Are we Fed or Fed Up?
"Fed Up (Soechtig, 2014)." narrated by Katie Couric, focuses on the growing link between sugar consumption and the obesity epidemic. The film aggressively attacks the food industry, advertising, and the government who, it claims, all contribute to the U.S. sugar-dependent, obesity problem. The film sets out to prove the government, and food industry is knowingly causing an increase in the amount of obese children. It reserves its most critical comments for government advisory panels who make and enforce food and health policy, and its failure to properly regulate the food industry. They claim lobbyists for the sugar board have been instrumental in the removal of negative statistics from research papers worldwide. Instead
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The children range in age from 12-15 and their issues from simple obesity to needing gastric-bypass surgery. The children are fed fast food in school cafeterias, with government labeling of pizza, fries and tomato paste as vegetables. Stores have candies and snacks at children’s eye level, and at home they eat the standard offerings of processed foods. One of the other things this film shows is the complete lack of support for these families in the area of proper diet education. A couple of the parents talked about the doctors encouraging them to seek help with nutrition, the doctors did not have any useful advice on where to get this …show more content…
The film presents this set of facts, “Eighty percent of American high schools have contracts with soft drink companies, with fifty percent of school cafeterias serving fast food” Fed Up (Soechtig, 2014). The Center for Consumer Freedom criticizes Fed Up, warning that people should equate calories in with calories out and the media helps by promoting the lack of exercise and over-eating as the cause of obesity. The film counteracts this to a degree with Maggie Valentine. She is the twelve-year-old in the film who weighs 212 pounds. She swims four days a week, runs, walks her dogs, and at the end is seen learning how to kayak. Her mother attempts to feed her a good diet at home, of low fat products, and Maggie tries to make good choices at school, but is hindered by what is offered in the cafeteria. She exercises, eats what the food companies tell her is good and still fails, so who then is to blame? The movie hypothesis it is the food companies, advertising and lack of government regulations concerning children and how they are exposed to junk food brainwashing everywhere they
The American diet is becoming extremely harmful to the health of especially children. The new generation has different trends in regard to health compared to those of perhaps their parents. In the documentary Fed Up, Soechtig uses data and statistics, as well as narratives of emotional events to highlight the long run issues with American’s poor diet and also to criticize the food industry. By doing this, the director hopes to spark a change in diet.
Obesity is one of the most serious health problems, and it has been increasing significantly. The film “Fed Up” attempts to provide an answer to why people become obese: food itself. However, “real food” as solution offered in the film begs the question of feasibility. The film assumes that people in general have time to buy, prepare, and cool “real food” and thus commits the fallacy of contradicting its own theory by suggesting that it’s the people’s fault for not being diligent enough in taking care of their health.
Health has always been one of the priorities of the American people. It is a broad topic that encompass the physical, spiritual, and mental health. This research covers the physical health that includes food and exercise. Numerous films provide and inform Americans to look and be healthy, although many have tried, some succeeded and others do not. One such film that provide and inform the American public of health is a documentary titled, Fed Up by Stephanie Soechtig. The controversy in this film centers around the validity of the facts presented, and the claim that added sugar is the leading contributor to obesity. The documentary presented an examination of the rise in American obesity epidemic, the role of the food industry and their
Sympathizing for those overweight, as Zinczenko also inserts a personal experience stating he too used to be a “typical mid-1980s, latchkey kid”. Bringing up a point that is still relevant in today’s society where children of divorced parents who work extensive hours, fast-food chains are their only source of food intake at convenience. As these children consume such high calories they are unaware of the substantial health problems they cause such as diabetes. “Today...Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of all new childhood cases of diabetes…” as stated by the National Institute of Health, the rise of diabetes in children comes from their obesity. Fast-food chains have no concern for their consumers' health when purchasing their food they only care about the profits they receive. In result, a lack of consumer knowledge on nutrition and eating out leads to the rise of potentially life-threatening health problems if not
In the documentary “Fed Up,” sugar is responsible for Americas rising obesity rate, which is happening even with the great stress that is set on exercise and portion control for those who are overweight. Fed Up is a film directed by Stephanie Soechtig, with Executive Producers Katie Couric and Laurie David. The filmmaker’s intent is mainly to inform people of the dangers of too much sugar, but it also talks about the fat’s in our diets and the food corporation shadiness. The filmmaker wants to educate the country on the effects of a poor diet and to open eyes to the obesity catastrophe in the United States. The main debate used is that sugar is the direct matter of obesity. Overall, I don’t believe the filmmaker’s debate was successful.
It is apparent that living an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as eating poorly, negatively affects one’s health. From a young age it is quickly learned which foods are considered healthful as opposed to junk food. It is a parents responsibility to supervise the intake of their child's food, however there is a higher risk than ever before of childhood obesity.
In the first film we watched “Fed Up” I did not really enjoy watching it. The film focuses on the causes of obesity in the U.S. It presents evidence showing that the large quantities of sugar in processed foods are an overlooked root of the problem of America. “Big Sugar” is looking at attempts to enact effective policies to address the issue. In choosing your food do you really want to consume all of this sugar.
