My Big Fat Diet
(2008, 42 minutes)

What happens when a small town goes on a diet for a year?
Supersize Me meets Northern Exposure in “My Big Fat Diet”, a documentary about how the Namgis First Nation of Alert Bay takes up a dietary challenge and returns to a traditional style of eating for a year. The rules were simple: eat lots of protein, fat, and vegetables; give up sugar, junk food, and starch.
Obesity and diabetes are now worldwide epidemics, but the rates are especially high in Aboriginal populations. Mainstream experts say it's the result of sedentary lifestyles and a diet rich in fat. Métis physician, Dr. Jay Wortman, says, NOT. We follow the stories of six people who forgo sugar and junk food for a year, as Dr. Jay tries to prove his controversial theory that carbohydrates, not fat, are feeding the diabetes and obesity epidemic.
Funny, heartfelt and thought-provoking, this account of a small town's battle of the bulge raises questions about everything we ever thought was true about diet.

Director: Mary Bissell
Producers: Barb Cranmer, Christian Bruyère, Mary Bissell

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