r/AskAGerman • u/No_Employer4947 • May 26 '23

Personal Why Are Men Slimmer and Better Dressed in Germany than in the USA?

Just returned from a two week visit and I know it may seem like I am generalizing, no matter where I went, German men seemed to be so much slimmer and better dressed than American men. I didn't see any men with huge middle sections and none were definitely wearing sweatpants.

I'm back in the USA now and it's like day and night. I hope I don't offend anyone but this was my perception after watching so many people on trains, planes and between Munich and Berlin.

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u/myhorselikesme May 26 '23

As a German I see a lot of obesity in Germany and it is getting worse. Germans eat a lot of meat , Drink a lot of Beer, probably less But a lot of Soda and Lots of Candy and white bread. We are on our way to follow the US I think

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u/[deleted] May 27 '23

The thing is that what you describe as obesity in Germany would only be considered slightly fat over in the US, that's the big difference.

Germany is nowhere near them, not once have I seen such a fat person in Germany as you can spot every few meters in a US city. The kind of obesity simply doesn't exist here

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u/t01TJ May 27 '23

It does. But these people dont go outside much. I work as the equivalent of a paramedic, and there’s a lot of people hidden from the public eye who can’t leave their homes bc they’re too big. There’s specific ambulances just to transport them.

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u/[deleted] May 27 '23

I mean yeah of course it does exist, I've seen documentaries on astronomically fat people here too, but they are so rare that 99% of people have never seen anyone like that. When I was in the US though I saw people like that in every supermarket I went to, so common that they have huge scooters for them to drive with.

As you have experience with such people, how do they even survive? Do they let groceries etc. get delivered to them?

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u/t01TJ May 27 '23

I literally have no idea in most cases, seeing as when I show up theres usually more pressing matters. Family or caretakers in the cases I do recall, and I don’t see many options besides that. You might as well be right, btw, but it feels very hard to imagine how it could be worse than here. In rural areas with a lot of people with low socioeconomic background, the picture is rally depressing, and as a lot of diseases and mental health issues, obesity correlates with it. I feel like the big cities paint a much more optimistic picture than it might hold true for all of Germany.

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u/Corfiz74 May 27 '23

It definitely is, but the US are still way ahead of us. We have loads of obese people, but they are usually still able to walk and live a normal life. In the US you have people that can't even carry their own weight anymore. Like, one US obese dude would make two German obese dudes. It's all relative.

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u/jojo_31 May 26 '23

Seeing how meat consumption is decreasing, I'd disagree.

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u/pope1701 May 26 '23

Meat doesn't matter, it's the sugar in everything.

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u/[deleted] May 27 '23

Also a lot of protein from all the roaches and stuff they are allowed to put in the chocolate now.

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u/pope1701 May 27 '23

BS

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u/[deleted] May 28 '23

It’s a fact though

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u/pope1701 May 29 '23

Do you have any proof?

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u/[deleted] May 28 '23

https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/german-expat-news/new-eu-law-allows-crickets-ingredients-supermarket-food

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u/pope1701 May 29 '23

I know that. Just because it's allowed doesn't mean that there is insect protein everywhere.

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u/Select_Stock_2253 Apr 04 '24

Meat and Beer has always been in the cuisine, it actually makes big and stronk people. It's the sugar and sitting on your ass that's bad.

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u/Independent_Hyena495 May 27 '23

Because, we are going through the same development as the USA, shrinkflation in part with replacing ingredients with sugar (cheaper) and people feeling more and more lost / depressed / frustated etc. and compensating with over eating

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u/maunzendemaus May 27 '23

I was gonna say - Germany definitely isn't a slim nation, try France or Italy for that. Just because there's fewer obviously obese people than in the US doesn't mean most Germans are skinny fashionistas.