Almost every second adult in Germany is unhappy with their weight

Forsa survey commissioned by stern - Almost every second adult in Germany is unhappy with their weight

Advent, Christmas, New Year: for many people, this is the time when their pants are tighter than usual. A representative Forsa survey commissioned by stern revealed that almost every second adult in Germany is unhappy with their weight. According to the survey, 45 percent of Germans feel too fat and three percent too thin. 50 percent are generally satisfied with their weight. The survey was conducted between December 13 and 15, 2023.

The proportion of dissatisfied people is particularly high among those in employment: 52% of them feel they are too fat. Of pensioners, 37% say this, while only 22% of schoolchildren and students do. In the latter group, 13 percent think they are too thin. By contrast, there are hardly any notable gender differences among the respondents. Across all age groups, 44 percent of men think they are too fat. The figure for women is 47 percent.

When you think about your current weight: do you personally feel too fat, too thin or are you happy with your weight overall?

You feel ... too fat (in %)	... too thin (in %)	... satisfied with their weight (in %)
in total	45	3	50
Men	44	5	51
Women	47	2	50
18- to 29-year-olds	32	11	56
30- to 44-year-olds	53	3	44
45- to 59-year-olds	54	1	43
60 years and older	40	2	58
Employed	52	3	44
Pensioners	37	2	61
Pupils/students	22	13	65

Women have more dieting experience than men

14 percent of respondents state that they have already been on a diet once. 34 percent have tried diets several times. Although the genders are so close in terms of body image, the proportion of women with dieting experience is significantly higher (61%) than men (35%). Regardless of gender, 69 percent of those who feel too fat have dieting experience. 30 percent of them have never been on a diet.

Have you ever dieted to reduce your weight?

Yes, once (in %)	Yes, several times (in %)	No (in %)
in total	14	34	50
Men	12	23	64
Women	16	45	37
18- to 29-year-olds	8	25	67
30- to 44-year-olds	20	33	46
45- to 59-year-olds	12	40	45
60 years and older	16	36	48
Respondents who feel too fat	17	52	30
Respondents who are satisfied with their weight	13	21	65

Healthy food before cheap food

What do Germans look for when shopping in the supermarket? Healthy food plays an important or very important role for the majority of respondents. For example, 80 percent of respondents stated that they look for particularly healthy food when shopping - the most frequently mentioned criterion.

74 percent consider it particularly important that the food comes from the region. 65 percent that they are inexpensive. Organic farming is important to just over half (54%) of respondents. A good rating on the food traffic light, such as the Nutri-Score, tends to play a subordinate role for respondents: only 33% named it as an important or very important purchasing criterion.

What ends up in the shopping cart is also a question of gender and age. Women are more likely than men to attach importance to food being particularly healthy, locally sourced and organically grown. Older respondents aged 60 and over are more likely than younger respondents to ensure that food comes from their region and has a good rating on the food traffic light. Organic farming, on the other hand, is more important to those under 30 than to older people.

What criteria do you usually use when choosing food?

When buying food, it is (very) important to you personally that it ...	overall	Men	Women	18- to 29-year-olds	30 to 44-year-olds	45- to 59-year-olds	60 years and older
... are particularly healthy	80	74	86	78	76	78	85
... come from the region	74	69	78	64	69	73	82
... are favorable	65	63	67	66	69	67	61
... come from organic farming	54	48	59	67	46	48	56
... have a good rating on the food traffic light system such as the Nutri-Score	33	31	34	20	27	35	40

Those who have less money available per month place more value on low prices

Net household income also plays a role in the choice of food, as the survey shows. Affordable prices are (very) important to 78 percent of those with a lower income, but only 58 percent of respondents with a higher income.

When buying food, it is (very) important to you personally that it is ...	total (in %)	Net household income (euros) under 2500 (in %)	Net household income (euros) 2500 to under 4000 (in %)	Net household income (euros) 4000 and more (in %)
... are particularly healthy	80	78	78	81
... come from the region	74	77	72	75
... are favorable	65	78	65	58
... come from organic farming	54	50	52	59
... have a good rating on the food traffic light system such as the Nutri-Score	33	35	30	32

The kitchen stays cold for just under one in ten

Just over one in five (22%) respondents said they normally cook their own meals with fresh ingredients every day. 23 percent do this five to six days a week, 30 percent on three to four days and 15 percent on one to two days. For just under one in ten respondents, the kitchen remains mostly cold: nine percent cook less than once a week or not at all.

Comparative figures from a Forsa survey in November 2019 are available for this question. According to this, slightly more Germans (22%) now say they cook every day than four years ago (16%).

How many days a week do you usually cook your own meals with fresh ingredients?

every day (in %)	five to six days (in %)	three to four days (in %)	one to two days (in %)	less often than once a week / not at all
in total	22	23	30	15	9
Men	16	20	33	17	13
Women	27	26	28	14	5
18- to 29-year-olds	20	18	34	20	8
30- to 44-year-olds	14	28	31	18	9
45- to 59-year-olds	17	24	30	17	10
60 years and older	31	22	27	10	10
Employed persons	16	25	31	18	9
Pensioners	33	22	28	9	7

The Forsa survey was conducted on behalf of stern magazine, which deals with the topic of healthy eating in its current cover story. Readers find out why modern nutrition can be bad for health and weight and how they can lose a few kilos without having to sacrifice pleasure. A nutritionist also gives weight loss tips for everyday life.

Read more:

Forget short-term diet programs. This is how losing weight really works - and sustainably
A psychologist on bad habits - and how to get rid of them
Slim thanks to sport? Not at all! An evolutionary biologist dispels the biggest weight loss myth
Why belly fat is so dangerous - and how to get rid of it without dieting