The French health authorities, it would appear, are becoming concerned with the potential rise in childhood obesity levels and are introducing a warning system on food advertising.

The message is to be:  ‘Less fat, less sugar, less salt’.

So the idea that French people never get fat because they appreciate and savour their food is maybe a myth, or at least, a thing of the past.

I know in my experience of visiting France for the past 25 years, that the shops are now full of ready-made meals and the usual stuff that we buy here in Britain. I can remember when we couldn’t buy mince, we had to pick the steak and get the butcher to ‘hache’ it for us!

And in one year, France (Lot et Garonne anyway) cottoned on to roundabouts and McDonalds. We went home in the September and the next visit, Easter the following year, there were roundabouts and  associated McDonalds all over the place. I’m talking maybe 4 or 5 years ago.

And don’t get me started on Ikea!

Forget getting sentimental/maudlin about the loss of the local High Street and it’s individuality and uniqueness, we’re talking whole country’s here, disappearing into commercial sameness and uniformity. A national landscape, not shaped by geography but by commercialism.

This seems a long way from warnings on food advertisements, but I’m sure there is a connection somewhere!

It may be that the said Health authorities have taken a look at the state of the neighbouring British childrens’ health and decided to act before it has gone too far.

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In a bout of shameless self-publication, I would like to direct you to another blog that I have set-up, here at WordPress.

It is called Blog de la Bouffe and is, well, about food. As I quite openly admit, I am not a foody, by any stretch of the imagination, in fact I have a long standing love/hate relationship with food. I am becoming increasingly confused, bamboozled, fed-up with, paranoid and dissatisfied with the whole issue of food and eating. Especially now that there are children involved. This blog is an exploration of these feelings.

Please feel free to take a look. It’s fairly new and green but hopefully, there is something there for you. Don’t forget to leave comments too….it feels quite lonesome sometimes!!

Say hello to the Strawberry Family too!

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