French Dieting. Now that the low-carb craze seems to be fading, could a diet modeled on the way French women eat be the next big American weight-loss trend? Could be, if "French Women Don't Get Fat," hailed by its author as "the ultimate non-diet book" catches on, reports Nanci Hellmich in USA Today. According to Mireille Guiliano, the book's author, the reason so many French women "are slender and graceful" is that they "eat with all five senses ... allowing less to seem like more." No, it's not because they smoke. It's because, as Mireille explains, when she goes out with friends for a sandwich, in Paris, "we sit down, take our time, look at the sandwich, admire the bread or the butter on it. We eat slowly. We chew well. We stop between bites." And "we" don't get fat.

French women, according to Mireille, "don't obsess about weight, skip meals, substitute slimming shakes for meals, snack frequently, eat while standing or on the run, gobble fast food or weigh themselves constantly." Mireille, who is also CEO of the American division of Clicquot, Inc., www.clicquotinc.com, says she's kept a slim physique for 30 years simply by eating "three good meals a day." Her regimen is to "watch portions, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, use seasonings, eat a variety of seasonal foods, drink plenty of water, savor wine, walk everywhere including up and down the stairs," and "indulge in a treat," such as a little bit of chocolate, now and then. In short: "Eat only good food. Relax and savor every bite."

However, nutritionist Keith Ayoob thinks its unlikely Americans will accept Mireille's advice "because we don't want to hear that the French do anything better than we do." Even more problematic, "switching to the French approach to food would take a major change in attitude," among Americans, as noted by neuroscientist Will Clower. "People here would buy a 5-pound burrito if it cost 99 cents even if it was tasteless, but the French would never do that," he comments. He also says he's noticed that Americans tend to lose weight while living in France, "and when the French come over here to live, they gain weight." For the record, "the French report that only about 11 percent of people there are obese," compared to "about 30 percent" of Americans. And, by the way, Mireille says she was fat once, when she was a teenager, having gained 20 pounds eating too many cookies and brownies ... while visiting the United States.

Newer Coke. Featuring exotic ingredients such as "bee-head secretions," an emerging category of "health-oriented drinks ... more suited to the pharamacy than the convenience store" are a hit in Japan and appear headed for America, reports Ginny Parker, et. al., in The Wall Street Journal (12/28/04). "They're not just for old men trying to get rid of hangovers ... They're stylish," comments Eriko Kanazawa of Yano Research Institute, explaining why "the Wellness from Coca-Cola," a new line of "healthy drinks," is so popular in Japan. Stylish, indeed -- one of Coke's new elixirs was "developed with cosmetics maker Shiseido Co." Called Body Style Water and positioned as a diet drink, Coke says it "helps speed metabolism through the combined effects of caffeine and grapefruit aroma."

Coke actually works "with scientists at Japanese universities" to come up with such concoctions They have produced a drink called "Spring Mint Habit," containing "a substance called polyphenol, extracted from mint," that the company says will help reduce the effects of hay fever." Another of its offerings, called Sasso, is "a tea for lowering blood sugar." Coke's not alone. Japan Tobacco is in the fray with Senoby, a beverage featuring "lactoferrin, which the label describes as "a protein contained in mother's milk." Senoby joins energy drinks such as Real Tank -- the one with the "bee-head secretions" in it, as well as vitamins C and B2. Then there's Suntory Ltd's Flavan Tea, containing "a compound called flavangenol, which the company says is extracted from the bark of pine trees in southwestern France and claims (though not on the label) can improve circulation."

In Japan, such health claims have won government approval via "a certification process that can take up to two years and involves submitting results of research and clinical trials." Whether the drinks truly are effective is another matter, at least according to Mieko Kudo, a teacher "at Japan's Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, who says: "You shouldn't expect too much from these ... But if they make you feel refreshed or if you just like the taste, then fine." Yukari Miyazaki, a Suntory spokesperson admits the line is a fine one: "We use certain keywords," she says, adding: "We hope the customer will make the connection." No such subtlety, though, when it comes to making money on this: "Health drinks sell at higher prices than teas and soft drinks. A two-liter bottle of Sasso," for example, "costs ... about $4.80," compared to about $1.90 for "an equal-sized bottle of one of Coke's traditional teas." Coke, of course, hopes to introduce that kind of health to American markets in the near future


Tim Manners, editor