Obesity: A Documentary Analysis

1. Long ago, the ancestors of humans lived in unpredictable times in which meals were not guaranteed. Now in the 21st century, data suggests, as mentioned in Fed Up, that there will be more deaths caused directly or indirectly by obesity than by starvation. The documentary Fed Up focuses on the terrifying issue that plagues the United States and the world: obesity. It delves into the components that contribute to this menacing epidemic that only continues to get worse. The documentary builds on the stories of four young American children from all over the country that are severely obese. One of the kids, at 14 years of age, weighs over 400 pounds. Fed Up tries to answer one simple question with a complex and scary answer. How did the world get here? There are several different issues the documentary tried to address to answer this question. In the documentary, several misconceptions about food were dissected. In addition to debunking myths about food, the documentary discussed how it is possible to eat healthy for less money than eating unhealthy. Those were a few of the aspects that can have an impact on individuals, but the documentary did not stop there. It also attacked the huge food industry for their misleading advertisements and selling techniques, as well as condemning their focus of selling to younger people. Furthermore, the documentary explained how the food industry is so rich and powerful in the country’s capital that it has thwarted the many attempts in trying

Shifts in the “Food Marketplace” have greatly affected our food choices and habits in the last 40-50 years. As one woman stated in the film The Weight of the Nation, “It’s so hard to combat with what the tv is telling you to feed your kids”. Advertising has come to a whole new level in our generation; you can’t turn on the television without seeing an advertisement for fast food or something equally as unhealthy. As another woman put it, “you are taught that you can eat anywhere, anytime of day, and that eating is a glorious thing”. Another shift that has occurred is an economic one. If you go into a poor neighborhood corner store like they did in the film, you would see chips, sugar, sweets, etc. All of these unhealthy foods are cheap, incredibly cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables. Obesity rates in these poor areas are much higher than in areas with a higher average income. Culturally, our country is changing to one that is always moving; we don’t have time to prepare a meal for the whole family. It’s much quicker to buy unhealthy fast food that you know your family will enjoy than to prepare a healthy meal that they will grudgingly consume. The film mentioned that our bodies were originally built for scarcity. We are wired to react to things that are sweet and contain a lot of fat because when an animal was killed we had to be able to eat as much of it as possible. The signals telling us to stop eating had to be overridden. Now, we consume so much fat and sugar not

According to the media article, Whose Fault is our Fat? Obesity solely stems from Americans not participating in enough physical activity. On the other hand, Family Stressors and Child Obesity, attributes the stem of childhood obesity to stressors, particularly family stressors. Another possible explanation for obesity, other than Americans not getting enough physical activity or stressors, comes from the movie, watched in lecture, The Weight of the Nation. This movie makes the connection of rates of obesity to living in poverty areas. The movie also firmly believes that Americans are turning to quick, processed, and readily made meals, instead of healthy food options.

Unluckily, some kids are unsurprisingly predisposed to obesity. Eating a large amount of high calorie foods, like baked goods, and vending machine snacks and fast foods surely contributes to weight increase. Lack of financial resources can lead to childhood obesity as well. Financial and time pressures force many families to minimize food costs and meal preparation time, resulting in increased consumption of prepackaged convenience foods that are high in calories and fat. Many urban neighborhoods do not have supermarkets, outdoor produce stands, or other healthy alternatives to convenience stores and fast food outlets, making it harder for residents to purchase fresh and inexpensive

There are a variety of factors that can cause an individual to accumulate such high stores of fat (Wright & Aronne, 2012). Early researchers of obesity argued that the most common cause of obesity is a high caloric intake, or the consumption of high-calorie foods, that outstrips calories burnt via exercise (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). In other words, people accumulate excess body fat when they eat more calories than they burn, meaning obesity is caused primarily by the consumption of foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional value, and a sedentary lifestyle (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). More recently, however, researchers are recognizing the complex array of variables that interact to cause obesity, including environmental, social, and political factors known collectively as the social determinants of health (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). For example, research finds that our lived environments have been restructured in recent years to promote a culture of overeating: today, high-calorie fast foods are often more affordable than nutritious options, and are made conveniently accessible in the form of food trucks, pubs, and vending machines strategically placed on school grounds, college campuses, and near apartment buildings (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). Often, these foods are served in excessively large portions intended to promote the very over-eating that causes obesity (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). Moreover, the low priced, processed, ready-to-eat meals available in grocery stores tend to appeal to low-income families who cannot afford to purchase more expensive produce or take the time away from their work to prepare home cooked meals (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). Thus, recent research suggests that the

