By Jessie Gorges
Picture this: A world where the majority of the population has to take insulin shots, and the life expectancy of children is lower than their parents’. That’s exactly where we’re headed, according to the documentary Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat.
The film opens with an obese 12-year-old child. Brooke Bates and her parents list reasons for her weight gain and explain that diet and exercise didn’t work for her. So, instead of seeing a dietitian or personal trainer, they choose liposuction surgery to resolve the problem.
The creator of the film, Bryan Young, lists stress-induced cortisol, junk-food advertising to children, unhealthy school lunches and increased production of high-fructose corn syrup as the obesity epidemic’s main catalysts.
However, the documentary doesn’t just play the blame game. The film provides overwhelming statistics, showing how two thirds of the country is obese or overweight. Also, several complications associated with the disease, including diabetes and hypertension, are explained and revisited throughout the documentary.
To say the least, this film did not carry the same levity and lighthearted undertone as Super Size Me. The film gives parents a much-needed wake-up call: stop eating junk food, stop serving your kids junk food, teach and practice portion control and exercise more.
At times, however, the film drags, and bombards the viewers with excessive pedestrian commentary and not quite enough attention devoted to the experts that highlighted this film.
As for Brooke Bates, she gains back the 35 pounds of fat sucked out of her and heads to Mexico for weight loss surgery.