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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When you think about the herb, thyme, what comes to mind? Probably rich, French country dishes, with so many calories and so much fat that it makes your hips bigger just thinking about it!

If you avoid cooking with this fragrant herb, though, you are missing out on thyme's amazing health benefits, like antioxidant power and antibacterial properties. Thyme is such a flavorful herb -- wouldn't it be nice to enjoy it in some healthy dishes?

Remember, you can substitute fresh thyme for dried in almost any recipe (just use a little less) to get more of the beneficial oils in the herb.

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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Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Alexandra Harris

Age: 51

Occupation: Life Coach

How often do you exercise? I eat seven days a week, and I exercise seven days a week!

What type of exercise do you do? Power walking, light weight training (for muscle tone), and yoga (for balance, flexibility, and occasionally turning my organs upside down). I think there's something really healthy about moving your organs around!

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Hey team! I just made one of my favorite "tastes really sinful but isn't" snacks and thought I'd share it with you. Cheese Fries are something I used to enjoy frequently while living in my former bigger body. Did they wreak havoc on my belly and butt back then? You betcha! Were they pretty darn tasty? You betcha! So, a while back I decided to use my moderate sized brain to create a version of them which wouldn't make my belly and butt so sad.

Have a looksy here at the recipe for my Low Fat Cheese Fries (page 33), give it a try and let me know what you think! I love great food, and have had great success substituting the fattening parts for equally tasty not so fattening parts. Enjoy!

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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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Recently, I've been hearing from a lot of girls I know about the book French Women Don't Get Fat. I haven't read it yet, but from what I've been told, the book basically says that you can eat whatever you want -- cheese, chocolate, wine, crusty bread -- and not get fat as long as you watch your portion control and eat these foods in moderation.

This common sense attitude has kept French women svelte while the size of people in other populations balloons. According to this though, even the French are starting to become victims of the obesity-epidemic sweeping many nations. A recent study on that nation's weight found that nearly half of the population (42%) either had a weight problem, were overweight or obese.

The number of obese French is still much lower than in North America but still obesity is on the rise in France. The problem isn't a traditional 'eat what you please, just don't go overboard' attitude, but an increase of people switching to a North American lifestyle. So if you still want to eat what you want don't lose heart, because you can as long as you keep the portions reasonable.

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I love potatoes, whether they are yellow, white or red. Add some fresh green beans and various spices (plus garlic) into fresh potatoes and you have a very healthy meal starter (if not a complete meal).

But don't think of potatoes as nutritious when eating french fries, obviously. Outside of that and other fried venues, potatoes have a great nutrient content and are really quite healthy. Ever try some slightly heated on the stovetop with Italian spices and olive oil? Mmm.

Want some potato facts? You'll love these, promise. A medium-sized potato has...

• only 160 calories
• almost 4 grams of fiber (when the skin is eaten)
• twice the potassium of a banana
• no fat
• about ½ day's worth of vitamin C
• 4 grams of protein

Cool, eh?

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People are either going to love the author interviewed in this article or they're going to hate her. Corinne Maier, a French mother of two, has written a book called No Kid: 40 Reasons Not to Have Children. From what the interviewer says about the book, it sounds as though Maier is pretty fierce and truly feels her life was better before kids. In the actual interview though, she seems slightly more humorous (albeit in a dark way).

Maier believes the French Government promotes the idea of family in that country in order to keep the economy running -- more kids equals more consumers to sell goods to after all, and also ups the amount of future earners contributing to the country's pension programs.

But Maier also has plenty of personal reasons not to have kids, 20 of which are listed in the piece. They include:

• You will lose touch with your friends.
• Your child will kill your desire.
• Children sound the death knell of the couple.
• You will be duped into thinking there is such a thing as a perfect child.
• You will be expected to be a mother before you are a professional or a woman.
• Children are dangerous. They will take you to court without a second thought.

Some of the reasons are harsh and some humorous, but I also think that some ring true. Possibly the most shocking thing about the book is that this woman, who lives in a society where having kids is often thought to be the only way a woman can really ever be fulfilled -- and in which those of us who haven't had or don't want children are viewed with pity or scorn -- is willing to admit that she regrets having children.

What do you think, is Maier selfish and crazy or courageous and honest?

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Water is the healthiest drink out there. But is there a way to make water even healthier? How about natural mineral water that is fortified with calcium and magnesium? It's called Contrex and the French, who are renowned for being healthier than us North Americans, have been drinking it for years, according to Fitsugar. Like regular water, it has zero calories but unlike water, it apparently has a taste that's all its own.

I'm not against making water healthier, but I can't say I'm sold. People with a healthy diet should be getting enough calcium and magnesium anyway, so this seems like a pretty blatant marketing ploy. What do you think? Have you tried Contrex?

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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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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz: I have two kids and I admit to going through the McDonald's drive through a few times a month out of convenience. Is that really such a bad thing? Angie

A. Hey Angie. Going through the McDonald's drive through a few times a month is certainly not a bad thing....if you order wisely. Grab the grilled chicken sandwich for each child and order some apple slices or a yogurt parfait to go with it. Two percent milk or water to drink.

Angie, the key to this whole 'raising healthy children' thing is to have standards. High standards. I assume you wouldn't put vinegar or catsup in your cars' gas tank, would you? Those items probably wouldn't do a whole lot of good for it. Have the same standards for the most precious people in your life. The greasy and sugary crap sold at the golden arches is just that. Crap! And, McDonald's offers healthy options now. You don't need to even consider nuggets and fries. Those items are not acceptable for your perfect little people.

Last year, my mother took my then 3 year old daughter, Ginger, out and bought her fries at McDonald's. Sure that one time didn't kill her, but now she knows the fries are there. So on the rare occasion we hit a Mickey D's, Ginger asks for some fries. I order a healthy meal, and let Ginger know that "I love her too much to put unhealthy fried food in her body". I follow that up with. "honey, if you'd like fries I'll bake you some at home". That way we both win. Go to McDonald's Angie, just educate your kids on the importance of healthy living and the ease in which it can be maintained. Fitz

Q. How's it going, Fitz? I've recently lost 43 pounds and surprisingly I lost a shoe size too. Is that normal? My wife thinks I'm imagining things. Reggie.

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Just wanted to spout out about something that really irritates me. I know a woman I'll call Nancy who was totally adamant that her baby only be nursed for the first year of his life. Formula was too "dangerous and unhealthy" for her. Nursing 100% is completely great with me, and just FYI ... I nursed both of my children for about a year as well. Mine were given formula here and there though and I truly felt it made no difference. To each her own, right?

Nancy nursing her son was terrific, but Nancy was also a big idiot about others who gave formula. A BIG IDIOT. Constantly putting down the formula, and baby food, and everything else. What drives me most crazy about this buffoon is that as soon as her boy turned one year old I caught her several times with a stroller tray full of Burger King cheeseburger bits and french fries!

Nursing is phenomenal. But don't go from strictly giving your kid the BEST food to the WORST food. What the heck is that all about? That first year of a child's life is crucial to development and counts so much. Nursing is not sustainable forever. What matters most are the habits you give them to grow on. Sustainable and realistic habits that will set them on course for a healthy childhood, followed by a long and vibrant life. Parents.Com has some great advice on pursuing this option.

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