A new obesity statistic says Alabama might be closing in on Mississippi for the illustrious title of “Fattest State in the Nation.” Except for alphabetical order, obese adults would be the only thing Alabama would rank first in.
Book after book has been written about America’s obesity epidemic (anything by Michael Pollen is a personal favorite) as well as a string of good films like Supersize Me and the excellent Food Inc., but I’d like to highlight a small gem you might have missed. It’s a movie called “Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America’s Biggest Threat” that I stumbled upon on Netflix one late night. I was half blind from gorging some fast food pretty close to New Year’s Eve and wanted to watch some movies that might make me think differently about my five basic food groups of Taco Bell, Dr. Pepper, Cold Stone, Papa John’s, and theater popcorn with more saturated fat than Kristie Alley’s thighs.
I can credit the movie with single handedly making me want to eat less fast food, and completely eliminating sodas and desserts from my calorie intake. It takes a broader look at all bad foods unlike Supersize Me which just focused on fast food mostly, and how that food is marketed to us subconsciously, and also to kids. It shows a world where giving a 5 year old a cigarette is illegal but giving him a Happy Meal is encouraged, thus establishing that brand loyalty the rest of his life. And how substances like salt, sugar, and trans fat are just as addictive as cocaine and our brains actively crave them when we’re feeling low.
I say see it and thank me the next time you DON’T eat a blizzard at Dairy Queen.