TikTok Can't Believe This German Ad About American Food Insecurity

As McDonalds' country of origin, the United States doesn't have the best global reputation when it comes to its food industry. This may not come as a surprise, as some ingredients that are commonly used in American food have been banned in other countries, and the States' most popular fast food chains offer a slew of unhealthy menu items. Still, many Americans were baffled after seeing a German advertisement about American food insecurity that showed up on their TikTok feeds.

TikTok user @teresamorcho posted a video about the ad, which has gone viral on her page with more than 1.3 million likes. The video shows a little girl sitting on a stoop, with an accompanying narrator speaking in German about Americans' low "access to nutritious food." The ad urges Germans to help in this cause, stating that the girl's "poor diet can lead to diabetes, health disease, and a costly dependence on the government" and adding that 16% more Americans struggle to afford food than Germans. Some viewers agreed with the depiction. User @magnolia.moon stated, "The sad thing is, America doesn't need Germany's help. We have the resources and ability to feed everyone. But our government can't get it together." This comment has nearly 1,000 likes in agreement.

One commenter on Morcho's TikTok pointed out that "a lot of our 'food' is considered deadly chemicals in other countries." Another said that "most European countries think of America as a 3rd world country because of the amount of poverty and the lack of proper healthcare." Others shared their personal experiences with food insecurity. It's unclear whether or not the advertisement was meant as satire, as some commenters have claimed, but many viewers still seemed to see the reality behind the video.

One accurate takeaway from the ad is that millions of Americans struggle to feed themselves. While the clip states that 49 million Americans experience food insecurity, a statistic from the USDA says that more than 38 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2020. Moreover, a 2017 report by the USDA reports that 19 million Americans live with limited access to a supermarket or grocery store in areas that are often referred to as food deserts. For many of these consumers, the closest food options are from convenience stores or fast food restaurants. Although the ad was intended for German viewers, it also seemed to be eye-opening for Americans, to say the least.