After watching the film my understanding has diffidently changed Some influence of obesity that was expressed in the weight of the nation that stands out to me are Environmental and Genetics. People who have obesity in their family line are more likely to become obese, genetic has an as too which genes are express. People who live in Neediness and insecure location are at greater risk to be affected by obese because of extraordinary places that showcasing fast food as a cheaper alternative that is unhealthy. According to one of

The documentary The Complete Skinny on Obesity is similar to a wake-up call. Producers, Rich Wargo and Jennifer Ford created this documentary to bring awareness to an epidemic in this country… obesity. Also, the producers wanted to figure out what causes obesity and how can we slow down or stop the substantial weight gain before it causes extinction of the human race. Shockingly, obesity has been around for many years, but it is more prevalent in today’s society. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, obesity is a plague that is not only affecting adults, but also children that are as young as six months old. Why? Well, there are many beliefs that has been hypothesized. For example, Dr. Robert Lustig mentioned natural selection and how our genetic

Besides, studies have shown that “The obesity epidemic ranks among the leading causes”. (WHO, 1998) are “poor diet and physical inactivity were the second leading cause of death in the USA in 2000 and may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of avoidable death” (Mokdad et al.,2004). “Obesity is a complex medical condition, which has social and psychological dimensions and some major economic aspects.” (WHO, 2000). “It affects people of all ages and socio-economic groups, and of both genders, and is not restricted to developed countries” (WHO, 2000). From

Environmental Factors The environmental factors that promote obesity are food consumption, and sedentary lifestyles. The problem with many Americans is that they eat more calories than they can burn in one day. The amount of food a person consumes and the amount of physical activity

As stated in the Encyclopedia of Science’s article, obesity is affecting any child from any ethnicity or race, age, economic backing, or region. Hispanic children, African American children, native American children, and any other children with bad quality eating habits, especially in the south, are at an exceptionally higher risk. The southern part of America is known for their ‘comfort’ food, which is extremely fattening, and is the reason why children living in the south have an exceptionally higher chance of becoming obese. In the African American communities, as well as the Hispanic communities, nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese. Children who are at a lower economic standing may have a higher chance of developing obesity, but that doesn’t mean wealthier children are immune. The site, Let’s Move states that without solving this issue, 1/3 of all children born after 2000 will suffer from diabetes at one point in their lives. Statistics from the Encyclopedia of Life Science show that this number is still growing and is being compared to the 7% of obese children and 5% obese teens in the 1980 's, to show the changes needed to be done in society. More action, now more than ever, needs to be taken against obesity.

Annotated Bibliography Dalton, S. (2005). Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools And Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley: University of California Press.

A woman's consumption habits, while she is expecting can have a profound effect on a baby’s metabolism. In the documentary, part 5 Generation XL we see an alarming trend of obese infants. Inquiries on how babies whose main diet consist of milk are experiencing obesity at such a young age are made by Dr. Lairar. Dr. Lairar explains, “You lay down your fat before you're born, […] and what determines how much fat you lay down, the baby’s insulin before they're born […] and what determines the baby’s insulin, the mothers’ diet”. ( The Skinny on Obesity)I do think that a mother's dietary habits, may be correlative in effecting a baby's health. The correlation between the mothers’ consumption habits, and obesity in babies in the uterus depends on the mother's dietary habits.

The film Diet: A Look at Processed Food, Nutrition, and Obesity in the 20th Century by Films Media Group is an insightful video on obesity. In order to figure out how to solve the problem of obesity Films Media Group has looked to the past for answers while also observing not only obese people, but slim ones as well. This film will open your eyes to obesity specifically in the 20th century.

In my opinion, the documentary's most important contribution to the debate on obesity is how socioeconomic status and location are related to it. Socioeconomic status is directly related to obesity because the lower income status you have, the more likely you will be suffering from obesity. They said that every

Mama Fofana Professor: Iris Mercado Cortes HLT 215 000A 9/25/17 When the experts in the documentary state that obesity is a condition due to the interaction of genes with the environment, they are referring to the fact that living in an area where you are surrounded by nothing other than