Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

Overview

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a 2010 documentary film that follows the 60-day journey of Australian Joe Cross across the USA as he survives on fruit and vegetable juice alone. Under the watchful eye of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Nutrition Research Foundation's Director of Research, he crosses the country known more for its fast-food than its fast-juice, and along the way meet some inspirational and entertaining characters.

After watching the film at La Cigale in Parnell, the audience had the opportunity last Thursday night to hear from Joe Cross himself. Though the documentary is two years old, Joe is currently on a world tour promoting it, and it is due to air here in New Zealand on TV ONE Sunday, January 27 at 10.30pm and Sunday February 3 at 10.30pm.

The documentary is filmed in a very honest way, and Joe explained after the film when talking to the audience that what he believes sets him apart from other documentary makers, is that the film isn't a negative one. It doesn't blame the corporations, it doesn't point fingers. He demands that we, as humans, stand up and take responsibility for our own actions, our own bodies, our own choices. He says that "last two feet of freedom" from our plates to our mouths is truly ours - it can not be taken away from us. Governments and McDonald's can't force you to pick up the food on that plate and eat it, only you can.

Joe begins the movie as an unhappy, overweight and sick man. His 'aha' moment (or rather, his 'ono' moment) came on his 40th birthday when he looked in the mirror, and saw a very successful, wealthy, but overweight and miserable man looking back. Thus began his journey to a healthier lifestyle, and he thought, why not film the thing along the way?

During the film Joe meets some colourful American characters, including a man called Phil Staples, a morbidly obese truck driver from Shelden, Iowa, in a truck stop in Arizona. Phil it seems suffers from the same debilitating autoimmune disease as Joe, which Joe believes is caused from an unhealthy lifestyle. What unfolds is truly a heartwarming, honest, and sometimes hard-to-watch story of a man who is determined to pull himself up off the couch, and back out into the world, with the help of a kind and generous Australian man he randomly met at a truck stop.

What felt the most honest about the message, was that although there is a hollywood happy ending (if you don't stand and clap when you see the yellow shirt at the end there is something wrong with you) Joe answered honestly about Phil today when an audience member asked how he was doing now, during audience question time. Joe responded that Phil was "doing OK". He lost the bulk of his weight as we saw, but has had some relapses and put some back on. Joe explained that Phil was back down to a healthy weight and trying to pass on his new healthy lifestyle to those around him. The honesty surrounding that moment did more for Joe's credibility then anything else could have.

He admitted this isn't the solution, it's just a piece of the solution. Robooting your system (and clearing out all the crap) for a period of 5-60 days (depending on your body and needs/desires from the juice cleanse) is just the start. You need a diet overhaul and a lifestyle change. You need to make an effort, and you need to make that effort every single day. Sometimes, like Phil - you may fall off the bandwagon. But don't get down on yourself for that. Give yourself the props you deserve for trying. Most people don't even try.

While juice cleansing divides some doctors and nutritionists, the process clearly has worked for Joe, Phil, and the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who have taken part. According to the interweb, sales of Breville juicer's more than doubled in the USA after the release of the film on Netflix in July 2011. That's a lot of people juicing and leading healthier lives.

Whether or not you believe in fasting, juice cleansing or living a healthy lifestyle with a predominately natural fruit and vegatable diet, the documentary is certainly worth a watch.