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France

Sit long, talk lots

The French excel at the leisurely family meal. On average, 92% of French families dine together nightly, compared with 28% of American families.

"For the French, eating is the event of the day," says Fred Pescatore, MD, president of the International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists. "For us, it's something we do before heading out to do something else."

Lengthy meals actually encourage less eating, Dr.Pescatore says: Conversation slows down the fork and gives you time to realize you're full.

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