That Sugar Film

They’re everywhere.

OMGAtkins, OMGgluten-free, OMGpaleo, blah, blah and blah.

With all this in mind, Damon Gameau has released his documentary- That Sugar Film & I was lucky enough to be sitting in a sold out cinema for the premiere screening.  Crowded, excited and brimming with all types of viewers Cameo Cinemas in Belgrave did a fantastic job hosting the film. 

Damon & his partner, Zoe, held a live question and answer at the film’s finish. 

*Apologies for the terrible photos as I only had my iPhone available to use*

When we think of sugar and health, Sarah Wilson comes to mind with ‘I Quit Sugar’ (detox, plan, programme, whatever) but we dont’t so much think of health foods. 

Yup.

Health foods.

You know the ones: low fat, no fat & diet. We all know that lower fat means higher sugar, but do we know what all that extra sugar does to our body? Do we understand what it does to our complex brain and organs? 

When watching That Sugar Film and seeing how it can affect the body, you kinda start to hate sugar & what it can do.  We have used it to create foods and increase the taste of foods. Take out the fat, but replace that missing fat with sugar to increase that more pleasurable taste in the food.

A good example is High Fructose Corn Syrup. We don’t know why we aren’t supposed to consume it , but we all know it’s a bad ingredient, therefore we avoid it. This is the same with low fat & health foods. Go for the fat free foods to lose weight & become better, healthier people.

That Sugar Film explores a healthy Aussie bloke on a journey from natural, unprocessed, no added sugar foods to sixty days of sugar. Specifically added sugar, 40 teaspoons to be exact.

Would you like a real wake-up call? A teaspoon of sugar is about 4 grams in weight- go grab something and check the sugar content. And no, Damon isn’t talking about chocolate, ice cream or junk food, he’s focused on the processed, actual marketed health foods. So off you go, grab a tub of low fat yoghurt. Check the sugar content. This is what That Sugar Film is about. The effects of that sweet stuff & how easy it is to chalk up a minimum of 40 teaspoons a day- just from standard ‘healthy’ foods.

The change in Damon’s body & health is drastic. Remembering though, that before this experiment he was three years ‘clean’ on sugars & processed foods. The results of Damon’s transformation should be a wake up call not only to consumers & sugar-filled manufacturers but also be addressed in schools, universities & a funded project to scientifically analyse tests & results. 

Just like the dairy industry, the sugar industry hire their own scientists & professionals to encourage the purchase of products. These ‘professionals’ encourage the consumption of these brands & deem them to be safe & full of health benefits.  

Ever heard of the supplement Juice Plus? Pyramid scheme selling? This product was tested & recommended by their own scientists, not by independent researchers & companies. So of course this product is going to be safe & provide you with all your health needs.

That Sugar Film- it’s kinda like a slap in the face. You knew it all along, but now you see the reality of it. This Aussie bloke, with weird orange undies, shows the viewer the harsh, extreme reality of what we are inflicting upon our bodies.  The worst thing is; most people have been eating their low fat/no fat foods for years, & from a young age. Growing bodies are used to high sugar literally from birth- formula, canned baby food. Even my son’s school canteen offers only low fat flavoured milk. Why would a five year old need skim milk?

Please visit http://www.thatsugarfilm.com to purchase tickets at your local cinema.

That Sugar Book is also available from all good book stores.