The Skinny on French Thin

So we always hear about how skinny the French are, that they must have some type of eating disorder to be able to keep up their sleek appearance. But from my experience, I gathered that the French aren't necessarily stick thin, they just aren't fat; and living with a host family allowed me to quickly realize why that is. The French stick to three meals a day: light breakfast, heavier lunch, light dinner, and no snacking. But I think one of the main factors which contributes to such healthy physiques is their ability to eat smaller portions. It came as quite a shock on my first night, when dinner consisted of an endive salad, spoonful of diced potatoes, and a slice of ham. No seconds. They eat a lot of dairy which is higher in fat content, but again they don't "stuff" themselves. I had a friend who once said, "The French don't eat, they taste." By this he meant that they will sample a variety of foods at a meal, but never in large amounts. So I just wanted to dispel the common misconception that all French women are stickly size zeros, and establish that they are mostly healthy sizes, for good reason.