Cigarettes, Taxes and Thin French Women

July 24, 2005
Cigarettes, Taxes and Thin French Women
By DANIEL GROSS
Strange as it may sound at first, many economists and health care experts say they believe that the two trends may be related. Experts blame factors ranging from urban sprawl to junk-food-laden diets for the increase in the number of Americans who are obese - defined as having a body mass index of over 30.

But smoking, or the decline of smoking, may also play a role. Nicotine is a stimulant, which means that smokers burn calories faster. And it's an appetite suppressant, which means that smokers eat less. Consider "French Women Don't Get Fat," the best selling book. Some critics said that the real reason chic Parisian women stayed trim while gorging themselves on croissants was that they smoked more than their American counterparts.
I don't know about this theory. French women do smoke and are thin (super-sexy accents too), but what about all the fat americans that smoke too. The french have better food (just plain healthier) and have a higher quality of life(lower stress, vacation, active lifestyle, more sex) than americans. I'd say that's more to do with being thin.