Parcours de Santé

European explorers may have never found the Fountain of Youth in the New World, but the French continue their search. The French are hypochondriacs. Even though our village doesn't have a corner grocer, it does have a pharmacy. It's also no wonder that there is little complaint about the use of social taxes to fund the national healthcare system. In fact, the French system is labeled the best in the world. One of the highest life expectancies seems to back up the assertion.

Lately, however, it has become more common to see overweight french men and women. This has rallied health advocates to take action. Television commercials for snack food and soft drinks now carry a scrolling warning to consume in moderation - reminiscent of packaging laws for cigarettes. Many cities are also promoting exercise. Several of the small towns in our region recently installed parcours de santé.

These courses instruct users on a series of exercises. I walked the one in St. Etienne des Sorts last week. I was particularly amused by one sign post in particular. The lower righ graphic seems to remind people not to forget to take a dump during their workout.