European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Ken Ringle the Washington Post much has been written in recent years about the famous Quot French Paradox a the mysterious element that permits. People in this land to ingest staggering daily quantities of butter eggs cheese Cream pork beef shellfish and other supposedly artery clogging delights while shrugging off any ill effects from be cholesterol. A. A those of us eating our Way across France this summer to further Public understanding of this situation be lever Are repeatedly confronted with an enduring and corollary French Paradox far More cruel As every expanding american traveler Here has noticed. The French never seem to get fat. All the Young women appear Leggy and svelte whether dressed in jeans or haute couture. All the Young men carry the lean leather Clad intensity of artists starving for the Sake of Art. They have All obviously had their hips surgically removed. A a both men and women solidify a bit around the Waist in Middle age but one never seems to encounter Here the sort of ground shaking obesity found daily in America. This would be remarkable enough in any nation. Germany Italy and England for example know no such emaciation. It is twice As mysterious in a nation whose entire Gross National product appears to amp a up not Only in such riches As Goose liver Pate but in that incomparable Temple of French culture known As the patisserie. Who is eating All those Apricot tarts the ones with the Creme an Faise and the Almond crumbles on the top what about the be ignets de framboise those sugary berets of dough sandwiching a filling of pureed raspberries sugar and Cream and How do the French work off All those croissants the Only exercise they get is unwrapping their next pack of Ca loises. A researching these questions in Normandy is particularly fruitful because Normandy lies hip deep in the patisserie culture with probably More of the appalling Little shops per person in Cherbourg for example than in All of Paris. Though its not often remarked Cherbourg May have the most dangerous croissants in All of France. Dip one in cafe a Lait  morning take a bite and you la experience