A Flint River in the Snack Aisle

Fed Up, Documentary DVD

Atlas Films; 99 Minutes

“A wake-up call for anyone who eats.” Pretty accurate description.

Anyone who knows someone with or themselves who have difficult medical or what seem like impossible weight management problems will find this an illuminating 99 minutes.

They will also find the stories children tell of their “food”-related health problems heart-rending.

The common fewer calories and more exercise prescriptions may increase victim guilt, but the science in Fed Up indicates they will not get rid of the weight and resultant medical problems of many Americans. Nor will it improve their health.

The processed food eaten by many Americans and, increasingly, others around the world, simply is not food.

Empty of nutrients and full of a dozen varieties of sugar, salt, artificial flavorings, chemical preservatives, transformed oils and long lists of unidentifiable additives, these processed products are making millions of people overweight, sick and depressed. If all that is not enough, many of these ingredients are addictive.

Fed Up traces the history, evolution, and politics of this health crisis. Profits, shelf life and market share were happily wed by powerful processed food industry lobbyists. That bond gave birth to the processed products that line supermarket shelves, convenience store check-outs and perhaps most insidiously, public school “cafeterias” where misappropriated municipal budgets have left children prey to junk food dealers.

It’s difficult watching young children discuss their despair with intractable weight and health problems. Some of them describe strictly following prescribed weight loss programs with no results. They are told they must reduce caloric intake and exercise more. They do, but see no results. Or they do get modest results, but soon slip back to their original heavy weight. Some health professionals who advise lowering caloric intake and increasing exercise do not understand that they are not dealing with real food.

Fed Up needs to be seen to understand the scale and reach of the processed food problem and how to find an escape route.