A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to catch author Michael Pollan on his New Jersey stop of his current speaking tour. Most people haven’t heard of Pollan, but he’s an incredibly popular and successful author, professor, and food activist. In addition to writing for popular newspapers and magazines, giving inspiring TED talks, and lecturing at the University of California, Berkeley, Pollan has penned seven books to date. If I had to summarize his philosophy into one long, run-on sentence, it would be this: He describes the modern industrial food system that has become a cornerstone of human life, he explains how this system evolved and why it is unsustainable, and he aims to educate us all on a different way of living and a better way of eating.
The Rutgers Gymnasium was packed with about 1,500 guests, two-thirds of which were students. There was much anticipation about what Pollan’s topic would be. After all, it’s impossible to cover in detail approximately thirty years of writing and research in an hour and a half. Well, he ended up doing a brief overview of his philosophy and beliefs with specific studies, anecdotes, and facts sprinkled throughout. I thought it was a great route to take. He’s trying to educate as many people as possible, and giving a broad overview helped the majority of the audience to connect.
One of the most memorable parts of his talk was Pollan offering his insight as to why Americans, members of one of the most developed groups of people in history, are so much more overweight and have such poorer health than populations of people from all over the world, including, notably, populations of much less “developed” nations. Think about the French Paradox, for example: The French have a reputation for eating bread, pastry, cheese, foie gras, drinking wine, and smoking cigarettes. Yet they are statistically healthier than Americans, which is to say that they have fewer incidences of heart disease and lower obesity rates. Among other things, the French are able to stay so thin and healthy because they don’t stuff themselves at every meal like most Americans do. The French (and many other cultures throughout the world) actually stop eating when they’ve had enough. They have a phrase for this:
“Je n’ai plus faim”
This translates to, “I no longer have hunger.” Fascinating! Contrast this phrase with what most Americans say: “I’m full.” Pause and think about that for a second. How different are those two simple statements? There’s a huge difference. The French stop eating when they no longer have hunger. Americans eat right through the hunger / no hunger threshold until they can sit back in their chairs and proudly boast, “Whew, I’m stuffed!” Sure, eating until you’re full once in a while isn’t going to kill you. But when this becomes your default way of eating, you’re in trouble.
For the record, the Spanish phrase is very similar: “No tengo hambre” which translates into “I don’t have hunger.”
Think about this next time you’re eating and try to be cognizant of it at every meal. Eat slowly, enjoy your food, and stop when you no longer have hunger 
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I think you should post this again – the day before Thanksgiving! I had the benefit of living in France for a semester in college. I put on a considerable amount of weight in those short six months. I was not only eating like the French (bread, cheese, wine, cream sauces, butter and did I mention, cheese!), but I also brought my American eating habits (eating until I was stuffed) to the dinner table. Terrible combination – my parents did not recognize me when I got off the plane. The French definitely enjoy their meals more and savor each bite, instead of shoving food in as quickly as possible. I think Americans can definitely benefit from having a similar relationship to food.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. That sure does sound like a deadly combination! Old habits die hard. New habits develop slowly over time, with focused effort and consistency. If you’re still struggling with eating until you’re stuffed, try to ask yourself this question at every meal. Work at it little by little until you can put down your fork and pronounce that you no longer have hunger!
Oftentimes, it’s hard to resist being full if what you’re eating taste good. However, if we really care about our health we would be careful about our eating habits. In my case I only eat a little and it feels good.
Walter, it’s called the law of diminishing returns. Whatever you’re eating, the beginning of the meal (first few bites) will taste exponentially better than the end of the meal. The caveat is that you eat slowly and enjoy the food! Just remember that your last bite will never taste as well as your first bite, especially if you’re forcing it. As always, it’s beneficial to always be aware when you’re eating.