Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010)

Excellent but underrated film

Absolutely Fantastic

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Many years ago, I wrote an article about Hippocrates Institute in Florida, so I had to go there. Hippocrates concentrates on a whole food diet, wheat grass juice, with a day of fasting drinking only juice (not just wheat grass as I recall).I hated it. I lost my appetite totally and the wheat grass juice was beyond awful.I came back after a week, ten pounds thinner, and I hadn't been overweight to begin with. I also saw the results it had for the other people there, mostly people who had been given a terminally ill diagnosis for cancer. By using whole, unprocessed, raw foods, Hippocrates has cured people all over the world.I had no idea that "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" extolled the virtues of juicing and of whole food. For some reason I thought it was about eating junk food, like Supersize Me or whatever it was. Instead, it was about a man named Joe Cross who "rebooted" and lost a tremendous amount of weight by doing a 60-day juice fast and then moving on to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and continuing with his exercise program. He also was able to get off of all of his medications - he has a chronic immune disorder.Walking around New York City, Joe interviews a lot of people, and some of their answers are not only funny but expressed how many people feel. "I want to die happy," someone said, which reminded me of a big Hollywood producer interviewed about Chasen's Restaurant: "We led shorter lives, but fuller lives," he said. Joe also is able to help people, a woman with migraines who did a short juice fast and fits it into her lifestyle now, with no more migraines.Then we meet Phil, a 429-pound truck driver, who meets Joe and later begs him for help. His transformation was unbelievable, down to something like 227 pounds, off all of his meds, blood work excellent, and on an exercise program. He also opened a community juice bar and is now a nutritional trainer.I should point out that Phil's story is a complicated one and I believe is continued in FS&ND-2, which I haven't seen. I have read about Phil's journey since the end of the first film, though.One can't help but be moved and inspired by this film. A 60-day juice fast would be tough, but the health aspect of eating better is something to think about. Having seen the difference in women's appearances after just 14-days following Dr. Perricone's health plan - it's obvious that a healthy lifestyle, with the occasional treat, is critical.

When you watch this movie and think to yourself "That looks great.. but I just cant do it because(insert any reason here).." Then you need to stop and examine your thought process from a different angle.and realize thats what many many people in your position do. You can't have so much negativity in your heart. If you really want to change, you can! Drugs were my life for 6 years.i was always irritable, i was morbidly obese, and i was constantly unmotivated and depressed, and on top of all of that I was slow minded. I changed. I realized the utter insanity that was my existence. I started exercising, I quit smoking cigs, I quit doing pills, I started eating right and working out everyday, and I saw a drastic change in my life. I learned willpower and how to use it, I saw peoples motivations more clearly, I started to understand people better, I understand life better. Never give in to the negativity in your heart, and never become lazy and complacent. The dark corners of your psyche will try to tell you whatever you want to hear to keep you down and unhappy. Maybe you'll tell yourself you ARE happy with being fat and in danger of diabetes, maybe you'll convince yourself you like the terrible foods your eating and that makes it OK to do it, that you'll never be like those other people who lose limbs and their life.. Well, as previously stated, that is what so many people do! Don't fall prey to that vicious mind set. Stay positive, realize the adaptability of the body god/evolution/whateveryouwanttobelieve gave you, and trust in that. I thought it would be terrible eating healthy because I assumed my taste would not change, but it does! You start to love the way healthy food tastes, and you feel good about eating it too! bam!! double enjoyment! Even if you don't agree with the way I'm trying to express this message to you(maybe my grammars not to your taste, maybe my diction could use work) still at least see the wisdom I'm trying to share. Negativity begets negativity- If you think negative, you do negative without even realizing it because you rationalize it to yourself. You can do whatever you truly set your mind to, you just need to realize you'll tell yourself negative things because you are afraid of change. Please, live better. Live happy, and once you live in happiness it is so much easier to have compassion for others. Everything is so much easier, and takes on a totally different light.This review isn't so much a review, as it is an attempt to help someone... anyone.

I watched this DVD today. The story it tells and info it imparts is an inspiration! If you are struggling with being overweight, watching might be the best 90+ minutes you can spend. I'm sure a lot of people will wring their hands about the value of juicing or the difference between juicing, blending and masticating. Don't get caught up in the small details. Yes, exercise isn't emphasized as much, but Phil is seen running,etc; It might be that the filmmakers considered exercise a given.YES! Exercise if you will in any form you safely can do. If you have problems with juicing, then eat the fruits and vegetables whole. Just get the stuff down and eliminate, as much as you can, processed/refined foods. If the idea of fasting w/juice (or eating whole fruit/veggies) for 60 days is repelling to you, then consider 30 days, or 10, or, heck, try 3 days, or 30 hours... I ordered my blender today...Amazon has a great selection. Take Care!

What started out as an easy going documentary about a juice diet, ends up being something altogether more profound and life affirming. We meet Joe Cross, a very likable Aussie who travels to the States, the home of junk food, to start a juice only diet, with a juicer hooked up to his car battery and a vast array of fruit and veg. He decides to hang around outside some of the fast food places he used to frequent. He also interviews people he meets about their diets or lack of them and their anticipated life expectancies. Most of the results are shocking. Most of the overweight people don't think they have the willpower to change, and in some cases are accepting that they will die in their 50s. Joe sticks with his diet for 60 days, and he manages to lose a lot of weight. The film becomes more profound when he meets Phil Staples, a truck driver with even bigger weight issues than Joe. He reaches out and asks Joe for help. The results are staggering. Joe's weight loss is excellent, but Phil's eventual weight loss is even more spectacular. Phil becomes an advocate for the juice diet and turns his life around 360. Overall this film is life affirming and touching. It espouses the benefits of a simpler diet, and is a celebration of life rather than a sermon. It's worth watching. Not sure I would be brave enough to try that diet though. Maybe when I hit 400 pounds !