You Are What You Eat in Germany, Too
August 9, 2006
Germans love to poke fun at overweight Americans but it's slowly dawning on them that the trend towards a more obese population has caught on in Europe, too. In Germany, every second person is classed as overweight, while around 13 percent of the population is obese.
The executives at private broadcaster RTL II probably didn't have to think too long about whether or not to launch a copycat production of the successful British TV show, "You Are What You Eat."
Across the Channel, junk-food addicted Brits are whipped into shape by nutritionist Gillian McKeith, whose tough-love approach forces the volunteer to confront the ugly truth about what they eat on a weekly basis, and be shocked into an about-face.
The German version, "Du Bist Was Du Isst," follows the same concept, only it featuers 27-year-old Kirsten Ellert as the straight-talking nutritionist.
More fruit, less fried foods
While Ellert's favorite foods include chickpeas, lentils and beans, the people she advises on the show are more likely to scoff chips, sausages and sugary drinks. Watching them make the switch to salads and tofu clearly has high entertainment value -- RTL II has scooped impressive ratings for the docu-soap's Monday evening slot.
But the show's success also reflects a genuine interest in a topic that politicians have been working hard to draw attention to -- increasing levels of obesity, especially among the younger generation of Germans, and decreasing levels of nutritional awareness.
"What's wrong with us?" RTL II asks on the Web site accompanying "Du Bist Was Du Isst." "Many children only know the taste of strawberries from chewing gum, can't tell a mango from an avocado, and only recognize lettuce from what appears on their hamburgers."
The German government, mindful that childhood obesity is a ticking timebomb for the nation's already stretched health care resources, has launched a campaign aimed at getting kids to eat better and exercise more frequently.
That, says Ellert in an interview on RTL II's Web site, is also the message for the viewers and participants in her TV show.
"This is not a diet show," she said. "The message is that losing weight doesn't mean starving yourself. I show people how they can change to a healthier lifestyle, and through that, they not only become slimmer, they also become healthier and have more energy."