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The Weight of the World

2003 51 min
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This fascinating documentary looks at obesity. Stockholm’s Dr. Stephan Rossner, an obesity specialist, proves beyond doubt that obesity is a man-made epidemic. Super-sized fast foods and a $12 billion ad industry are proving to be lethal when mixed with a car-dominated culture, urban sprawl and labour-saving technologies. This film was launched by the NFB and the CBC in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada.

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The Weight of the World

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This fascinating documentary looks at obesity. Stockholm’s Dr. Stephan Rossner, an obesity specialist, proves beyond doubt that obesity is a man-made epidemic. Super-sized fast foods and a $12 billion ad industry are proving to be lethal when mixed with a car-dominated culture, urban sprawl and labour-saving technologies. This film was launched by the NFB and the CBC in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada.

Health and Medicine Food and Food Industries Urbanism Social Issues All subjects
Hot Topics All channels
  • director
    Glynis Whiting
  • writer
    Glynis Whiting
  • producer
    Michael Allder
    Tracey Friesen
  • narration
    David Suzuki
  • editor
    Stuart De Jong
  • cinematographer
    Derek Kennedy
    Ken Hewlett
  • animation
    Philip Street
    John Fraser
  • composer
    Doug Blackley
  • sound supervisor
    Gael MacLean
  • set design
    Jacques Raphoz
  • associate director
    Renée Moreau Burns
  • additional editing
    R. Neil Thompson
  • visual research
    Gina Cali
  • additional camera
    Peter Fisher
    John Bailey
    Bill Stunden
    Steve Leech
    David Doherty
    Greg Bruce
  • sound recordist
    Sanjay Mehta
    Peter Kettlewell
    Brent Caulkin
    Bjorn Thisell
    Jeff Henschel
  • lighting director
    Tony Hammond
    Rob Nicholson
  • lighting
    Janice Fraser
    Tyler Davidson
    Sinisa Mitrovic
    Tony Connor
    Martin Devenyi
  • switcher
    Pat Conley
  • audio board
    Brett Manion
  • video
    Janet Westheuser
  • staging crewleader
    Ken Gray
    Chris Papadopoulos
  • set decorator
    Romke DeVos
    Brad Lemee
  • staging
    Bill Smith
    Bill Couto
    Wayne Belvin
    Mike Garstang
    Rick Lyon
  • makeup
    Sandi Sokol
  • production manager
    Sandy Bourque
    Maureen Prentice
  • graphics design consultant
    Terry O'Neill
  • digital ink
    Hélène Morency
  • digital paint
    Hélène Morency
  • storyboard
    Gary Pearson
  • assistant film editor
    Kelsey Whiting-Hewlett
  • online editor
    Allan Pinvidic
  • VTR
    Anthony Chung-King
    Karen Donelly
  • program assistant
    Jill Kinsella
  • assistant to executive producer
    Erin Rayner
  • production clerk
    Christine Sears
  • production assistant
    Lana Gudlaugson
    Molly Asseltine
  • translator
    Ebba K. Pate
  • transcription typist
    Pamela Pellegrini
  • production stills
    Cliff Spicer
  • post services
    Finale Editworks
  • sound services
    Post Modern Sound
  • re-recording mixer
    Mark Hensley
    Ian Emberton
  • sound editor
    Tony Gort
    Stephen Cheung
  • foley
    Rick Senechal
    Michael Keeping
  • motion control
    Carousel Video Workshop
  • coordinating producer
    Michael Bennett
  • unit production manager
    June Hall
  • production supervisor
    Kathryn Lynch
  • program administrator
    Bruce Hagerman
  • executive producer
    Michael Allder
    Rina Fraticelli
    Graydon McCrea

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Education

Ages 10 to 17
Study Guides
Guide 1 Guide 2
School subjects
Family Studies/Home Economics - Consumer Awareness Family Studies/Home Economics - Food and Nutrition Health/Personal Development - Fitness/Physical Activities Health/Personal Development - Healthy Eating, Nutrition Health/Personal Development - Human Growth and Development Physical Education - Fitness
Pre-viewing: How much do your students know about obesity, its causes and dangerous effects on personal health? Are they aware that obesity has reached epidemic proportions? Post-viewing: Discuss all the factors that have led to increased rates of obesity. What can we, as a society, do to turn this trend around? Suggest some changes you could make in your own life to avoid health issue later on. A complement to this film could be the feature film, Supersize Me, produced by Morgan Spurlocke. A summative essay could be assigned to collate both sources of information.
The Weight of the World
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