Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, the documentary

**jaimuziq** · 12-23-2011, 01:52 AM

Just wanted to share, sorry if it's been posted already.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122/fat...nd-nearly-dead

**Vavoon** · 12-23-2011, 02:00 AM

i watched a part of this on netflix, so i dont know how it ended. i want to incorporate something like that in my diet

what were your thoughts on it?

**FaithNPraise** · 12-23-2011, 02:01 AM

I caught this during the summer on Netflix (I was on maternity leave and on a documentary binge)! Great doc, halfway started juicing until MIL left town to go back home. She's back now and brought her Breville with her, so the family will more than likely start back juicing - Yayyyyyyy!

**chachadiva** · 12-23-2011, 02:06 AM

I respect what he did. My only question is why didn't he do his journey in Australia. In the opening, there was a headline that said Australians are as fat as Americans.

**soapinphilly** · 12-23-2011, 02:38 AM

Originally Posted by chachadiva

I respect what he did. My only question is why didn't he do his journey in Australia. In the opening, there was a headline that said Australians are as fat as Americans.

He said america is like his second home and we are the land of food.

**FaithNPraise** · 12-23-2011, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by soapinphilly

He said america is like his second home and we are the land of food.

Ditto that (shocked!) - but he did spend most of his formative years in the US and he showed how for the majority of major cities the food temptations are just IN.YOUR.FACE! If he did it in Australia the first thing out of most American's mouths would've been "SMH, great story but it's just not the same here in the US!"

To clarify - I'm totally NOT giving anyone a "pass" to be gluttonous or saying that people are unable to overcome temptations (I actually have very strong opinions about that), but being realistic in stating that it's "cultural" in America to overindulge in whatever smells good, looks good, tastes good, etc and not really care about the detriment it's causing to our health until we get a "wake up call"/health scare.

**chachadiva** · 12-23-2011, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by FaithNPraise

Ditto that (shocked!) - but he did spend most of his formative years in the US and he showed how for the majority of major cities the food temptations are just IN.YOUR.FACE! If he did it in Australia the first thing out of most American's mouths would've been "SMH, great story but it's just not the same here in the US!"

So aren't Australians saying the same thing when they watch it? If Australians are just as fat as Americans, they're getting the food somehow.

I think it's more of a marketing ploy than anything else. "America as fat nation" has marketing (money) legs. The concept of juicing is not new for Americans.

**soapinphilly** · 12-23-2011, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by FaithNPraise

Ditto that (shocked!) - but he did spend most of his formative years in the US and he showed how for the majority of major cities the food temptations are just IN.YOUR.FACE! If he did it in Australia the first thing out of most American's mouths would've been "SMH, great story but it's just not the same here in the US!"

To clarify - I'm totally NOT giving anyone a "pass" to be gluttonous or saying that people are unable to overcome temptations (I actually have very strong opinions about that), but being realistic in stating that it's "cultural" in America to overindulge in whatever smells good, looks good, tastes good, etc and not really care about the detriment it's causing to our health until we get a "wake up call"/health scare.

I honestly think we need to stop giving a pass to "fat", "addictive eating" and bad nutritional habits. My niece is the only obese person in our family and my crazy sister made her that way. She kept calling me rude when I told her, her only problem was that she was FAT. She actually got up at 4am, strolled around the neighborhood until the breakfast shop opened and brought THREE platters, vs. us getting up and having maybe one bowl of cereal at 9am.

She was like a crack addict when it came to food. But we as a society accept this addiction.

**jaimuziq** · 12-26-2011, 12:34 AM

The documentary was inspiring. The truck driver looked like a totally different person at the end and he inspired a community and his brother to start juicing.

I was trying to eat more fruits and veggies but I was slacking. My Breville juicer will be delivered next week.

I saw another documentary the other day called Food Matters, Dr. Mercola(frequent guest of Dr. Oz) produced it, it was interesting as well.

**Scribetastic** · 01-02-2012, 06:39 AM

For me, what he's talking about though isn't new or even surprising. When I'm at my best, I'm sort of a health nut eater who indulges in southern food every once in awhile as that's my background. Now it's worse because I have other foods that I really love too. I don't buy processed foods if I can avoid that. I started that in college. I've mentioned it in threads here before, but I try to stick with shopping the perimeter of grocery stores. The perimeter is where you find the fresh stuff that's good for you. I do pop into the aisle for pantry items and stock items. I'm also coming off of a VERY unhealthy diet when I lived in NYC, so the quality of my diet is now going back up. However, fresh juices are great. My issue is I can't drink too many sweet juices but fresh veggie juices are my favorites.

I'd love to go raw, but I really do like to sit down to a cooked meal.

I do like that when he was in NYC he was up in Harlem. I know exactly where he did, at least, one of those on-the-street interviews and I've passed that juice bar a few times.

Originally Posted by chachadiva

I respect what he did. My only question is why didn't he do his journey in Australia. In the opening, there was a headline that said Australians are as fat as Americans.

Did you not notice the Qantas plug at the start of the documentary? Qantas isn't going to help him finance this film if he's going to fly from Sydney to Perth. I think that's one reason.

60 days in the USA with one month in NYC and another driving across the country isn't cheap. Add in the consultations with the US-based doctor and getting his blood draw every 10 days, that's not cheap.

I'm only about 25 minutes into the film, but it does seem that he spends a fair amount of time in the US. We've exported our lifestyle or, maybe more accurate, other countries really do think our lifestyle is the way to go. I was surprised to see big box mega stores in Asia and Costcos (and this was in 2000 when I arrived). (I wasn't quite as surprised to see them in Europe though.) They all also had the same processed junk that's killing us.