Sugar is literally killing the American people; this alarming claim is not necessarily new information but is concisely laid out in Stephanie Soechtig’s new documentary Fed Up.
Narrated by veteran broadcaster Katie Couric, the film offers expert testimony from industry whistleblowers, policy makers, academics and children suffering from obesity, an epidemic that was virtually unheard of in youth before 1980.
Soechtig seeks to change the way consumers look at food and she may just succeed. Damning evidence is presented throughout, arguing we should be less concerned with fat and exercise and more focused on the dangerous amount of ‘damaging and addictive’ sugars present in nearly all processed foods readily available in supermarkets across the U.S. What’s worse, the sheer audacity of the major food producers and government officials, who claim McDonald’s doesn’t target kids or that pizza can be considered a vegetable, is staggering.
Fed Up doesn’t break new ground in its approach to filmmaking but follows a straightforward method that is effectively able to convert statistics and medical jargon into user-friendly information. One startling image illustrates how a package of processed, low-fat cookies contains just as much sugar as the regular version. However, the personal stories of the film are the most shocking, depicting everyday American children, some as young as 12, who are suffering from debilitating health problems, many already weighing over 200 pounds.
In short, Fed Up may present its case as a slick, nightly news feature but it’s impossible to deny something needs to be done.
