Overfed & Undernourished

Eleven-year-old Australian lad Liam weighs in at 176 pounds at the beginning of this documentary, but by film's end he's a lot lighter, although the journey has been a hard one. Overfed & Undernourished covers familiar ground concerning the difference between eating real food that is actually nourishing vs. the processed junk that fills bellies but leaves cells starving. Rather than reduce that accepted wisdom to a stream of statistics, however, the film's personal take on the subject makes one young child's well-being a matter of empathy and urgency. Liam goes to stay with his extended family for a few months in order to have access to nutritionists and fitness trainers. His daily diet is plant-based with a bit of protein, and his new regimen includes running, climbing steps, and working in a vegetable garden. Liam also pays a visit to Joe Cross, the fellow Aussie who directed the much-praised documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (VL-1/12). Granted, the lifestyle changes here are not likely to be as much fun for a kid as playing Xbox games all night and eating pizza, but in the end Liam looks and sounds much happier. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)