nightmarishuniverseasorber

There was a lot of good information in this documentary that should be common knowledge, but often isn't. However, a few things were not entirely accurate. The people trying to lose weight did not help their case to show that losing weight isn't as simple as "calories in, calories out" because the people they chose as examples for why CICO doesn't work weren't even really doing CICO. The documentary shows overweight teenagers eating an excess of processed foods and not exercising much, and then they're surprised that they gain weight. One girl says that she exercises "a lot" when in reality she only goes to swim practice three times a week and walks her dog on the weekend - this is good, but hardly intense and hardly enough to burn calories when you eat to excess. If these people actually took the time to track their calories going in and going out, maybe their goals of limiting caloric intake would actually be successful... Also, the documentary portrays processed, greasy foods in a negative light while blaming the obesity epidemic on sugar. Some of the food that they show like cheeseburgers aren't unhealthy because they contain sugar, but because they are high calorie foods that do not provide the body with a good source of nutrition or energy. Sugar is part of the problem but it is not the sole problem, and advertising a sugar detox as a final solution could turn out to be disappointing; the documentary itself admits sugar detoxes often end up failing.

What the documentary was good for was showing that losing weight does not mean being healthy, and being healthier is more complex than just restricting calories. We should try to eat more satiating, nutritious foods as opposed to fatty foods or foods high in sugar that are not satiating. A diet should not just be a "detox" or a way to lose weight, it should sustain you for life. This message needs to be heard more often and for that I give this documentary 6 stars.