BayernLight - Healthy weight loss campaign beyond Bavaria's borders

Snap Up: Great success for more health

The 257.000 participants in the Bavaria-wide weight loss campaign "BayernLight - Lighter living in Germany" have slimmed down more than a quarter of a million kilos, exactly 46.780, in four months. Health Minister Werner Schnappauf and pharmacist Hans Gerlach, initiator of the campaign in Munich, presented this record of success for better health. "Reducing obesity or avoiding it straight away is one of the most important preventive measures nowadays. Because the significant excess on the scales is spreading almost like an epidemic. Almost every second adult in Bavaria is affected. If we don't take countermeasures, obesity will crush our health," reasoned Schnappauf the necessity of BayernLight. Being overweight is a high risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, stroke or metabolic disorders such as diabetes. "Here there is not only great suffering for those affected, but also enormous costs for their health!
 health beings."

The average reduction was 5 1/2 pounds. The minister called on the participants to maintain the healthier way of life they had learned and to motivate family, friends and acquaintances to take part. The method is simple: less fat and more exercise. Schnappauf sees society as a whole as having a duty to prevent obesity: "Everyone must work together to ensure healthy eating habits: parents, teachers, the food industry, doctors, pharmacists, politicians, the media." BayernLight shows how such cooperation can be successful on site, the minister continued. "BayernLight addresses people with campaigns in the immediate vicinity and motivates them to be consistent. Not a short-term diet, but a permanent change in diet brings success."

Schnappauf thanked the 202 participating pharmacies in 110 cities and communities, who trained and motivated 2.200 participants in more than 46.780 events and checked them again and again with more than 500.000 weight and body fat measurements. 2.086 bakers, butchers, restaurateurs and sports shops supported the campaign with suitable products and specific exercise offers. Women started with an average of 78,2 kilos, men with an average of 90.9 kilos. Even if there were only slight differences in the participation of the regions, Lower Bavaria and Swabia are at the forefront. Memmingen, Pfaffenhofen/Ilm, Krumbach, Aichach, Pfarrkirchen, Straubing, Passau, Vilshofen and Regenstauf were particularly involved with a high level of participation and good customer success.

"BayernLight is a real export hit," said Schnappauf happily. This year there is already the campaign "Leichter Leben in Deutschland" in North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. A further eight countries plan to follow in 2005. The Austrian neighbors Vorarlberg and Tyrol have also adopted the concept.

Source: Munich [stmugv]