to current serum cholesterol levels and patterns of fat consumption. They wrote, We propose that the difference is due to the time lag between increases in consumption of animal fat and serum cholesterol concentrations and the resulting increase in mortality from heart disease—similar to the recognised time lag between smoking and lung cancer. Consumption of animal fat and serum cholesterol concentrations increased only recently in France but did so decades ago in Britain. Evidence supports this explanation: mortality from heart disease across countries, including France, correlates strongly with levels of animal fat consumption and serum cholesterol in the past (30 years ago).... In addition, the French population has become increasingly overweight. A study published by the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) revealed an increase in obesity from 8.5% in 1997 to 14.5% in 2009, with women showing a greater tendency toward obesity than men. Impact Cultural impact The overall impact of the popular perception, in the English-speaking world, that the French paradox is a real phenomenon, has been to give added credibility to health claims associated with specific French dietary practices. This was seen most dramatically when, in 1991, an early account of the then-novel concept of the French paradox was aired in the United States on 60 Minutes. The broadcast left the impression that France's high levels of red wine consumption accounted for much of the country's lower incidence of cardiac disease. Within a year, the consumption of red wine in the United States had increased by 40% and some wine sellers began promoting their products as "health food." The cultural impact of the French paradox can be seen in the large number of book titles in the diet-and-health field which purport to give the reader access to the secrets behind the paradox: The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss (William Clower, 2003); The French Don't Diet Plan: 10 Simple Steps to Stay Thin for Life (William Clower, 2006) French Women Don't Get Fat (Mireille Guiliano, 2004, which became a #1 best-seller in 2006) Cholesterol and The French Paradox (Frank Cooper, 2009); The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook (Mireille Guiliano, 2010). Other books sought to boost their credibility by reference to the French paradox. The American edition of The Dukan Diet, written by Pierre Dukan, a Paris-based doctor, is marketed with the subtitle, “The real reason the French stay thin.” Scientific