consider that Sarkozy might simply be trying to get healthy?

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Whether the French really do or don't "get fat," this article outlining the secrets of the French diet is brimming with great tips, not only for weight loss but for living a healthier life in general.

For instance, did you know that a carton of yogurt in the United States is 82% larger than one found in Paris? Even our candy bars are bigger. Portions in the U.S. are growing larger all the time, and have us busting out of our seams. That's not to say, however, that the French don't enjoy their food; full fat cheeses, wine, five course meals, even a bit of chocolate for desert...they really do have it all, they just eat less of it.

Some other tips include adding as many fresh, whole foods to your diet as possible, eating together as a family, learning to slow down and enjoy the flavor of your meal, and adding more enjoyable activity to your day. Try this on for size: the next time you fill your plate, give yourself half as much as you usually would and plan on going back for seconds. Chances are, you'll be full, but if you aren't, you can go ahead and have that second helping without the guilt. There's plenty more where that came from, so click on over and read the rest of the tips, then come back and tell us what you think!

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Though recent book titles -- such as the popular French Women Don't Get Fat -- would have us believe that the French have properly taught themselves how to savor and eat rich foods without overdoing, a new requirement placed upon makers of processed snacks and fast foods tells a different story.

French Health Ministry officials are requiring advertisers, under threat of a fine, to add a disclaimer type statement to all of their TV, radio, billboard, and Internet ads for fast foods and processed snack foods. The warnings will say things like, "For your health, avoid eating too much fat, too much sugar, too much salt." The tactic is a new one for the cuisine-savvy country, but concerns over childhood obesity and a heavy influx of these kinds of foods into the country have experts concerned.

Some say the warnings are too lightweight and will be disregarded, but French officials hope the statements will help youth think before making unhealthy food choices. What do you think?

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