This film highlights the harmful effects of sugar and processed food, helps people understand the risks of diabetes, and shows those at risk the lifestyle changes that can lead to better health.
The story begins in a rural farming community in Asia. When the family comes on hard times, they decide to leave their village to find a better life in the city. The father gets a job driving a taxi and the mother gets a factory job. They sit a lot and start eating junk foods that are high in added sugar and refined carbs. They all gain weight, especially the father who develops the classic symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.
With the encouragement of the son, the family gets help from a nurse and makes changes in their activity and the way they eat. Grandma helps too, and together they make a plan to get healthy again.
The film promotes a return to a traditional way of eating and healthy local foods from the market as well as walking every day. The emphasis is on the family as the focus for change, not just the identified patient.
Our goal is to help the general public connect with the scenario in the film by relating to the body-types, eating habits and lifestyles depicted in the story, leading to an “aha” moment that compels them to make healthy changes.
Director & Animator: Yoni Goodman
Producer & Story: Deborah Van Dyke
Art: Yoni Goodman
Associate Producers: Peter Cardellichio, Mark Binder
English Narration: Uri Kalian
Music, Sound FX and Mix: Uri Kalian, Sweetsound
Content Experts: Dr Carol Greenlee, Dr Noel Somasundaram, Dr Richard Katzman, Dr Dinesh Neupane
This film was produced with the support of donations from friends from the Mad River Valley, Vermont – and beyond.
Copyright 2024 Global Health Media Project
Sugar.
I never imagined something so sweet could be so harmful.
Growing up, my family worked the land
and ate fresh food we grew and gathered.
We were strong and healthy.
We came on hard times though,
and left our village to find work
and a better life in the city.
In some ways, life became easier.
Instead of the hard work of farming,
my father drove a taxi,
and my mother had a factory job.
We sat a lot more.
Our food also changed.
We bought sweets, sugary drinks, and fast food.
It tasted so good and was fast and easy.
Our family began to look like our city relatives.
My father got a big belly.
He was proud of it.
He said it was a sign we had enough money
to eat well.
One day, I saw a notice for diabetes testing.
The man on the poster looked a lot like my father.
I was surprised my father had signs of diabetes.
He was thirsty a lot, peeing often,
had blurred vision, and he sure was tired.
My father didn't think he had a problem,
but since his brother had lost his leg to diabetes,
he agreed to get tested.
Sadly, my father's blood had a lot of sugar in it.
The nurse said he had diabetes.
It turned out that my father's big belly
was a sign of his poor health.
The nurse explained that eating too much,
especially sweets and starchy foods,
makes unhealthy fat inside the belly.
It's different from the soft fat we can pinch.
Fat inside the belly leads to diseases like diabetes.
She explained that when we eat,
sweet things turn into sugar,
but other foods do too,
especially starchy foods like rice, potatoes, and bread.
A lot of sugar is hidden in processed food.
Diabetes makes sugar build up in the blood
and damages the blood vessels and nerves.
People are more likely to have heart attacks,
strokes, kidney disease, and blindness.
They may also get dementia,
becoming forgetful and confused.
Injured nerves make feet numb,
so people don't feel injuries which can get infected
and lead to amputation.
Nerve damage can even make the penis weak.
It was a terrible disease,
but the good news was that my father could control diabetes
and not get those problems.
The nurse explained that our new way of life
was the reason for my father's problems.
To get healthy, he had to eat better,
eat less, and be more active.
Now my father had diabetes.
My uncle did too.
I realized my whole family was at risk.
I went to see my grandma.
When she grew up, there was no junk food
and no one had diabetes.
We made a plan together.
First, we stopped buying sweets and fast foods.
Instead, we shopped at markets for fresh food,
vegetables, whole grains, and foods high in protein
like beans, eggs, and fish.
Then we cooked the traditional food
that's kept us well for generations.
My grandma said home cooking is the only sure way
to guarantee we're eating healthy food.
We also ate less with healthier portions and not much rice.
And last, we started walking every morning.
Over that year, my father lost his belly.
His blood sugar got better and his energy came back.
We all became healthier and we really didn't miss the sugar.
Remember, eat real food, cook it yourself, and be active.
Your family can be healthy too.
