Plow to Plate Film Series Presents: Weight of the Nation Part 2 - Choices

The Weight of the Nation is a hefty documentary.  The film, produced by HBO in collaboration with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, as well as the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, is comprised of four feature length segments, each of which focuses on a particular aspect of this epidemic.  Part 1, Consequences, was screened by Plow to Plate in May 2013.  This March, we bring you Part 2, Choices.

Choices is a fine complement to last month’s Hungry for Change, which also dealt with obesity and weight loss, but approaches the topic with greater scientific rigor.  Hungry for Change, was narrated primarily by experts in the field, some of whom had at one time been overweight, but who are now models of fitness.  Choices, by contrast, has those still struggling with their weight tell their stories.  If Hungry for Change is the motivational football coach delivering an inspirational speech to his players in the locker room during half time, Choices is his strategic playbook, providing the tools needed to execute a successful game.  Choices makes clear that permanent weight loss, like a winning sports record, requires a daily regimen of hard work and discipline.

But just because there is no magic bullet to easy weight loss, no miraculous pill that will curb the appetite and melt away those pounds, does not mean that there are no solutions.  The NIH has supported thousands of obesity projects and while no miracle cures exist, research does point to some answers.  Key strategies to losing weight the right way are: 1) take small steps (like cutting out sugary drinks), 2) set realistic goals and become aware of what you eat and drink (keep a food journal), 3) seek support (join a walking club, try Weight Watchers), 4) keep portions under control, 5) develop new eating habits (plan your meals), 6) snack healthfully, and 7) avoid fad diets (though components of diets that work and should be adopted include counting calories, monitoring food intake, finding support networks, increasing activity levels, etc).

Yolanda, who owns a soul food catering business in St. Louis, Missouri and has enrolled in a medically supervised weight-loss program at Washington University followed these steps and has gone from 400 to 300 pounds (more than 20% of her body weight).  After realizing that she was drinking more than 2,000 calories from soft drinks and sweetened ice tea she cut these out.  Then she started eating a healthy breakfast every day and stopped snacking at work.  She also cut down on fried foods and ate more lean foods and fruits and vegetables.  A big fan of Kit Kats, she enjoys the occasional treat but now splits the candy bar in two throwing the other half away.

Next we move on to Paul and Tim, identical twins from Boston.  Fifteen years ago Paul was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  Tim then signed up for an NIH-funded Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) whose goal was to determine if modest weight loss – just 7%of body weight, could delay or prevent the disease for people at high risk.  Over six months Tim lost the weight, has kept it off, and to this day remains disease free.  This story illustrates the different health outcomes of two individuals with identical genes but different life styles.  It shows that even modest weight loss can produce big health benefits.

If it is a myth that you need to lose a lot of weight to achieve big health gains, it’s also a myth that the way to lose that weight is mostly through exercise, as shown on TV in “The Biggest Loser.”  That show does not reveal that the contestants are also coached to eat and drink fewer calories and that it can take half an hour of aerobic exercise on a bicycle to burn off three cookies.  By far, the most effective and efficient way to lose weight is to have a balanced program of diet and exercise.

This was the approach taken by Gigi, a single mother from Nashville who works 60 hours a week in a call center.  Sedentary at work and surrounded by poor lunch options, Gigi had reached 400 pounds by age 40.  Warned by her doctor of impending chronic disease, she rallied her co-workers, many of whom shared her issues, to join her in paying more attention to health and wellness in the workplace.  As a group they began to share accurate health information, gave up soda (the only food directly linked to obesity) in favor of water, started snacking on healthy fruits and vegetables, kicked the fast food habit, formed a walking club, created a supportive environment for each other, and began to celebrate health and activity milestones.

Some people, despite everything they try, simply cannot lose weight the conventional way.  One such person is Darrel, a 63 year old judge from Seattle, who elects to have bariatric surgery.  Darrel is 425 pounds and suffers from type 2 diabetes, which makes him a good candidate.  After undergoing the procedure, Darrel has several setbacks, including infections and kidney stones, and receives additional operations.  Eventually Darrel loses 100 pounds, lowers his blood pressure enough to get off of three prescriptions, and reduces his diabetes treatment to a small dose of insulin.  This segment highlights the benefits, as well as the risks, of this treatment option.  Moreover it shows that surgery is just the first step and is not the end-all, be-all.  As with the others, Darrel has to spend the rest of his life watching what he eats and getting proper exercise.

Besides the fascinating, revealing interviews and in depth case studies, Choices explains concepts such as mindful eating, energy balance, and set points.  It answers such questions as “Why is it so hard to lose weight?” and “How can I curb stress eating?”  As one would expect from a film made in collaboration with the CDC and the NIH, Choices is filled with scientific facts and figures, some of which you may find extraordinary.  It’s peopled though, with ordinary folk.  Choices provides the viewer with much information on how to maintain weight loss on his or her own.  The choice is now yours.

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The Weight of the Nation Part 2: Choices: Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

Park Slope Food Coop – 2nd Floor