The movie Shock Doctrine revolves around the concept of the same name. The film begins by discussing psychological research on the effects of shock therapy. It is evident that a person under extreme stress and anxiety commonly experienced during a crisis functions and performs inadequately. It is noted that the studies are conducted by a man by the name of Milton Friedman, from the University of Chicago; the studies took place in the past, and some of the subjects are still recovering in the aftermath. From this research, interrogation techniques were learned and the concept of the shock doctrine was formed. Essentially through causing a crisis, the population of a country can be shocked into complying with accepting laws that favors the United States and capitalism. This theory coexists with Friedman’s belief in that government regulation is bad, and through a crisis a country would better itself with deregulation. The video uses Chile as an example and shows how America allowed a crisis to occur in Chile, through coups, interrogations and subterfuge. In the end a new government is formed that allows capitalism. Unfortunately afterwards violence and riots occur, as the rich gain most of the wealth and poverty rises. In addition to Chile, Argentina, Russia and even Iraq underwent the shock doctrine. Almost in every account, poverty rises and violence ends up erupting. The movie ends by showing how the US was in the process of the shock doctrine, and still is but the population has taken notice. Protests such as Occupy Wall Street are some of the initiatives necessary to bring awareness to the problems of class inequalities in order to prevent capitalism from benefitting the rich and increasing the wealth gap among the classes.
In the documentary “Supersize Me” by Morgan Spurlock, America’s obesity issue was exposed and pinpointed at one of the giant contributor and fast food marketer “McDonald's”. Throughout the documentary, many rhetorical devices were utilized to provide reasons as to how America’s obesity issue is dangerous and how Mcdonald's and major food companies contribute to this disaster in the American society. Drastic continuance of unhealthy eating habits on top of an increasingly growing population calls for an alarm to everyone. He then stresses the dangers of obesity and addresses the issue’s cause. Morgan creates a strong visual and effective argument that eating fast food is the key reason to America’s obesity issue.
In the film, “North by Northwest” we see a series of shots that creates suspense and danger. The point of the film is very vague and it ends without a resolution to the main conflict. The incredible camera work and techniques that Alfred Hitchcock did created a feeling of danger and suspense, making the audience want to see more. Also, Hitchcock's film main character Roger O. Thornhill creates suspense with his mistaken identity and fight for his escape. The film uses a handful of shots, for example, medium shots, close ups, long shots and shot-reverse-shots. I found particularly interesting how a handful of shots can create suspense and the feeling of danger can create a misleading plot.
A League of Their Own (Marshall, 1992) explicitly characterizes an American era when a woman’s place was in the home. Even our modern perspective implicitly follows suit. Although women have gained rights and freedoms since the 1930’s, sexism remains prevalent in America. This film offers an illustration when men went to war and big business men utilized women as temporary replacements in factories, sports, and so on. Here, course concepts, such as gender socialization, gender expressions, role stereotypes, emotion expressions, and language, correspond to the film’s characters and themes.
When children are not receiving food at home, they are getting fed at schools where they spend most of their day during the weekdays. It may be shocking but “one major risk of unhealthy school lunches is a contribution to obesity and other weight problems in children across the nation” (Schuna). Most would think since schools teach nutrition during health classes which is required in schools all over the nation that they would practice what they preach by serving the ideal healthy meals for lunches. To know “the government regulates the number of calories a child’s school lunch has, as it does with the NSLP, many schools allow children to purchase a la carte foods on top of the lunch that are calorie-rich and high in fat, sodium, sugar or all three” (Schuna). They are serving decent foods but are contradicting themselves by selling unhealthy snacks, which encourage children to believe eating those foods are not harmful to their health if their schools are supplying them. Just as schools were unintentionally encouraging snacks parents were unknowingly feeding their children unhealthy meals. A filmmaker did an experiment in Australia where he gained 22 pounds but "the main catch was [he] wasn 't eating any junk food," Gameau said during a phone interview from Melbourne, Australia. "[he] was eating these perceived health foods that most parents would
Newspaper headlines and stories are used throughout the film as transitional devices that drive the plot while relating directly to Peter’s role as reporter. POV shots of characters reading along are used frequently to provide the audience with story information found in these newspaper headlines. Peter first recognizes Ellie from her photo on the front page, setting the story in motion. When the newspaper reads “Daughter of Banker Still Missing!: $10,000 Reward Offered”, Oscar Shapeley threatens to call the police and return Ellie to her father. In direct cause and effect, Peter and Ellie are forced to leave the bus and take off on foot. As the story progresses, the newspaper headlines change accordingly, directly related to the film’s action. The use of newspaper headlines contributes to the film’s unity, providing story information while motivating the characters through the narrative.
Childhood obesity is a health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in society’s youth. For a number of years, children across the nation have become accustomed to occasionally participating in physical activities and regularly snacking on sugary treats. In result of these tendencies, approximately one third of American children are currently overweight or obese (Goodwin). These grim statistics effectively represent all the lack of adult interference, in regards to health, has done to the youth of America. The habits of over consuming foods and under participating in physical activities are all too common in the children of today. Children cannot solve this issue alone, though. These young people need to essentially be given the opportunities to make positive health decisions and learn about good, nutritional values.
Parenting and Child health, n.d.Young people and food. Available at: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&id=1571&np=302 [Accessed April 04, 2014]