Recently I was in a conversation about “comfort” foods; those items that soothe us in times of stress. One person said when they are upset they want macaroni and cheese, another goes for meats whether it be a steak or a slice of deli meat. My special foods pretty much live in the carbohydrate family like cookies, pretzels, potato chips and ice cream. Except for the ice cream (though food companies have recently remedied the situation) I eat things that can be popped whole into the mouth without taking a bite first. I find it quick and efficient without leaving any trace. Comfort food can remind you of a fond childhood memory. When I take the first bite out of a perfect french fry, my mind flashes with the image of my aunt standing over a pot of boiling oil, sliding strips of partially peeled potatoes into it from a wooden cutting board. Looking at a package of store bought chocolate chip cookies still reminds me of a rough period I was going through, where I would finish off the entire package in two sittings–lunch and dinner. I have been reading how the food companies are to blame for the obesity epidemic that is occurring presently. Do you think they should take the entire blame for it? In my opinion they are certainly at fault but I also believe each and every person needs to take responsibility for themselves. When a member comes up to me after class and asks how they can lose weight, I tell them it is basic math. You have to flush out more calories than you take in. The other bit of advice I tell them is to just physically move anyway they want, try not to put foods on top of other foods and to eat things from every color group. That is all I say about the subject. You probably have noticed how food sizes have changed along with their packaging. This documentary directed by Stephanie Soechtig (Tapped) and narrated by newscaster Katie Couric will delve into the marketing and advertising of food. If you are a conscious eater many of the topics discussed in this Sundance Film Festival nominated movie will not be a surprise. I did learn a couple of things and was surprised by one of the studies, but part of the time I felt I was being bombarded with facts upon facts. It left me a little dry and bored at times, though I realized the message the film was conveying was important. Hopefully this will not be a spoiler alert for any of you, but this film does do an excellent job of zeroing in on one of the main culprits–sugar. Despite its faults this is a film that would benefit anyone who takes an interest in their own health.
3 stars
