Fed Up is a documentary that
focuses on the causes of obesity in the United States. It presents
evidence showing that the large quantities of sugar in processed foods
are an overlooked root of the problem. It points to the moneyed lobbying
power of "Big Sugar" in blocking attempts to enact effective policies
to address the issue. This eye-opening documentary examines the
underlying causes behind the obesity epidemic, including the marketing
strategies of major U.S. food producers. The film is effective at
demonstrating the seriousness of our current epidemic of obesity.
Throughout all past ages, food had been scarce and populations were
often hungry or starving. Since World War Two, for the first time in
human history, people have access to too much food in the USA! We know
that people gain weight in a world where foods have become easier to
access and relatively cheap, foods have become increasingly palatable
with increasing caloric content, and our culture increasingly values
pleasure while also becoming sedentary. No big surprise that this combo
leads to gaining weight. But how did 60% of the country get so fat? 2
in 3 adults are considered to be overweight, with 1 in 3 adults
considered obese. Childhood obesity has become an ever-more serious
medical issue in the United States. The film includes touching video
self-portraits by young people who belong to the almost 17 percent of
children and adolescents, ages 2 to 19, who are considered obese. Lack
of interest in accepting any kind of personal responsibility for this
historic result is stunning. Everyone who is truly culpable gets a pass
-- i.e., our know-everything leaders -- and the obese parents who raise
obese children. Pssst...Why aren't they in the least bit curious as to
how they've become 300 pounders when their ancestors were all normal?
This film is an expose of the food industry’s pedaling of sugar-rich
junk food to kids and the epidemic of obesity that has resulted from it.
It rightly points to the chief villain in our food choices--sugar--as
addictive and toxic. Sugar is clearly added to food products that
historically had none in an effort to elicit a crave factor, so you
can’t stop eating them. Experts in the film compare the addictiveness of
sugar to cocaine – a fascinating concept! And seeing how it affects the
brain was disturbing for me. It is true that sugar is addictive --
which is one reason why it is so hard to eat healthy after eating junk
food for years. The film presents a strong case against the hidden sugar
is processed foods that results in too much sugar intake. Dr. Robert
Lustig has given a famous sugar lecture on YouTube that you can watch,
and there are other films concerning this issue. When all the facts come
together the results are astounding. Americans primarily consume
processed foods, and are ignorant as to what healthy food actually is.
The widespread aversion to “health food” is revealing, because who in
their right mind would reject food that is good for health? The film
nailed it when said, "Nobody is comparing junk food with cooked food,
but only other junk food...like ‘Now available 50% less fat!’ Junk food
is junk -- even though it may be slightly less junky!" This is a great
documentary about how the food industry really works. Experts in the
film indict the food industry for their abhorrent pattern of marketing
foods that are making America sick, and as a result accelerating the
costs of health care. It may not be totally fair to demonize the food
industry, which has done a lot of good by providing a greater variety of
safer food to more people at lower prices. As recently as 70 years ago
during the Great Depression many people couldn’t get enough to eat, and
in many parts of the world that is still true today. Originally
processed foods served the useful purpose of having longer shelf-life
than fresh foods which spoiled quickly, thereby avoiding losses and
increasing profits. It is true that adding refined sugar is just giving
people what they have craved ever since their ancient ancestors were
living on wild fruit in the forest and developed a taste for sweet that
helped them survive. But the food industry has crossed a moral line by
adding sugar to food products that historically had none to elicit the
addictive crave factor in order to increase consumption of their
products, and thereby increase sales and profits. We must share the
responsibility with the food industry for junk food proliferation,
because their less-healthy offerings continue to appear on food store
shelves in response to public demand, since large numbers of people have
chosen to buy those products because they don’t know any better. People
need to understand that eating 'non-food' is very unhealthy and leads
to diseases. However, I’m sure the food companies are already starting
campaigns to destroy the information in this expose Fed Up. It's up to
the consumer to decide. Something important failed to happen 30 years
ago. This film shows how the first dietary guidelines issued by the U.S.
