That Sugar Film review

That Sugar Film is a 2014 Australian documentary starring and directed by Damon Gameau. The film looks at hidden sugar in foods and the effect it can have on the human body.

Over a period of two months, Damon goes on a high sugar diet, eating well over 40 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is equivalent to approx 160g per day. You may think all he eats is candy and soft drinks, but the main point of the film is the hidden sugars in 'healthy' foods. During the two month period, Damon eats only 'healthy' foods, which means he stays well away from candy, soft drinks and ice-creams. He also takes a trip to America, a rural town in Northern territory, Australia and has a team of specialist doctors on his side measuring his every step.

In this post, I will be talking about what is right and wrong in this documentary about sugar.

First off, what is wrong with this film?

In the 2 months of the experiment, Damon eats 40 teaspoons of sugar per day, which he states it the average Australian family intake per person. In actual fact, an average Aussie family intakes 14 teaspoons per person, per day which is around 1/3 of what he ate. At 40 teaspoons a day, Damon’s intake is more suited to a 15 year old boy’s intake which is pretty high due to the growth stage and high levels of physical activity.

Also, in the experiment, Damon doesn't eat a balanced diet. As far as I can see in the film, he eats no veggies, whole fruits, legumes or whole grains. There’s little fibre or protein in his diet, which was why he wasn't feeling full after he ate a meal. These are some of the items he eats:

• Up n Go liquid breakfast

• Nutri-grain breakfast drink

• Yakult Pop-top juice

• Box of sultanas

• White bread sandwich (filling not identified)

• Bottle of apple juice

• Bag of fruit salad bites

• K-time twist bar

• SPC fruit puree

These foods are not part of a healthy, balanced diet, which was why he was not feeling full or getting the nutrition he needed. These foods also made up for all the empty calories he ate. When you eat a balanced diet, the calories contain nutrition, but with sugar, the calories are empty which is why you don't get full by eating sugar.

Then again, what was right about this film - What did it teach Australia?

In Amata, a remote aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, the population is a mere 350 people, but together, they drink 40,000 litres of soft drinks per year, with devastating consequences to their health. Community workers and elders fought for regulations to limit Coca-Cola and to bring fresh produce into the local store, along with nutrition counsiling in schools and clinics. The community’s health improved because of this which was a great plus for their friends and families, and their town.

The bottom line is that if That Sugar Film helps people reduce the amount of processed foods they eat and sugar in whole then that’s great. I do hope that it doesn’t contribute to people missing the point - that the obesity crisis is not purely about sugar but about processed food and our total diet as a whole.

This film had an opportunity to shine a light on the hidden sugars in our diets, and it did. Anyway, the message of the film isn't quit sugar for good, the message is, MODERATION is what works!