The American population is made up of all kinds of different races and cultures.  For hundreds and hundreds of years, many people from different countries all over the world have traveled to America, bringing their cultures and traditions with them, adding to the richness of American culture.  While there are a lot of foods that people generally consider “American”, like hamburgers, meatloaf, and apple pie, most of the American food that we eat in this country is derived from foreign foods that have been adapted over the years as a result of the intermingling of traditions.  In America there are a lot of fast food restaurants because people nowadays don’t express their culture in food.  In foreign countries there are still fast food restaurants but people don’t eat their nearly as often as they do in America. 

A good country to compare cultures with is France, because they go about their meals very differently than most Americans do.  Breakfast is usually a light meal of either cereal or croissant/bagel and coffee.  In France lunch is usually the main meal or the biggest meal.  Lunch and dinner will have multiple courses, an entree and a main dish that is usually followed by cheese and/or desserts.   Food plays a major role in the country’s social life with great value placed on leisurely meals that allow time for conversation.  For example, during the reign of Louis XIV, the upper-class citizens would hold 12 hour feasts with over ten different dishes served.  These meals are usually prepared by the wife and are usually wholesome and reflect traditional and cultural values.  But in present day, women are now working and doing household chores so sometimes they do not have time to make a big, meaningful and wholesome meal.  Large dinner parties or family reunions involve more elaborate food preparation and more courses than a normal family meal.  During these events it is important to have some form of alcohol, usually wine or champagne.  Wine is a big part of the French culture.  For every region in France there is a different kind of wine because each region is influenced by its surrounding cultures and the bordering countries.  Wine is served with small appetizers and snacks before the main meal.  The food and wine that is served during these events expresses the cultural values of the host and creates topics to talk about with their guests.  It is not uncommon for these events to last over 3 hours.  When a group of people go out to dinner they can sit at that table for as long as they want.  It is very common for people to continue talking with one another for a long period of time even after they have consumed their last course.  In most restaurants in France they will not be given their check until they ask for it.  It is rude for the employees to ask people who are still at their tables long after their meal was consumed to leave, even if there aren’t any open tables and there are people waiting(EverythingCulture).

The food in France is generally healthier than the food in the U.S.  The obesity levels in France are about 1 in 10, which meach that 10% of the population is obese.  And the percent of overweight citizens is 40%(including the obese).  In America, about 36 percent of the population is obese.  And about 70 percent of the
U.S. adult population is obese.  This data strongly supports the idea that the French diet is much more healthy than the American diet(OECD).  A big reason for this huge difference in obesity levels is fast food.  In America, and especially in its big cities, everything is fast paced.  Everyone wants to eat on the move and many people eat fast food because the taste is decent, it’s generally cheap, and you don’t need to put in the work to cook it.  But there are many cons to eating fast food: 1. It is extremely unhealthy. 2. Most of these restaurants don’t use high quality foods. And 3. There is no nutrients in the food and it is hard for the human body to survive off of very unhealthy foods.  People in America are slowly getting more and more lazy.  In France there are still fast food restaurants, but they are not as popular because the French like to make their own meals and eat them with family or friends.  The foods that they cook are usually somewhat healthy and this is a big reason of why the obesity level in France is very low. 

The French people have more culture in food than the Americans do.  Through the eating of food, the French people express many of their cultural values and beliefs as where Americans usually just eat to eat.  And in the end result, it helps the French people stay healthier because they put time into cooking good quality meals and a good part of the American population eats just to eat.