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Mini-interview

‘You are literally more exposed’

Who? Sander Kersten, professor of Mole­cular NutritionWhat? Bared his muscular torso bare for a photo in the Volkskrant MagazineWhy? In his spare time, Kersten is a bodybuilder. He talked about his hobby

Did you like being portrayed that way?

‘Yes, although I am quite critical of the result. You do want it to be visually as good as possible. But it’s just details that ordinary people won’t notice.’

How did your colleagues react?

‘It is hard to put that into words. You literally expose yourself more than in a different kind of article. This took other people, not me, out of their comfort zones. I think people found it hard to be completely open about what they thought of it. So I can’t actually answer the question.’

Did they already know about your hobby?

‘It won’t have come as a surprise to people in the lab. They know that I work out and that I am quite fanatical about it. What is more, I am very strict about diet. If there is cake they know: Sander won’t have any cake. People outside that circle may well have been amazed. In the article there was a man who weighs 135 kilos. He can hardly get through a door and you can see at a glance that he does bodybuilding. But if I’ve got a shirt on, you can’t see that I am fit and muscular.’

Would you be in for another photo like that?

‘Certainly. I want to promote a healthy lifestyle. And you show that you don’t have to stop looking after yourself when you reach middle age.’

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