1. What motivated you to make this film?
I just began to notice the amount of conflicting advice there was for people about sugar. Some articles used words like ‘toxic’, while others said it was ‘essential for energy.’ With a baby on the way I thought the only way to find out the truth for myself was to conduct an experiment.
2. You put your body on the line to make a powerful point about sugar. How much weight did you gain (and over what period of time) by going on a high-sugar diet? And what were the effects of that?
I guess the key of the film is that I ate no chocolate, lollies, ice cream or confectionary, I only ate perceived ‘healthy foods’ that are full of hidden sugars. I did this for 60 days. I put on 8.5 kilograms overall, developed fatty liver disease, early signs of pre type 2 diabetes, increased heart disease risks and it certainly took a toll on my mental well-being. This all came from eating the same amount of calories as my previous diet.
3. Have you had any push back from the sugar lobby?
Not as yet but they haven’t seen the film as far as I am aware. The science is very strong now that sugar does cause these effects that I experienced so it will be interesting to see their response. I urge anyone interested to visit www.sugarscience.com
4. We’ve all got an Achilles Heel when it comes to the sugar fix we just can’t give up. What’s yours?
I still love a piece of dark chocolate every now and then and my girlfriend Zoe makes some wonderful chocolates using whole fruit as the sweetener. In the old days I was a sucker for sticky date pudding.
5. What next for That Sugar Film? (International festivals etc) And what next for you? (upcoming projects)
We have had a terrific response to the film and have sold it to many countries around the world including the USA where it will be released by the same company that did Super Size Me. We also have a schools screening program and a curriculum study guide for grades 5 to 10 so I don’t think I will be able to even think about another project for a while. I am very proud of the film and the book and want to follow the message through so it can be seen by the people that really need to see it.
That Sugar Film is screening around the country from March. For more information on screenings go here.
