Doctor says French must dare to fart

Who knew?

I just knew all along that I was doing the right thing! It feels so good to be vindicated!

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Doctor says French must dare to fart

A French doctor is urging his countrymen to take a more relaxed view of bodily functions for the good of their health.

Frédéric Saldmann says they should give free rein to farting, burping and sweating to reduce the risk of cancer, reports the Daily Telegraph.

In his book, Le Grand Ménage, Dr Saldmann invites them to embrace the stereotypical British view of the French.

The French, he says, should "dare to fart". Getting rid of the two litres of gas produced each day is a "natural process" and retaining it can be harmful to the intestines.

Similarly, he says his countrymen should feel free to belch at will and certainly after each meal.

This, he says, is the best way to reduce the risk of getting a hiatal hernia, an ailment which affects almost a third of French people.

Keeping air in the stomach leads to more heartburn, which increases the risk of cancer of the oesophagus. The rise of this disease in France, he says, is due to "the burp that we no longer do".

Dr Saldmann also recommends throwing out anti-perspirants.

"To block sweat not only stops the elimination of toxins," he writes, "but also a certain number of messages that are potentially very attractive to the opposite sex."

Dr Saldmann also recommends cutting down on chewing gum, never eating while walking and reducing the intake of fizzy drinks.