government 30 years ago overlooked the role of dietary sugar in
increasing risks of obesity, diabetes, and associated ill-health
outcomes, particularly in children. Look at the labels on food -- sugar
doesn't have any RDA percentages listed. Curious! Since these guidelines
effectively condoned unlimited addition of sugar to foods consumed by
children, sugar consumption has greatly increased, obesity has
skyrocketed, and generations of children have grown up far fatter than
their parents. These children face impaired health and shorter lifespans
as a result. The World Health Organization proposed Maximum Daily Sugar
Intake Recommendations in their Health Research Report. It is a
stunning eye opener to realize that both Democrat and Republican
congressmen in Washington united to threaten the World Health
Organization with withdrawal of our 300 million dollar annual funding
support if they did not remove the Maximum Daily Sugar Intake
Recommendations from their Health Research Report, and succeeded in
getting them removed from the Report. I always knew they were
self-serving, but I did not think that they would actively support
spreading illness throughout the U.S. citizenry merely to garner
campaign contributions from sugar and food lobbyists. They say it's
personal responsibility of what to eat or not eat -- BUT if the food
industries discredits all the medical information about junk food in
order to make more money, then what is a parent or anyone expected to
believe? How can everyone be expected to make the right food choices? So
we must stop leaving it to the government and taxpayers to protect us
from junk foods. Parents should pick up a book on nutrition and read it
to educate themselves. As the relationship between the high-sugar diet
and poor health has emerged, entrenched sugar industry interests with
almost unlimited financial lobbying resources have beaten back attempts
by parents, schools, states, and Congress to provide a healthier diet
for children. It is no secret that American government works in tandem
with big corporate and industry players either through subsidiaries or
lobbyists. But prepare to be outraged and disgusted with our government
for their complicity in the obesity epidemic we face. It is abhorrent
that many politicians support food companies that are making America
sick, and as a result accelerating the costs of health care. And the
documentary points out how even Michelle Obama's "Move" Campaign for
better health in the war on childhood obesity was co-opted by the junk
food giants. In the film it is sad to see these doomed overweight
children exercising like mad to little avail! Watching this you can't
help but notice the similarities between how nicotine and cigarettes
were targeted to our children much the same as sugar-filled junk foods
are being advertised now. A very good parallel is drawn with the tobacco
industry, how they continued to fight for decades against the
overwhelming evidence that their product cause cancer. Now the big food
industry is doing something similar, desperately calling efforts to
modify food, particularly processed junk food, as the actions of 'a
nanny state'. I completely agree that this sounds like "big tobacco"
back in the 80's and 90's. So please don't buy into the lies of the food
companies. Do your food homework, learn what is and isn't healthy, make
right choices, and learn how to eat healthy. Everyone who is just
beginning research on this issue will find this documentary an excellent
primer. The film is clear, concise, and filled with great information
on this issue. It definitely possesses valuable information with
segments from credible experts. I think this movie is very informative
and eye-opening. The film will undoubtedly do some good by helping raise
public awareness of childhood obesity and of the danger of hidden
sugars in processed foods. This is about getting out the right
information. I believe vital components in reclaiming our health are
discussing America's lack of food intelligence, our increasing
consumption of fast foods, why we believe it is acceptable to serve and
eat processed junk, and exploring when and with what generation this
change has occurred. This film gets its warnings across loud and clear
-- we need to change what we eat. It is very eye-opening. This
documentary gave me something to think about. I don't believe that I
will clean my cupboard or be able to rid myself of sugar completely, but
I will start to think about how much sugar my family and I consume. In
fact we can make the decision to not eat those junk foods, and we should
do so, especially if we want to get or stay healthy. I stopped eating
junk food the day after seeing this film, but went back to eating it two
days later. Now I have been off of processed and packaged foods since
the New Year’s resolutions, and I’ve learned it IS cheaper to eat real
food as opposed to processed foods. I agree with the concept of
"lifestyle changes" as I just spent the last year changing everything
about my diet by cooking for myself and getting off processed foods,
sugars, caffeine and going to whole foods & low carb. I lost 56
pounds in this year long process and am now healthier than ever at the
age of 56. In the spirit of moderation, I try to eat a healthy diet, but
I enjoy an occasional sugary treat or fast food meal, and I appreciate
the convenience of packaged, processed foods when I don’t have a lot of
time to shop and cook. I see no compelling reason to think it is
impossible for people to lose weight on a diet that is overall
nutritious and calorie controlled but that allows small amounts of even
the “worst” foods. If we just go back to cooking and eating real food,
we could start to reverse these terrible trends of unhealthiness and
obesity. At what point does the responsibility for child obesity fall
upon the parents? What happened to personal responsibility? The parents
in this video should be wiser and stronger about their own diets, then
their children's. Most telling was the father of a teenager who is over
400 pounds saying, "I have no control over what he eats" while the
child's mother says, “Bigger is beautiful and it's a sign that you're
healthy”, and all the while the child is too large to do much beyond
lumber to a chair and watch TV. These fat kids are victims! Our country
has yet to address the issue of toxic foods being served to our children
in school cafeterias. Our school does community snacks where every day
the kindergarten and first grade kids are given fruit loops, pretzels,
Oreos, 100 calorie snack which are considered healthy! Aside from the
school setting, children are dependent on what their adult parents
purchase and serve them. Personal and parental responsibility is almost
written off in favor of business culpability, after showing kitchens
full of chips and soda -- and fat kids eating Nutella. If it’s
hereditary it’s one thing, but ruining our children’s health with one’s
own hands is inexcusable. Can we not say it’s another kind of child
abuse when we put our children in such a miserable state? I watched this
doc with my kids so that they understand I am not such an evil mom to
emphasize healthy eating rather than Cheerios for breakfast. I pack
fruits as snacks and let them eat a junk snack served at school once in a
while as a treat. (Is there still a concept of treat nowadays?) A great
documentary. It is very informative and well done. This is a film that
every parent should see to understand the way in which they could be
risking their children's health, and their own, with excessive and
dangerous sugar consumption. This makes a very compelling argument. The
film lays out what's wrong, and some possible solutions -- to take or
leave at our discretion. This movie is absolutely a MUST SEE for all
Americans, a must-see for everyone who values their health. Watch it
with kids -- it’s must-education, in my opinion. Every parent and child
in America should have an opportunity to view this together. This is
well-worth your time for your own well-being and that of your children.
Definitely worth a look. I recommend watching it. I urge you to see this
movie and make up your own mind. Produced and narrated by American
journalist and TV personality Katie Couric. Documentary 2014 PG 90
minutes.
BOOKS about sugar addiction:
Book titles about why sugar is addictive, and about reducing, minimizing, or even totally eradicating too much sugar from our diets:
Sugar Blues
Sugar Nation
Little Sugar Addicts
Why Diets Fail: Because You're Addicted to Sugar
Suicide by Sugar
Overcoming Sugar Addiction
Beat Sugar Addiction Now
I Quit Sugar
The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program
See Also:
Why Obesity is America's Greatest Threat
Fast Food Nation
Must-See Movies—For What You Need to Know
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