Man Eats A High Sugar Diet For 60 Days… See The Horrible Results
You won’t believe his diagnosis!
Australian TV actor and filmmaker Damon Gameau stars as the “guinea pig” in That Sugar Film. It first aired in Australian movie theaters in early 2015.
From the That Sugar Film website,
THAT SUGAR FILM is one man’s journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as ‘healthy’. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves. THAT SUGAR FILM will forever change the way you think about ‘healthy’ food.
In the movie, Damon exists on “healthy” low-fat food with a high sugar content for 60 days. The results are shocking! Within three weeks, the previously healthy Damon is feeling horrible and irritated all the time.
After a visit to the doctor, it is determined that he has the beginnings of fatty liver disease.
He has no soft drinks, chocolate, ice cream or confectionery. All the sugars that he eats are found in perceived healthy foods such as low-fat yogurts, muesli bars, cereals, fruit juices and sports drinks. These are the kinds of foods that parents typically give to their children, thinking they’re doing the right thing.
These “hidden” sugars have a devastating effect on both his physical and mental health.
He puts on 10cm of visceral fat around his waist, and is informed that he is on the fast-track to obesity. He is also told that his mental functioning is “unstable”.
Damon increases his intake to 40 teaspoons of sugar a day, just slightly more than that of the average teenager worldwide. The recommended daily intake is a maximum of nine teaspoons a day, or six for women.
He now believes labeling is deliberately ambiguous, and that we need to be conscious that every four grams of sugar equals a teaspoon of sugar.
Despite keeping his calories the same, Damon never seemed to feel full.
Damon says, “We’re not being dogmatic and saying people having to quit sugar, it’s just being aware. Sugar’s now in 80 per cent of the processed food we’re eating. If we can remove that, that’s the first step towards making a change.”
The movie includes cameos from Stephen Fry, Isabel Lucas and Brenton Thwaites, and king of food campaigners Jamie Oliver has called the film a “definite must-see”.
Because Type 2 diabetes is killing someone every six seconds worldwide, Damon believes we’ve reached a point where we need to do something. The creators of That Sugar Film have secured funding to create an educational program centered around the movie. Its website offers tips, recipes and a study guide for kids, and will later grow into a larger hub, where people can take part in challenges such as cutting out sugar for 10 days.
As Damon says, “The last meal was for all the people out there, especially parents, who are led to believe they are doing the right and healthy thing for their children. They are making an effort, yet are horribly let down by the lack of integrity in marketing and packaging strategies.”
