Healthcare

Introduction Obesity in France, the French start to fight the F HIT Trade Fair Trade fairs for senior care and handicap Opportunities in the French Health sector Hopital Expo - Inter Medica 2008

Obesity in France

Some 11.3% of the French population are now classified as obese with the figure of 7% for children (under 12). In 1990, only 6% of the population were deemed obese. While this all seems most reasonable compared to the USA and the UK (see table), it horrifies the French.

A parliamentary report published earlier this year warned that France could match US levels of obesity by 2020 unless action was taken. The French have long been proud of their “French paradox” - their ability to eat more delicious food and drink more red wine than their European/US neighbours and yet have longer life expectancies and less cardio-vascular disease.

All this is changing rapidly as Frenchmen step into the 21st century. Nutritionists seem united that  traditional French eating habits are in fact healthier - the four-course meal leaves little room for extra snacking.

In July 2004, the French Parliament voted to ban up to 8,000 vending machines in public schools that offered soft drinks, sweets and snacks. Some 40% of public schools have installed vending machines for school snacks. While recognising the need to curb child obesity, some schools criticised the ban as the machines are a solid source of income. In the UK, vending machines contribute over £10M each year to school budgets.

Food manufacturers were more vocal in their defence of the school vending machine. Their protests were silenced however when the Parliament started warning them about possibly levying special “anti-obesity” taxes if they failed to include health warnings on high-caloric snack food. No one has yet pointed out the obvious recipe for maintaining the “French paradox”: fill the vending machines with baguettes, cheese and red wine.