Movie Review: Fed Up

Summary:
Fed Up is a film that focuses on lifestyle choices and common myths associated with the obesity epidemic in America.  It explains that the overabundance of sugar in our food is what is causing such a high rate of obesity.  The movie claims that the government should get more involved in this problem and care more about their citizens' health.  They chew out (no pun intended) people like Michelle Obama because, even though she's trying to make a difference, she's going about it in the wrong way by partnering with major food companies like Coca Cola and Nestle. The film also covers the myth of "calories in=calories out".  Most people believe that, as long as you exercise enough, you can eat however much of whatever food you want.  That isn't true.  It's not just how much you eat, but what you eat as well.  That brings us back to the sugar content in food.  A handful of almonds and a glass of soda may have the same number of calories, but the almonds are so much better for you because they are a good source of protein and will keep providing you with energy throughout the day whereas the soda is just a big glass of sugar that your body can't process and ends up as fat.  The movie also follows three obese children and their families, demonstrating just how hard it is to lead a healthy lifestyle and avoid processed, sugary foods in our society.  This entire movie is meant to serve as a wake up call for Americans that their society is inherently unhealthy and that they need to take big steps in order to change as a country or else, by 2050, 1 in 3 Americans will be obese.

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Sugar?:
First of all, sugar is even more addicting than cocaine.  Most people think that people get fat because they are lazy and sluggish and don't want to do anything but sit on the couch and eat but really, it's the other way around.  The only organ in your body that can process sugar is the liver.  With foods like fruits and veggies, they take longer to break down and so the sugar can be processed a little bit at a time.  With something like soda however, there really isn't anything substantial to digest so it all goes straight to the liver.  The liver can't handle all that sugar at once so the pancreas releases insulin that turns the excess sugar into fat to be stored for later use.  Insulin also causes that sluggishness characteristic to being obese.

Overall Thoughts - How I Can Improve My Diet:
My diet is pretty good but I'm sure that I, like most Americans, could seriously cut down on the amount of sugar and processed foods that I eat.  Fed Up even runs a 10-day sugar-free challenge to help people with just that.  I know that I also need to drink more water because I hardly drink anything during the day, especially if I need to go out of my way to get a drink.  So far I've only suffered the occasional headache from this but I know the consequences could be much worse if I don't change my habits.  Lastly, I eat too much starch.  Potatoes, rice, and especially pasta.  I eat one or more of those things at least three times a week.  All this and more are things that I personally work on to improve my own diet.