After New York film-maker Morgan Spurlock who ate McDonald's for 30 days, a man followed his footsteps and had undergone sugar-heavy diet for 60 days to see the impact of sugar to the health. Damon Gameau, a filmmaker and TV actor, will appear in 'That Sugar Film' wherein he will follow a diet of eating 'healthy, low-fat food with high sugar content'.
After three weeks of conforming to his diet, he claims changes in his body including feeling moody and sluggish. The doctor revealed he is developing fatty liver disease which is a condition in the liver that can lead to liver failure. He said that he did not consume 'unhealthy sugars' because he had no sodas, chocolates, ice cream or confectionery. Instead, he ate 'healthy' low fat foods with sugar such as yoghurt, cereals, fruit juices, sports drinks and muesli bars. "...these kind of things that often parents would give their kids thinking they're doing the right thing," he explained.
According to his nutritionist, he consumed about 40 teaspoons of sugar a day which is slightly more than the average consumption of teenagers worldwide. Based on the average intake of Americans, the regular intake is about 20 teaspoons of sugar a day as reported by the American Heart Association. However, the normal intake should be 6 teaspoons for women and about 9 teaspoons for men.
Gameau confirms that the sugar diet he is in would make him hungry all the time and this happens even if he keeps on eating. Furthermore, his physical and mental state became unstable. He had gained four inches of visceral fat around his waist and he is gearing towards the obesity marker.
On his final meal in the show, his food contains a juice, a jam sandwich, a bar and other snacks which are the common contents of a child's lunchbox in school. He said that the last meal is a wakeup call to parents who believe that they are giving healthy foods for their kids.
He reiterated that the show's purpose is not to ban sugar from the diet. Rather, to be aware of the required intake of sugar that needs to be followed to avoid health problems such as obesity, diabetes and even heart problems. The film will be released in movie theaters in Australia in February 2015 but United States release dates are not yet listed in their website.