While they all still struggle with their weight, we hope that they are now more aware of the forces that are working against them and the steps they need to take to improve their health. Have the kids seen the film? Soechtig: They all saw the film for the first time recently, and I think they found the information about sugar and the food industry’s role in the obesity epidemic to be eye-opening. The intimacy and raw emotion we got in those videos were unlike anything we could have captured in a sit-down interview. We asked that they record their day-to-day struggles and frustrations and give us a glimpse into their lives at school and at home. How did you manage to get such personal footage? Soechtig: In 2010, my producer, Sarah Olson, and I decided to send Flip cameras to a group of about six kids, not sure of what we would get back. Our team reached out to churches, synagogues, hospitals, and schools all across the nation to find a diverse range of stories and experiences. We were looking for stories that touched upon cost, access, food addiction, calorie balance, etc., so that we could see how marketing, legislation, and agricultural policies played out in everyday life. Can you tell me a bit more about the process of finding your subjects? Soechtig: We wanted to find families that could demonstrate all of the different aspects of the obesity epidemic. ![]() I think one part of the movie that was so effective was not just how you presented all of this information, but that you put faces to the stories. Couric: I mean, there are about 600,000 products in American supermarkets and almost 80 percent of them have added sugar. We’re not saying, “This is the choice you have to make.” We’re saying you should know what choices you’re making and fully understand what you’re feeding yourself and your kids.Īnd also just know how many choices there are. The most important thing is that we’re trying to arm people with information that will help them make more educated choices. But we’re not trying to be nagging or overly preachy. Couric: Yes, I think there are studies that show artificial sweetener affects your brain the same way real sugar does-it makes you crave sweetness, artificial or not. This has the potential to produce even bigger changes-like finding better quality products that stand on their own and don’t need artificial sweetener. It’s not going to be in the first or third bite that you’re going to say, “Oh, I don’t miss the sugar!” You need to give it time and give your taste buds a chance. I think in our instant gratification society, you have to remember it takes a while to change your taste buds. It seems to me that the cost of marketing to our kids is too high of a price to pay.Ĭan you tell me a bit more about personal changes you’ve made? Couric: I am trying to wean myself off sugar. ![]() I think it’s something we need to evaluate. ![]() People who say it’s free speech, I don’t know. What other kinds of things do we need to be talking about? Couric: Several countries don’t allow kids to be marketed to by junk food companies in such huge numbers-that’s something we should be discussing.
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