France obesity advertising

France is experiencing an increased incidence of overweight and obesity just like almost every other country in the world.

Although no one knows the true cause of this increase, the working assumption is that everyone in the world is eating less healthy food and getting less physical activity.

This assumption is almost universally accepted even though there is almost no evidence to suggest it is true.

Sure, it makes some logical sense, but there is no data to support this contention.

However, that doesn’t prevent governments, communities and schools from implementing programs (often at great expense) to try to get people to eat healthier and be more physically active — with the single goal of weight loss.

I’m very supportive of eating healthier food due to all the health benefits of improved nutrition — and being more physically active due to all the physical and mental benefits of doing so. However, these behaviors should not be encouraged as a way to lose weight.

Why? Because these behaviors rarely lead to weight loss and, as a result, people often return to their unhealthy eating and sedentary lifestyle when they don’t lose any weight.

But, in desperation and due to the enormous pressures to do something about this “epidemic,” governments, communities and schools are adopting unproven strategies to get people to eat healthier and be more physically active.

France has done this recently by requiring these messages to be included in food advertising:
* “For your health, eat at least five fruits and vegetables per day”
* “For your health, undertake regular physical activity”
* “For your health, avoid eating too much fat, to much sugar, and too much salt”
* “For your health, avoid snacking between meals”

This might be OK advice (yet, not necessarily the BEST advice) but the real problem is that these messages are tied to weight management — a goal for which they will likely have little impact.

Allen Oelschlaeger
Author of Finally, the Straight Scoop About Weight, Nutrition, and Fitness