Professor Graf, you are a sports physician at the German Sport University Cologne. You are currently conducting research in the field of exercise and nutrition. What did you have for breakfast this morning?
An espresso macchiato and a buttered pretzel. But I also like to eat Greek yoghurt with walnuts, honey and fruit.
Today, most people know that exercise and a healthy diet are good for us. What research findings in the field of exercise and nutrition have we learned from the ‘SpoHo’?
Exciting findings are emerging in the field of lifestyle research, not only at the SpoHo level, but also in science in general. When it comes purely to losing weight, switching to a balanced diet is almost essential – here, input and output simply have to match. However, body composition, in particular the proportion of fat mass to muscle mass, is much more important for health. The latter is simply tissue that maintains health. Every contraction leads to the release of factors that help keep blood vessels healthy, strengthen the immune system and optimise the metabolism. This does not necessarily have to be high-intensity training; everyday activities also play an important role. The target here is to achieve 10,000 steps a day.
Are children in Germany really getting fatter and fatter? And if so, how does the Institute for Movement and Neurosciences at the German Sport University Cologne deal with this finding?
Yes, unfortunately; in general, the lifestyle of children and adolescents is strongly influenced by the use of audiovisual media. Even more dramatic is the finding that even children of normal weight have a less favourable body composition. It is still unclear what the long-term consequences of this will be. We are trying to take countermeasures here in crucial phases of development – on the one hand during pregnancy. The healthy lifestyle of an expectant mother not only leads to fewer complaints during and after pregnancy, but also to healthier children. We have also developed programmes for day care workers, kindergartens, primary schools, etc. on how health can be promoted in everyday school life.
This year, Cologne Tourist Board and Meeting Point Cologne are putting the culinary side of the city and region in the spotlight under the title ‘Culinary Cologne’. Which Cologne food trend has impressed you the most recently?
That's a difficult question, because there's so much variety and I certainly don't keep up with everything. But I am very pleased to see that restaurants are picking up on health trends and also emphasising ecological aspects, such as the use of regional products. Even fast food has changed to some extent and burgers no longer taste like cardboard.
Can you tell us your favourite restaurant in Cologne?
I love L'Imprimerie, but unfortunately I haven't been there in a long time.
Weitere Informationen: chilt.de, dshs-koeln.de