The Weight of the Nation for Kids

A companion to the earlier HBO-aired series on the American obesity epidemic (The Weight of the Nation, reviewed in VL-1/12), directors Shari Cookson and Nick Doob's three-part follow-up is presented in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. Part one, “The Great Cafeteria Takeover,” travels to Louisiana's Recovery School District, where some students displaced after Hurricane Katrina have formed a “Rethinker” group that focuses on healthier lunch options and local foods. Rethinker Victoria Carter cracks “it's a delicacy” when an unidentifiable entrée is offered, but the kids here are serious, including putting out a book, doing a press conference and presentations, and implementing surveys and plans to further improve awareness. “Kebreeya's Salad Days” follows the titular North Carolina teenager as she strives to break out of her family cycle of obesity and health problems, volunteers at a local elementary school (where the kids plant a garden), and pushes for a salad bar at her high school. Finally, the more generalized “Quiz Ed” rattles off trivia, features segments with real-life kids, and explores topics ranging from the benefits of physical activity to the use of color for motivation in snack advertising. Sure to get young people thinking about making smart lifestyle changes, this is recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (J. Williams-Wood)