Documentary Review: "Fed Up"
By Ashley Orie, Agape Life Contributor
updated Thu November 14, 2014
A newly released documentary titled “Fed Up” has been making waves around the country. The film focuses on the ever growing epidemic of obesity in America – but focuses on how high caloric intake and exercise alone are not solely to blame. According to their given health professionals, added sugar is the criminal. The film goes on to describe how sugar has been added to basic American foods since 1976, is named in many ways on packaged food products, and though it is included on nutritional labels in increments of grams – it’s daily percent value is excluded. Fed Up’s narrator and executive producer, TV personality Katie Couric, stresses how our health can be benefited if we all simply cook more meals from scratch and remain mindful of our sugar intake. This documentary can be compared to the very similar documentary “Super-Size Me” released in 2004 by a separate agency about the health risks presented with fast food; however this film focuses more on the dangers in the grocery store aisles, rather than The Golden Arches in your neighborhood. This documentary is an eye opener and should be added to your “watch list,” as it has the potential to save lives.
We try to do what is best for our health daily, but it is not often that we consider how something as minimal as sugar can be devastating. According to WebMD, your brain responds to sugar intake much to the extent that it would cocaine. Sugar abuse can also bring many of the same side effects tobacco and alcohol use can such as premature aging and stress abuse of the substance. It’s highly advisable that you try to limit all forms of sugar intake for reasons beyond weight as well. Some sugar addicts may never gain a pound, but will inherently gain the same health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. At the end of the day, we all want something sweet sometimes- but it is imperative to remember that you control what you eat, do not let it control you.
Your Brain on Sugar. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/your-brain-on-sugar