The kids are adorable, the snacks are terrifying, and the adults are mostly asleep at the wheel.
It’s “Supersize Me” meets “The Social Dilemma” (which my teammate Rob Kelly rated 90/100).
Trailer for “Way Beyond Weight”
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Food companies employ Harvard-trained strategists to study how to hook kids on sugar and salt—before they can even spell the word “nutrition.”
- Brazilian kids guzzle soda daily, and some can’t recall ever eating a sit-down family meal that wasn’t in front of a TV.
- In Kuwait, where oil wealth once meant abundance, childhood obesity rates now rival the highest in the world. Some schools reporting more than half of students classified as obese.
Watch “Way Beyond Weight”
You can watch “Way Beyond Weight” for free on Kanopy.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 94/100
- IMDB Rating: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: (100/100) Users, not yet rated (Critics)
Director’s Note: Estela Renner directed this 94-minute documentary. She is known for hard-hitting social issue films in Brazil. She also co-founded Maria Farinha Filmes, a company focused on impact-driven documentaries.
Release Date: 2012 (Brazil)
My Review of “Way Beyond Weight”
The Setup
This film crisscrosses continents (Brazil, the U.S., Kuwai). It shows how a global childhood obesity epidemic exploded within one generation. The doc blends candid family interviews with insights from health experts. The crisis is less about genetics and more about food systems, marketing, and culture.
More Highlights from the Doc
- This doc shows that more than 1/3 of Brazilian children are overweight.
- Doctors report treating 8-year-olds with Type 2 diabetes—once considered an “adult disease.”
- Parents openly admit that processed snacks became everyday meals because they’re cheap, convenient, and marketed as “fun.”
- Experts connect the dots between soda consumption and increased rates of childhood hypertension and fatty liver disease.
- One montage shows kids from different continents reciting the same brand jingles. This is proof of how deeply global advertising penetrates childhood culture.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Brazil was once famous for rice and beans. Now it imports massive amounts of processed foods, transforming its traditional diet within 20 years.
- Nutritionists reveal that some government programs aimed at “feeding children” actually rely on contracts with soda companies.
- Interviews with Kuwaiti families reveal a cultural shift: wealth is equated with giving kids anything they want. This includies fast food multiple times a day.
- The doc highlights how children’s media, including cartoons, games, and school events, are often laced with junk food sponsorships.
Wrap Up
“Way Beyond Weight” is about how corporations rewired global childhood diets in a single generation. A sobering watch, but one that might make you rethink what’s on your own dinner table.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc