Found this while sorting through my photos from our recent trip to the US. Sometimes Germany feels like an absurd pit of consumer product marketing (Obama Fingers, anyone?), but the US always manages to take it a billion steps further.
It also reminds me how much I love being served tap water in US restaurants – icy, free tap water. It’s so much better for the environment than bottled, and usually healthier for you, too. Given that Germany tends to be ahead of the US on environmental matters, I’m disappointed that bottled water is still so prevalent here. Alas, in this case the US is moving to be more like Germany instead of the other way around. Perhaps the Germans are worried that tap water will make them fat?
I saw this brand in the US recently too and all I could think was “Skinny compared to… plain old water?” Seems so weird to me.
So I just googled it, and YES, they are claiming their product is skinnier than water. Or, more skinnifying than water. It contains some sort of additive that “has been linked to improvements in weight maintenance.” Um, OK.
Hey…how else do bulimics get their vitamins?
Europe has a cultural history of bottled-water/spring water. The habit will be hard to shake.
American restaurants are offering bottled watter because they’re catching on to the fat profits European restaurants have been making off it for years.
I agree with Ian – it’s more fat-profit-for-restaurants than cultural history that makes bottled water a big thing in dining establishments. After all, water costs more than beer in German restaurants (but not in German grocery stores).
When I first moved to Europe, I used to haul heavy glass bottles of water home from the grocery store just so I could have it on hand for native guests (who would turn up their noses if I offered tap). That part – definitely cultural. The tap water tasted fine. Still does (but I’ve become a less culturally-sensitive hostess since then).
Only tap served here – I even give the option of very cold tap water AND very cold tap with bubbles….. All noses upturned at this plethora of water options can bring their own or dance out the door! ;-)(Razzzzzberry)
Wow, the fact that is claims to make you skinnier is crazy!! What a gimmick!
When I visited London they looked at me like I was INSANE when I asked for tap water. I was tired of paying 5 bucks for a small bottle of water.
Happy ICLW!
#50
@Christine – very cold tap with bubbles is my very favorite kind. How did you know?
@Sarah – Crazy indeed. Of course they don’t offer any kinds of clinical studies to back it up or anything.
@Ashlee – I agree, it’s painful to pay so much for something that should be free. I drink a lot less water in restaurants here than I do in the US.
Wanna know the reason why?
Because we’re so much into water with bubbles! They only invented the home-use machines (SodaStream and the like) for that some 10-15 years ago. Before that, the only way to get water with gas was bottled. And at least in Germany a high percentage (men more than women) prefer that (especially for mixing it with apple juice, hmmm).
Now of course, it’s more of a habit, as it would be easy and cheap to also offer tap water with bubbles. But now the “Kind ist bereits in den Brunnen gefallen” 🙂
@Ingo – I like bubbles, too. Alas there is no room in my tiny kitchen for a bubble-adding machine.
Apparently Vitamin Water is making you fat, too: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/the-dark-side-of-vitaminw_b_669716.html