The Ecology of Eating: Smaller Portion Sizes in France Than in the United States Help Explain the French Paradox
Abstract
Part of the “French paradox” can be explained by the fact that the French eat less than Americans. We document that French portion sizes are smaller in comparable restaurants, in the sizes of individual portions of foods (but not other items) in supermarkets, in portions specified in cookbooks, and in the prominence of “all you can eat” restaurants in dining guides. We also present data, from observations at McDonald's, that the French take longer to eat than Americans. Our results suggest that in the domain of eating, and more generally, more attention should be paid to ecological factors, even though their mechanism of operation is transparent, and hence less revealing of fundamental psychological processes. Ironically, although the French eat less than Americans, they seem to eat for a longer period of time, and hence have more food experience. The French can have their cake and eat it as well.
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The individualistic character of American culture and its underlying philosophical system may explain the culture of worry about weight and negativity around food.
“As Rozin, Bauer, et al. (2003) and Rozin, Kabnick, et al. (2003) pointed out, the individualistic character of American culture and the philosophical system that underlies its society may explain the culture of worry about weight and negativity around food.”
From Food attitudes and well-being: The role of culture (2016) · cites this paper as Rozin, Kabnick et al. (2003)
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- Authors
- Rozin, P., Kabnick, K., Pete, E., Fischler, C., & Shields, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- CNRS, Paris, France
- Corresponding author
- Rozin, Paul
- ORCID
- Rozin, Paul
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2003-09
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 450-454
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- OpenAlex
- W2159645411
- Cited by
- 228
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 6.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (R21-DA 10858-0, R21DA010858)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food, Nutrition, and Cultural Practices
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Keywords
- portion size, dietary habits, French paradox, cross-cultural comparison, dietary intake, cookbooks, food experience, meal timing
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Energy Intake, Cholesterol, Coronary Disease, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Nutrition Surveys, Paris, Restaurants, Risk Factors, Social Environment, Philadelphia
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