Fed Up Documentary Review

In the documentary “Fed Up” the question whether life style and personal choice are the source of obesity is discussed. The common belief that “if you are overweight, it is your fault” is criticized. Despite that statistics show that fitness and obesity are increasing simultaneously, it is still pushed by food industries and business interest groups that the solution to combat obesity is to practice energy balance. The practice of energy balance means that calories in, match the calories out. It is argued by large corporations that it does not matter what the food source is being consumed, rather, whether your activity level is high enough to burn off the calories in. The theory of practicing energy balance is challenged by research that provides insights into what effect high doses of sugar
The perception that is being created about fast food and junk food with the use of marketing is creating a poisonous environment. The environment is providing triggers or ques that promote the bad habit of eating fast food and junk food. While some responsibility should be placed on the individual, there is indication that the food industry is not practicing good corporate social responsibility (CSR). Business special interest groups and lobbyists extorted the World Health Organization (WHO) which resulted in the alteration of the recommendation of daily sugar changing from 10 percent to 25 percent. Just as in the case of the tobacco industry, the junk food industry is misleading the public about the consequences of consuming their products. The food industry seems to be acting in self-interest and not considering the large, long- term economic and health consequences for society. Therefore, the food industry shares in the responsibility for the obesity epidemic and society needs to put pressure on the industry to shift the industry from a defensive approach to a proactive or accommodative approach where the industry is held responsible to make change for the benefit of