Documentary Review – Sugar Coated
It’s been no surprise that healthy eating is much more commonly talked about than it was 20 years ago given the increase in rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States over that same time. People used to assume that food was food and that government agencies like the FDA always had the general public’s best interest in mind. While the average person is probably aware that a chocolate covered strawberry isn’t as healthy as a regular strawberry, they also likely believe that the “science” behind sports drinks like Gatorade was actually, well, science.
Sugar Coated does a great job of explaining the background as to how and why the sugar industry has generally been able to side-step government regulation in addition to providing details and examples as to the impact of increased sugar consumption on the health of the average North American. The common thought is that eating fatty foods is what causes obesity but Sugar Coated does a fantastic job of revealing that sugar intake may very well be the main culprit.
The struggle with viewing multiple documentaries like this is that they are typically focused on one aspect of an issue. In this case, health is the overarching issue they are commenting on, but the documentary focuses just on one issue, sugar, while more or less ignoring the other aspects of a healthy lifestyle to the viewers. While they do bring in experts who share a slightly varying opinion that overall diet and exercise are more important, the documentary doesn’t seem to agree with this high level concept, instead blaming sugar wholly. Documentaries like Forks Over Knives advocate a whole food, plant-based diet and speak to animal product consumption as the main reason for America’s growing health issues. Both documentaries want people to achieve optimal health and reduce early deaths from preventable conditions, but both provide what seem to be opposing viewpoints even though both are backed by credible science. That’s what makes watching these documentaries tough as each viewer is left with a different understanding that they had before.
The right answer for a healthy diet is different for each person as each individual processes food in a unique way so if it’s something you’re truly interested in learning more about, speak with a registered dietitian. They’ll be able to work with you to create a diet that is the best fit for you. Awareness is key to a healthier lifestyle and forming positive food habits in your 20’s will go a long way to ensure a long, happy life.