1) The document discusses differences between Americans and the French in their attitudes towards food, health, and risk. Americans tend to focus more on risks of food and health information, while the French prioritize pleasure and moderation. 2) Portion sizes, food environments, and social norms around eating differ between the two cultures. The French tend to have smaller portions, fewer choices, and view food as more for social functions versus individual needs. 3) These cultural differences may contribute to better health outcomes for the French, such as lower rates of obesity and heart disease compared to Americans. The document suggests Americans could learn from the French approach of focusing on quality over quantity and moderation.

1. Food: Fun? Frightening? Fundamental Paul Rozin University of Pennsylvania NRA, July 10, 2008

3. The risks of eating Frightening

5. corn

6. The risks of NOT eating Fundamental

7. What is food and what is it for Nutrition Health Social functions (Pleasure)

10. Innate liking for sweet taste and fatty texture

11. Sympathetic Magical Thinking Law of similarity: Image = Object General across many animal species

19. A diet totally free of salt is healthier than a diet of the same number of calories that includes a pinch of salt every day

20. A pint of cottage cheese has more calories than one teaspoon of ice cream.

23. Medical research Food industry Govern- ment Media Public Non government Organizations (NGOs)

25. Specifying that natural and commerical are chemically identical has very little effect on preference

27. natural spring water with no minerals a, b and c are significantly different in each column 82.9 b 62.4 c Remove same minerals 85.7 b 68.8 b Add .1% minerals from other spring water 90.8 a 92.3 a Spring water with no minerals Mean acceptable (0-100) Mean Natural (0-100)

28. Process vs Content: survey results from representative Americans % reduction in natural: 100 point scale 54% Wild with one gene insert 54% Pig with one gene insert 41% Commercial Strawberry 15% Cocker spaniel 12% Organic Strawberry 12% German shepherd Wild strawberry Wolf

30. Negativity dominance and “unnatural” additives

33. The combination of health and beauty norms

39. Life expectancy at birth UN Demographic Yearbook (1993 75.1 WGermany 16 76.9 Spain 8 75.4 USA 15 77.0 France 7 75.8 Belgium 14 77.2 Norway, Netherlands 5/6 76.1 Austria 13 77.4 Australia 4 76.2 U. K. 12 77.8 Switzerland 3 76.4 Canada 11 78.1 Sweden 2 76.8 Israel,Italy 9/10 79.2 Japan 1 years country rank years country u

41. Age-standardized annual mortality from CHD and related risk factors (males 35-64) WHO/MONICA Renaud & de Logeril, 1992 209 182 Stanford, USA 252 105 Lille, France 230 78 Toulouse, France Serum chol- esterol (mg/dl) Mortality / 100,000 Location

43. Percent of subjects preferring luxury hotel to gourmet hotel at the same price 71% 83% USA 8% 13% France Male students Female students

44. Percent of subjects saying “unhealthy” for choice: Heavy cream: whipped or unhealthy 48% 67% USA 23% 28% France Male students Female students

45. Percent of subjects agreeing that they eat a “healthy diet” 38% 28% USA 72% 76% France Males Females

46. Metaphor: Food and the body are like: Representative national samples Fischler, Rozin et al., 2004 10 32 Temple 26 43 Car or factory 66 26 Tree France USA

48. The food environment

49. Restaurant portion size Rozin, P., Kabnick, K., Pete, E., Fischler, C., & Shields, C. (2003). The ecology of eating: Part of the French paradox results from lower food intake in French than Americans, because of smaller portion sizes. Psychological Science, 14 , 450-454.

50. Supermarket food portions

52. Supermarket non-food portions

53. Social norms and eating

56. Preference for multiple varieties: Prefer choice of 10 or 50 ice cream flavors 44 USA 68 France % prefer 10

57. At a good restaurant, I expect a small number of choices 64 USA 92 France % expect small number

60. END