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Fed Up: Obesity Epidemic

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The film Fed Up is an American made documentary that examines the obesity epidemic, as well as, the food industry in an effort to uproot the underlining causes of exponential growth rates of obesity in America. The main objective behind the documentary is to educate and expose the current threat of obesity and the associated health complications in an attempt to motivate viewers to reevaluate and alter their current food choices. Fed Up utilizes data gathered through various professional interviews conducted with medical and food industry personnel to propose and support various claims. The film also includes personal stories provided by various children who are confused about and struggle with their obesity as an effective way to establish …show more content…

The foremost claims are as follows: That caloric intake and lack of exercise aren’t the key cause of obesity, sugar is; and that the food industry is increasing sugar content in newly presented low fat foods in response to the McGovern Report at the cost of Americans’ health. The claim about sugar being the primary cause of obesity is introduced toward the beginning of the film, during which the previous theories of the causes of obesity are heavily scrutinized by various professors, doctors and authors. These highly educated professionals put heavy doubt on previous studies that conclude that eating less calories and exercising more will effectively combat …show more content…

The egg, sugar, dairy, and beef associations demanded a rewrite of the McGovern report that originally set dietary goals to reduce the consumption of fats, cholesterol and sugar. This rewrite consisted of removing sugar from the list. The film depicts that reduction of fats in various foods led to the use of additional sugar to counteract the negative taste, which consequently led to the opposite of what the original McGovern report suggested, more sugar intake than ever before. Also included in the documentary is comparisons to the tobacco industry, in which extortion and bribes are utilized to keep the government from enforcing further regulations on the

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