'FED UP' Movie: The US Food Industry, Sugar & Obesity Epidemic

[appalachiablue]

Trailer for the movie 'Fed Up' (2014). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/

- (Wiki). Fed Up is a 2014 American documentary film directed, written and produced by Stephanie Soechtig. The film focuses on the causes of obesity in the US, presenting evidence showing that the large quantities of sugar in processed foods are an overlooked root of the problem, and points to the monied lobbying power of "Big Sugar" in blocking attempts to enact policies to address the issue.

Synopsis: Fed Up 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. Since these guidelines effectively condoned the 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. As the relationship between the high-sugar diet and poor health has emerged, entrenched sugar industry interests with almost unlimited financial lobbying resources have fended off attempts by parents, schools, states, and in Congress to provide a healthier diet for children. The film concludes with a list of 20 companies, industry groups and politicians who refused to talk to the filmmakers...More, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fed_Up_(film)
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- "Sugar: The Addiction We Don't Discuss," Daily Kos, Sept. 15, 2019: https://www.dailykos.com/ (*Scroll Down to Title)
America is in the middle of an obesity crisis: According to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 18.5 percent of children and 39.6 percent of adults had obesity in 2015–2016. These are the highest rates ever documented by NHANES.1 There were no statistically significant changes in youth or adult rates compared with the 2013–2014 survey, but rates have increased significantly since 1999–2000, when 13.9 percent of children and 30.5 percent of adults had obesity.

The map that accompanies this disturbing report, titled ” The State of Obesity: 2018“ and issued by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shows an apparent correlation between those states with the highest obesity rates and Trump country. Correlation is not causation, but it is interesting that the seven states with the highest rates of obesity at 35 percent and higher are Iowa, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

According to the Miliken Institute of Public Health at The George Washington University, our rate of obesity has tripled since the 1960s. Most of the increase has come after the 1980s, leading to our current state where 70 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. Think about that for a minute: It means that in a group of 10 people, only three would be of healthy weight or underweight. Obesity can shorten one’s lifespan by 14 years. It is also associated with 100,000 annual premature deaths...MORE at the link above..

[Stuart G]

1. K and R.. The "Food Industry" as a whole...doesn't care..See the very last full sentence

of the original post above. (last sentence of Synopsis)..Thank You for posting!

[appalachiablue]

3. For sure, I need to see the entire film..

>'The film concludes with a list of 20 companies, industry groups and politicians who refused to talk to the filmmakers.'

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. While there is no one single food at fault,

I'm constantly horrified by how many people drink soft drinks, multiple soft drinks all day long. In the grocery store I'll see people with two cases of soda in the cart.

Both diet and sugared soft drinks are equally bad. I've been telling people this for two decades now and I'm invariably speaking to a wall when I bring that up.

https://nypost.com/2019/09/04/new-study-links-sugar-free-sodas-to-higher-risk-of-death/

Despite the title saying sugar free sodas are linked to a higher death risk, in the article it says both kinds are very bad.

I gave up soft drinks about twenty, maybe twenty-five years ago. If I have one every six months that's a lot.

[appalachiablue]

4. There's a lot of discussion & study indicating that eating sweets- either

natural or artificial, actually stimulates the desire for more of the same!!

And both (colas) have issues- GMO corn syrup, or aspartame artificial sweeteners.

But good luck trying to convince some people. And I think others may be substituting 'diet' colas and sweets for the real thing or other habits- smoking, drinking alcohol, etc.

[mucifer]

9. real fruit has a lot of fiber that is filling

It seems people are drinking less sodas and more flavored waters. I think a lot of the health issues are with the mayo and deep fried foods.

[appalachiablue]

11. Real fruit is excellent, esp. apples (& organic) are thought to help

stabilize gut microbes also. 'An apple a day..'

[Ohiogal]

6. Two of my sons worked in grocery stores

They said it was mind blowing the people who loaded up their carts with soda pop. It wasn’t uncommon for a person to come through the line with a cart loaded up with nothing but the soda on sale that week. Like 20 cases of pop!

My late cousin drank a case of Diet Coke a DAY. And he was about the unhealthiest guy you’d ever want to meet.

[appalachiablue]

8. Unfortunately I know a couple folks like that, one is a

two a day cola person, still in good health. Another subs many diet colas for sweets & smokes and won't see the light. Sad..

[Newest Reality]

5. As many medical doctors are now coming to realize...

The vast majority of chronic diseases that we now fall prey to with our generally longer lifespans are not normal or natural at all. They are a result of diet. They are avoidable. They require a shift in how we think of food and how are preferences, (and our children's) have been deliberately and fastidiously manipulated over and over again.

Any research you do into this now leads to the fact that, in most cases, you do not have to suffer many chronic and protracted illnesses if you don't want to. This is not a faddist health craze idea, it is just a matter of seeing through the facade and getting to the point. Some people care much more about the type of oil used in an oil change for their car than what is in their daily diet and how it effects the engine of their life.

Habits are difficult to change and the current food industries rely on giving them to you and then having you become addicted and subject to your acquired tastes based on that, and then Big Pharma and the medical industry await your inevitable descent into the chronic diseases that will result from what you have been imbibing for decades.

Nobody can change that but you.

[appalachiablue]

7. Several major chronic diseases are clearly preventable, it's lifestyle choices,

but some can't be persuaded and don't want to change.

Try to avoid the MIC- Medical Industrial Complex as I say.

[Newest Reality]

10. Yes! That's ++Good!

You said it!

It comes down to a rather Pavlovian response that is anticipated by advertising and the stimuli that the food industry creates and we all food. The sugars, additives and scientifically designed flavorings tend to increase cravings and form an addition which then, of course, yields the desired PROFITS. Who cares if it affects your health when the corporate charter puts shareholder's stock values above any other factor?

What we face, if we want to avoid chronic disease or reverse it is addiction, plain and simple. The changes required are going to go right up against the preferences that have been drilled into you by the culture itself and the prevailing, manufactured attitudes. Like any addict, the change that needs to be made is a form of rehab that takes time and persistence to achieve until the new behaviors become a new, more beneficial habit. Meanwhile, the people and messages and availability of certain foods is like hanging around with pushers while you are trying to kick.