Fed Up is a first hand examination of America’s ongoing battle with obesity, the films shows us how over 30 years ago when the first dietary guidelines were issued by the U.S. government, they somehow failed to take into account the effect sugar has in increasing the risks of obesity, diabetes and associated ill-health outcomes, more notably in children.
These guidelines were designed to protect our health but instead they effectively condoned the excessive amounts of sugar added to foods primarily consumed by children. As a result of this, sugar consumption drastically increased, causing obesity to skyrocket and a generation of kids to grow up fatter than their parents, also seeing lifespans becoming shorter due to impaired health.
In the years that followed it became more and more obvious that there was a direct relationship between high-sugar diets and poor health. Although there have been many efforts made by parents, schools and states to improve the situation, they have so far been successfully fended off by the sugar industries heavy financial lobbying efforts.
I read Atkins in the seventies so didn’t pay too much attention to government guidelines. Ate saturated fats, such as butter, avoided hydrogenated oils, such as margarine. Always asked for real butter on my popcorn at the theatres. Argued about the fallacy of the equation: Calories out > Calories in = weight loss. Had bacon and eggs for breakfast, no toast, instead of a bagel w/ cream cheese or cereal and/or a muffin. Tried “Fit for Life” for a short time but didn’t follow it into vegan territory. I don’t tolerate grains very well although I didn’t have any problems with them pre-adult age.
The result of following government guidelines over thirty years has resulted in an obesity epidemic and heart disease is still the number one killer. Mixing science with politics is a bad idea, and you can extrapolate that to include climate change as well – totally bogus.
What a crock! The fact that these guidelines EXIST does NOT make those guidelines responsible for irresponsible eating! The guidelines are not mandated you know…or DO you? It is obvious that NOBODY who is obese got that way by “following government guidelines”. But then you reject science on climate issues too, don’t you, and who knows what other settled science that’s ideologically inconvenient, so I don’t know why I’m bothering except to set the record straight. …..smh
**The fact that these guidelines EXIST does NOT make those guidelines responsible for irresponsible eating! **
You are right about the guidelines not being mandated of course, but the guidelines certainly didn’t help anyone making an attempt to eat responsibly or correct sloppy diets by adopting them. Nor did they help if someone actually did follow them. It was a betrayal. Sorry, but the science on diet now resoundly rejects the low fat diet. The proof is in the results. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are epidemics and heart disease the number one killer. Guidelines that do nothing to improve the effects of a bad diet are worse than having no guidelines. And, I reject politics, or any vested interest for that matter, mixed with science, not science itself. As for setting the record straight, you are continuing the betrayal by simply mouthing tired, old political talking points. Shake your head all you like.