Australian-made documentary Overfed & Undernourished is being screened all over the country in response to the alarming World Health Organisation stats that predict by the year 2030 one billion of us will be obese. With Townsville being the plumpest in regional Queensland (70% of residents are obese or overweight*), health coach Donna Leigh is hosting a screening this weekend to try to hammer this hefty message home.

“This is an Australian movie about an 11-year-old Brisbane boy who weighs 80kg,” Donna tells. “It’s one boy’s journey – a global epidemic – with a simple solution. It’s real, and it’s something parents, teachers, mentors and role models need to see. It will change lives.”

Donna has secured screenings in Townsville, Mackay, Cairns and Atherton through her health and wellness business Health Tribe and says growing obesity rates, along with increasing incidence of diabetes, allergies and behavioural problems, can be attributed to food.

“If we don’t teach our children to connect to wholefoods and nourish themselves from the inside out, we are in trouble,” she says. “A lot of kids are drinking soft drinks at the age two and it’s frightening.”

“We are stretched for time, working such long hours, and are so stressed that we’re taking shortcuts and going for the quick fix and it’s costing our health” – Donna Leigh

Donna says the movie; produced and directed by Troy Jones and featuring Dr Anthony Golle Joe Cross, Dr John Demartini, Dr Arne Rubinstein and Don Tolman; is inspiring as it shows how small changes can have big results. And it’s steps we can all implement.

“With our climate, you’d think we would be thriving, but we have such an overweight problem,” Donna says. “We are stretched for time, working such long hours, and are so stressed that we’re taking shortcuts and going for the quick fix and it’s costing our health.”

She says it’s a matter of eating more fresh fruit and veg, increasing water consumption, and eating less preservatives, sugar and packaged foods.

“For children, they love to create, so make meal times fun family time reconnecting,” she says. “If possible, get outside with them and create a veggie garden — they’ll love to watch food grow, and then they can pick things and bring them into the kitchen to turn it into a meal, juice or smoothie.

“Children are losing that real connection to food as it’s easier for us fall into the trap of packaged meals.”

Watch the Overfed & Undernourished trailer here:

The Overfed & Undernourished screening is on Sunday, August 31 at Grace Crowd (YWAM building) at 125 Ingham Road West End. The event starts at 2.30pm with a health exhibition. The 3.30pm movie screening will be followed with a 5pm Q&A; session with a local panel of health experts including Leanne Scott from Core Nourishment, Paleo Café’s Kymbo Westcott, Wendy Soper from Optimal Wellness Clinic and Captain Active — Townsville’s resident superhero who spreads the living and eating active message to families and schools.

Donna plans to bring more screenings to Townsville in the coming months, which she will announce at this event.

Thanks to Sprout which is supporting the screening and allowed us to photograph in the Hyde Park supermarket.

* Source: Roy Morgan research involving 20,000 people.

Movie Screening Giveaway

We have two double passes to give away to the Townsville screening. Just comment below with why you would like to come along. We will announce the winner Thursday evening via the email address you supply. Good luck! 🙂