I have been aware of the Katie Couric produced documentary Fed Up since it was making its marketing rounds upon release (2014?). I didn’t see it in the theaters, but I did make a note of it on my “Things to Watch” list (which, yes… I keep a list). Skip to several years later where I notice that it is on Netflix instant streaming and add it to my queue. Skip to (regrettably) several MORE months later where I’m putzing around doing house chores and finally put on Fed Up as background chore noise.
Y’all. Please watch this documentary. Please. Pretty pretty please.
I will warn you, like all good documentaries, it is extremely upsetting. It is about the lies that we are quite literally fed concerning food and the food industry by those who have conflicted interests– both commercially and governmentally. This movie could and may be easily dismissed as knee-jerk “liberal media” propaganda, but y’all… this subject is bigger than opinions on legislative oversight. This movie is an equal opportunity shamer of political parties! We’ve become so desensitized to the phrase “obesity epidemic” that it is hard to see it anymore or see how scary it is. This is not just a debate about being fat or skinny. The science that is coming out that shows that “skinny” doesn’t mean “healthy” and that many “normal” weight individuals are extremely obese on the inside. I don’t want to get into the numbers or specifics. The movie does a good job on both of those points. I did, however, want to pass it along. We need to be aware.
Sugar addiction is real (see below picture of a brain on sugar and a brain on cocaine). I’m addicted. I admit it. I’m working on it. But, it is easier to win the game when you know which way the rules are juked. There is a large part of this blog dedicated to eating healthier and avoiding processed chemicals (though Lord knows we also have our share of “bad” recipes on here, too). But, for every “clean” recipe we have there is another post about the struggle and emotional impact we assign to food. It is not a simple issue, but knowing is half the battle. All we can do is the best we can with what we have at this moment.
Take this film with a grain of salt (zing, still got it). The answers it offers are by no means comprehensive, but it is an eye-opening look at greed-based marketing ploys and how (yet again) we as a nation are leading the world in things that we don’t want to be leading the world in.
What do you think? Have you seen Fed Up? Do you remember the war on cigarettes? As always, let us know!
This documentary is so good! I was shocked to learn about the omitting of a daily sugar percentage on labels and the whole WHO/lobbying deal that went on with that decision. It is so sad to see the kids really trying to lose weight following the guidelines and cannot do it. Heartbreaking.
It’s funny that you mention the sugar percentage omission bit. That really got me, too. It’s funny that now that we know, it seems so glaringly obvious… and yet. The kids broke my heart. I was so happy at the end when it said that one of the kids lost 60 lbs. after changing his eating habits… until it followed up and said he had gained it all back. Movies like this should be required viewing in schools, right?