full-fat versions without added sugar. Low incidence of snacks between meals. Avoidance of common American food items, such as soda, deep-fried foods, snack foods, and especially prepared foods which can typically make up a large percentage of the foods found in American grocery stores. Clower tends to downplay the common beliefs that wine consumption and smoking are greatly responsible for the French paradox. While a higher percentage of French people smoke, this is not greatly higher than the U.S. (35% in France vs. 25% in U.S.) and is unlikely to account for the weight difference between countries. Mireille Guiliano, author of the 2006 bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat, agrees that the weight differences are not due to French smoking habits. She points out that the smoking rates for women in France and the U.S. are virtually identical. Guiliano suggests that the key factors are: Smaller portion sizes: - she advocates the 50% rule, i.e. asking for half of whatever food one is offered, "la moitié, s'il vous plaît" in French Savoring food to increase the feeling of satisfaction, choosing a small amount of high quality food rather than larger amounts of low quality food Eating 3 meals a day and not snacking Taking in plenty of liquid such as water, herbal tea and soup Sitting down and eating mindfully (no multitasking and eating while standing up, watching TV, or reading) Emphasizing freshness, variety, balance, and, above all, pleasure Early life nutrition One proposed explanation of the French paradox regards possible effects (epigenetic or otherwise) of dietary improvements in the first months and years of life, exerted across multiple generations. Following defeat in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, the French government introduced an aggressive nutritional program providing high quality foods to pregnant women and young children with the aim of fortifying future generations of soldiers (the program was implemented about three decades prior to an analogous initiative in England in response to the Boer War). It has been suggested that the particular timing of this historical intervention might help explain the relatively low rates of obesity and heart disease found in France. See also References Citations Sources Perdue, W. Lewis, et al. the French Paradox and Beyond. Sonoma, CA: Renaissance, 1993. Further reading External links How To Live Forever The Economist 3 January 2008 Cardiovascular diseases Health paradoxes Wine Epidemiology Public health in France