REFLECTIVE ESSAY

THAT SUGAR FILM

"That Sugar Film" is an Australia's hit film starred by the director himself, Damon
Gameau. It is about the story of a man who subjected himself to an experiment to reveal the
bitter truth of sugar. In the beginning, it was mentioned how people mostly considered fat,
instead of sugar, as the main threat to one's health which was proven wrong. By making a sudden
shift on his diet – from consuming foods with no white sugar to eating foods equivalent to a
disgusting minimum of 40 tablespoons of table sugar each day in a span of 60 days – he
documented the hidden reality of how sugar mischievously contribute to bad health condition
and lurks to what we perceived to be "healthy foods".
Prior to watching, I honestly didn't feel much excitement because given that it was
somewhat a documentary movie, I had a thought that it was just going to be one monotonous
video. However, my curiosity and eagerness to gain more knowledge prompted me to finally
watch it. And it was indeed worth the time and attention because I wasn't disappointed by the end
of the movie. Throughout my viewing, I was left contemplating how I unconsciously directed
myself to harm my well-being. Hence, "That Sugar Film" is not the typical boring documentary
movie but it is one worth the appraisal for it has taught me awareness as to what I should be
feeding my body.
One of the ironic situation nowadays is that we tend to become concern about our
appearance and health condition without fully taking into consideration our food intake and the
effects it causes to our bodies. The common notion is that we regard fats as the culprit of specific
and common health illnesses such as obesity, heart attack, liver failure and many more. Although
it is true, we forget to remember that there is a different type of fats which are either healthy or
unhealthy. With these reasons, the first solution that one could think of to lessen the possibility
of gaining diseases is to lose weight through cutting off foods with fatty components and
resorting to low-fat diet foods, not being aware that it leads one to a higher risk of acquiring
health illnesses.
When we say “low-fat” foods, healthy foods immediately come to mind. However, few
are aware that there are varieties of foods with low-fat content such as fruits and vegetables
which are nutritious and processed food, which despite having low-fat content, contains a lot of
sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. And watching the video, I have come to realize that this is
the common misconception of people and I am no exception.
Way back in high school, I decided to change my diet. Similar to the man in the movie, I
would alternate yogurt, bread, cereal, sterilized milk, and smoothies for my breakfast and I
would have rice or pasta for my lunch and dinner believing that although I am eating a lesser
portion of food, I am still receiving the right amount of nutrients. Moreover, I also learned to
discipline myself in drinking soft drinks, junk foods, chocolates and started drinking water or
fruit juice and fresh fruits to satisfy my cravings. With all honesty, I was truly proud of myself
for these small changes in my lifestyle until I have watched the film.
First of all, the film taught me that these so-called healthy foods are not as healthy as we
think of them. Although there are indications that they are natural, low-fat, organic and all, they
still contain hidden sugars that gradually affect our body causing obesity, fatty liver, acne
breakouts, mood swings, etc. I have understood that the reason why I only experience few to no
positive effect on my body is because I was doing it wrong all along. And now I am scared for
my health knowing that for the past years, I have been eating these processed foods without
restrictions.
Due to our excessive eating of processed food, our sugar intake becomes undeniably
high. As eating these kinds of foods is already embedded in our culture, it has already become
hard for people to not crave it. Even if it is not directly stated, I can imply that the hidden sugar
plays like a food drug that is open for all. In the experiment of Mr. Gameau, it was shown how it
elevates his appetite and mood as it is said that adding sweetness makes any food palatable. I
compared sugar to drugs as we eat high sugar foods, it lightens up our mood for a certain period
of time. And when its effect subsides, we would again crave for more. Due to these, we often fail
to recognize that we are already being addicted to these foods to the point that we find it hard to
avoid them. I have developed an appreciation for sweet foods, especially for cakes, doughnuts,
milkshakes, milk teas, and ice creams and the like, to the point that my satisfaction depends on
them in the sense that I cannot fully enjoy a meal without the presence of dessert. With these in
mind, I certainly feel a sudden guilt for myself per se because of my excessive consumption of
sweet foods and processed foods which is way too damaging because I thought that I was
making healthy decisions in life.
Other than the fat component of a food, one of the aspects that people consider in
choosing their personal diet plan is the calorie count. Calorie, in its simplest definition, is the unit
of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body. At the
ending of the film, it was revealed that Mr. Gameau was surprisingly consuming the same
amount of calories before and during his experimentation. This just proves that calories are not
the same and just like fats, there are those healthy and unhealthy ones such as those coming from
sugar which behave differently from the other. And as said by one of the characters in the movie,
"It is not the calories, it is the source of calories"
Sugar affects us not only physically but also mentally. And it is sad to think how people
are accustomed to it in such a way that they now find it difficult to minimize the consumption of
sugar their daily lives given that it has become part of man's culture and we are already well-
adjusted to its effects. However, I believe that this issue is not to be blamed on the sugar but to
the producers. The food industry was touched in the film and it was mentioned that companies
are already aware of these effects but continues to operate due to the play of money.
If only I have not watched the film, I would think of the overconsumption of sugar of
humans as no potential threat to society. However, this movie indeed opened my eyes to look
beyond and recognize that we are all being deceived, not by sugar per se, but by the industry
playing it. Nevertheless, this is a universal problem that can be addressed not only by a single
person, company or industry but by all of us. If this will not be solved immediately, it will be
guaranteed that humans can no longer live as long as those of our ancestor's life.
With all points considered, I have a single solution in mind. Healthy life is not about
wasting your time counting the fat content or amount of calories in a food nor completely
eradicating sugar in our diet. Sugar is still vital in our health however it should be consumed in
moderation. A healthy life is about right eating of food and regular exercise. Given that we are
already given the resources, let us just forget about the manufactured foods and resort to natural
foods that are rich in proteins, fiber, vitamins and other nutrients essential for the growth and
goodness of our body.
References:
Gameau, D. (Director). (2014). That Sugar Film [Motion Picture].