Before moving to the New York City area, I lived in London for seven years. During that period, I traveled more than two dozen times to France, a place where five- or six-week vacations are the norm and many people retire comfortably at 60 or younger. I made many wonderful French friends and was more than a little awed at the way they aged so gracefully.

Are they perfect? Of course not. But certainly I admired how so many of them stayed trim while enjoying coq au vin, baguettes, andouillettes, eclairs and fondue while Americans struggled with their weight while gorging on diet soda and Lean Cuisines. I also admired the way they purchased clothes selectively, carried themselves confidently and devoured life every chance they got.

 

After speaking with a few of these friends, I've come up with a list of six things the French can teach us about aging well. Do you agree? Let us know in comments. And if there are things the Americans can teach THEM about aging, we'd like to hear about that as well.

 

1) That women of all ages can be the sensual love interests -- and not just the matronly grandmothers -- in popular movies.

 

Just consider Catherine Deneuve, 69, or Isabelle Huppert, 60, or Juliette Binoche, 49. These and other older French actresses such as Nathalie Baye, 65, and Sandrine Bonnaire,46, continue to nab meaty roles. In an American movie industry dominated more by the teeny-bopper set, it's hard to even name an older sex symbol other than, perhaps, Raquel Welch who's still, at 72, pretty darn sexy.

 

2) That less is best when it comes to makeup -- but that doesn't mean you should skimp on skincare.

 

Studies show that French women spend more on facial skincare products than their neighbors in Italy, Spain, Germany or the UK. Overall, nearly two-thirds of French women -- or 62 percent -- use anti-wrinkle products. (In France, a girl will begin applying anti-aging creams as early as age 15.) It's a different story when it comes to makeup. Wearing too much, according to French women, makes you look old.

 

3) That sex should continue to be important.

 

Studies show that 90 percent of French women over the age of 50 remain sexually active compared with only 60 percent of American women. But research points to a great interest in sex among those over 50 -- so why not keep it going?

 

4) That having just a handful of clothing items that fit perfectly is a lot better than having a whole closet full of items that aren't all that great.

 

American women have a habit of splurging for unnecessary items whereas French women make a habit of purchasing maybe 10 indispensable clothing items each year. French designer Anne Fontaine, known for her white shirts, once told Forbes magazine that "besides a beautiful blouse, every woman should have a great pair of jeans, black pants, a perfect skirt, a perfect little black dress and a jacket for each season."

 

5) That walking's the best exercise.

 

French women often look askance at American women who talk about going to the gym. Instead of furiously working out in zumba classes, French women tend to incorporate walking into their daily routines. They take the long way home when walking the dog; they climb stairs instead of taking the elevator. They also reject the notion "no pain, no gain," choosing instead a more sustained -- albeit more moderate -- exercise plan.

 

6) That what you eat -- and how much you eat -- are of vital importance.

 

If you've ever dined out with French friends, you'll notice that they eat smaller portions of more dishes -- instead of larger portions of fewer dishes. They eat more vegetables, drink more water and think more about the good things they want to eat rather than fret all the time about the bad stuff. When it comes to drinking, they tend to avoid hard liquor, opting for a glass or two of wine with their meal.

 

在搬到纽约地区之前，我在伦敦住了七年。在那期间，我到过法国二十多次。在法国，大多数人每年会度个五六周的假，许多人60岁甚至60岁不到就退休享受生活。我交过许多超棒的法国朋友，非常惊叹他们优雅变老的方式。

 

法国人完美无缺吗?当然不是。但是，我很钦佩他们。享受着鸡尾酒、法国面包、手指饼干、芝士火锅等美食，他们中许多人依然保持苗条身材。而美国人虽努力减肥，却暴饮无糖饮料、暴食精益美食。法国人充满自信、精心挑选衣服、尽情享受人生，对此我也很佩服。

 

与几个朋友交谈之后，关于法国人如何优雅变老，我列了个单子，大概有六点。您同意与否，可在评论栏里表达观点。如果有抗衰老的好方法，我们也想听一听。

 

1)在流行电影中，任何年龄层的女人都可以是性感达人，而不仅仅是风韵犹存的老奶奶。

 

想想69岁的凯瑟琳·德纳芙(Catherine Deneuve)、60岁的伊莎贝尔·于佩尔(Isabelle Huppert)、49岁的朱丽叶·比诺什(Juliette Binoche)，还有其他仍担任主演的法国老演员，如65岁的娜塔莉·贝叶(Nathalie Baye)、46岁的桑德琳·邦内尔(Sandrine Bonnaire)。然而，美国的电影行业几乎是年轻男女明星的天下。也许，除了72岁但仍性感十足的拉奎尔·韦尔奇(Raquel Welch)，很难再举出个知名性感老演员了。

 

2)化妆原则之一：少即是多——但这并不意味着节省护肤品。

 

研究表明，比起意大利、西班牙、德国和英国女性，法国女性在面部护肤产品上花更多的钱。总体而言，近2/3、也就是62%的法国女性使用抗皱产品。(在法国，女孩15岁就开始使用抗衰老面霜。)化妆就是另外一回事了。法国女性表示化浓妆会让人显老。

 

3)性生活依然重要。

 

研究表明，50岁以上法国女性中，90%性活跃。与之相比，美国女性则只有60%。但该研究还指出一个有趣的话题，50岁以上的人群为何不将性生活继续下去呢?

 

4)比起满柜不合适的衣服，几件适合自己的就足矣。

 

美国女性会胡乱花钱买些不必要的东西，而法国女性每年也许会购买10件必须的衣服。因其白衬衫而著名的法国设计师安妮·芳婷(Anne Fontaine)曾告诉《福布斯》杂志：“除了漂亮衬衫，每个女人还应拥有超棒牛仔裤、黑色长裤、漂亮裙子、完美黑色小礼服和四季皆宜的夹克衫。”

 

5)步行是最好的锻炼方式。

 

法国女性往往对谈论去健身房的美国女性表示怀疑。法国女性没有选择在尊巴舞课上拼命锻炼，而是倾向于将步行融入日常活动。她们遛狗时选择远路回家，爬楼梯而不乘坐电梯。她们也反对“没痛苦，没收获”，而选择另一种比较温和、但更持久的锻炼计划。

 

6)你吃了什么、吃了多少，这至关重要。

 

如果你与法国朋友在外面吃过饭，你会发现他们会吃很多道菜，但每道菜只吃一点点——而不是狂吃几道菜。他们多吃蔬菜、多喝水，更多考虑的是想吃健康食物，而不是一直担心吃到垃圾食物。说到喝酒，他们往往不喝烈酒，而是在进餐时来一两杯葡萄酒。