Funny Movie About a Serious Topic
David D. Dixon | Livermore, CA United States | 02/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Fat Head" is simultaneously a send-up of Morgan Spurlock's "Supersize Me" and an expose' on the state of nutrition "science". Using humor and Pythonesque cartoons, Tom Naughton does a good job of tipping many sacred cows on the topic of nutrition, showing how the government, media, and special interests combined to yield the current situation: people are eating what's supposedly "healthy", yet are developing metabolic diseases like diabetes at an alarming and increasing rate.
The core premise of the movie is to revisit "Supersize Me", where Spurlock supposedly showed the evils of fast food by eating nothing but McDonald's for a month. Spurlock gained 25 pounds, was issued a variety of dire health warnings by his doctor, etc. Naughton turns this idea on it's head: he also ate only fast food for a month, but used his "functioning brain". Rather than just blindly eating whatever was available, he avoided those foods which science has shown contribute to metabolic problems like obesity, including sodas, french fries, too much bread, etc. The result? Eating nothing but double Big Macs and the like, he lost over 12 pounds in 28 days and his cholesterol went down. The expression on his doctor's face alone is worth the price of the DVD.
"Fat Head" is very funny and discusses the science of fat gain and loss in an manner which is easily understood. My kids (8 and 4) watched it with me, and they "got it". Get a copy and share it with your friends and family."
Fun, Provocative, Informative
Alonzo | Kansas City, MO USA | 02/08/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Amusing, likable, and amazingly informative, "Fat Head" is both a documentary response to Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me" and a muckraking expose of the lowfat-eating dogma. You think this is a trivial matter? One doctor involved in researching the supposed benefits of eating lowfat called its theoretical basis -- the "lipid hypothesis" -- "perhaps the greatest scientific fraud of the 20th century." "Fat Head" is also a triumph of self-financed, hands-on, DYI filmmaking, plain-speaking funny-regular-guy division. Watch it. You'll learn a ton as well as be very amused. Loads of personality and flair, an honesty about what it encounters -- and the simple animations it's full of are little miracles of info-compression and info-clarity."
Get This Movie! You Won't Regret It!
GavinJ | San Antonio, TX USA | 02/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My review cannot adequately do this movie justice! It is so informative and entertaining.
This is the information you've longed to hear and understand. Mr. Naughton has a way of explaining how our bodies work that is so understandable. He brings in respected doctors who also add to the documentary/comedy. It's very entertaining and such a wonderful work! I'm thinking of buying this for all of my family.
This contradicts everything you've ever been told about diet and heart disease with true science to back it up.
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It took me 29 years, but I'm finally converted!
IbeforeJ | PA | 03/31/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been an avid follower of the low-fat diet craze ever since I started yo-yo dieting in college. After having my son 2 years ago, I was over 215lbs, so I turned to cutting calories and, in August 2008, I started Nutrisystem.
I've lost over 73lbs so far, but after seeing "Fat Head", I'm finally seeing the facts of low-carb diets and I'm off the Nutrisystem wagon. "Fat Head" is a funny and immensely informational documentary that goes into the "bologna" of the low-fat diet craze. Like many people in the US, we're told that fat (especially animal fat) is bad and should be avoided at all costs. Instead, have a piece of bread or a bowl of Special K. "Bologna" says Tom and I believe him!
My father died a few years ago from a heart attack at 55. He went on Atkins about 5 years prior and I remember comments afterwards like "there's no telling what that diet did to his system." Since I can remember though, my father also liked his large share of carbs and battled his love of food and his desire to lose that last stubborn 30lbs. After seeing "Fat Head", I can only now assume that all of those carbs he loved so much were the real culprit behind his heart disease- not the fact that he was on Atkins for 6 months.
Thank you Tom for making me see the light at 29, while I still have time to start making changes that will help insure I see 56."