About the refined carbs: bread is a staple of French food. And there is even an historic stigma around non-white bread (bread that's not from refined flour). Eating white bread was what everybody was striving for, a sign of having made it (18th, 19th centuries). During the whole 20th century, I think French people ate white bread by a vast majority. Later came the trend of various grains and toast size stuff, from Germany (now cereal count is like razor blades, in a supermarket I found a 7 cereals bread).
edit: I'm not really answering to the topic at hand, being an obese French guy I'm not in a position to teach anyone on dietary advice.
edit: I'm not really answering to the topic at hand, being an obese French guy I'm not in a position to teach anyone on dietary advice.