The film Heavyweights, filmed in 1995, was a popular children’s movie depicting adolescents attending a summer camp for overweight kids. This film fits in perfectly with other children’s movies of its time, including Hook, 3 Ninjas, and The Mighty Ducks. The slew of children’s comedies mixed with adult humor shows what consumers were looking for in a movie. Most notably, all of these movies (and most predominantly Heavyweights) address the issue of child obesity.
The physical environment of the movie is the summer camp. In the beginning, it is happy place where the kids are free to behave as they wish, and their obesity issues are overlooked. When the camp is taken over by a new leader who enforces weight loss, it becomes a dismal place. This shift from informal to a strict, military-like structure happens dramatically. How this reflects on society will be discussed further, but it is important to consider the dual nature of the summer camp.
The kids attending the camp represent all parts of the country, and all fall between the ages of 10-14 years old. However, this does not necessarily reflect the intended viewing audience, as it ranges from much younger children to adults. Status within the camp very much reflects behavior and how the characters fit in. For example, one of the older children (Josh) is rebellious and defies the new leadership of the camp. Because of this, it makes him an unofficial spokesman for all of the children. Also, because he is older he shaves, and the other kids look up to him for that.
Obesity and opposition are the two main issues of this film. The issue of obesity, treated lightly in the beginning of the film and then severely by the end, reflects society’s approach to weight loss. To ...
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...and end of the film, it is clear that there is a substantial amount of freedom within a summer camp, and it can be as good as you make it. The camp counselors are portrayed in two lights – one as adult kids who are irresponsible, and the opposing as dictators who never give you a break. This film also sets a standard for friendships, as the kids were willing to look out for each other and help one another.
Analyzing the physical environment, society, consequences, responsibility, and standards of the film Heavyweights gives a greater understanding of what this movie is teaching. The most pressing issue of the film, child obesity, is addressed lightheartedly and left unresolved. Children’s movies such as this teach children how to interact with one another and define roles within a society. Heavyweights teaches much more than what children do at a summer camp.
Obesity is a serious epidemic that majority of Americans face. The dangerous of obesity should not be taken lightly and addressed admittedly. However, the big question is how or why do some individuals stay skinny or become fat. The movie Weight of The Nations, Part 2: choice helps us explore this unanswered question to give us a better understanding of how this problem has gotten so out of control. This movie targets the obese society in America. This documentary uses scientist to research and address techniques to help people prevent weight gain and loss unhealthy weight. Most Americans want quick fixes to this problem, but have to realize big changes take time, but offer big results. Over all, the idea is to get people motivated by positive results to live a healthier live style.
As the rising epidemic of obesity has attracted considerable media attention, so has the promotion for maintaining healthy wellbeing. Tom Naughton’s documentary, Fat Head, is a stellar model of this media attention. It examines the exact cause of weight gain, and the reliability of the Government’s nutritional guidelines. The contention of Fat Head is that the U.S Government and Morgan Spurlock (the creator of Super Size Me) present misleading information. However, Naughton’s bias becomes apparent through the careful selection of film techniques, and the silencing of certain characters, who may express opposing viewpoints. The ideal audience of this documentary, parents and concerned parties such as medical professionals, are invited to agree that the U.S Government and Spurlock are deceptive.
Their goal was to be cast against public health officials and they wanted to be “represented as the voices denying the health risks of obesity” (Johnston & Taylor, 2008) and for them to recognize “the gender and class implications of fat
This documentary shows great examples on how obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic as important as terrorism according to Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona. He stated, “Obesity is a terror within. It destroys our society from within….” If we don’t take responsibility and change our horrible eating patter we are going to be doomed. One of the main reasons for obesity other than the lack of a healthy diet is the modernization of our world. In the years when our parents...
The film starts with what the government and many food companies say: that people become obese because do not exercise as much as they eat, and that obesity is caused by lack of effort. As the film suggest, exercise can moderate
A five year old is the epitome of innocence and naiveté. But as time progresses, this fragility is lost and children must learn gradually cope with the outside world and mature via gaining new experiences that grant them wisdom and knowledge. Three characters, Jem, Scout, and Dill in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee living during the Depression-era in Maycomb County, deal with the harsh reality of Maycomb’s racism and prejudice while maturing through gaining knowledge, experience, and courage. The kids grow up learning many lessons from Atticus or from their own experiences. In her depiction of Jem, Scout, and Dill, Lee reveals their maturation from being the children they are to having a thorough understanding of their society and the people within it.
The movie The Breakfast Club is a perfect example of peer relationships in the adolescent society. It shows the viewer some of the main stereotypes of students in high school you have a jock, a nerd, the weirdo, a rebel, and a prep. Over the course of a Saturday detention the different types of peers learn a lot about one another by hearing what each one has done to get into Saturday detention as well as why they chose to do it.
In "Too Much of a Good Thing," Greg Critser, author of Supersize, pushes his opinion on the rising epidemic of obesity in America. Critser cites the devastating statistics on this rise in size to further the impact of his point. By stating the many problems that amass to an obesity epidemic, Critser is able to propose his remedy to the masses. Critser conveys that stigmatizing overeating is all that society must undertake to solve this tragedy. Critser is careful to distinguish between the sin and the sinner, but does not apologize when pushing the fact that we need to teach children to eat less. Citing statistics on the shocking increase in the percentages of childhood obesity, Critser
Growing up is a difficult task. This is true especially Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Using many examples of the loss of childhood innocence, Lee shows us that a corrupted society leads to growing up faster and one’s childhood being stripped away. Through Jem, the eldest of the Finch children, and Scout, the youngest, the readers see how a trial in 1930s Alabama takes a toll on young minds. Jem and Scout grow up more than expected when their summer consists of nothing but a racist trial. In Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that growing up leads to loss of innocence, especially in troubling times.
I believe this movie does a good job incorporating what we have discussed in class in terms of adolescent development. Although the movie is greatly exaggerated and blown up, the movie does emphasize on key factors to the development of an adolescent. Aside from the self-identity and friendship, the film incorporates parental relationships, academics, teacher-student relationships, risky behaviors, and moral development during adolescent
However, there is more at stake here than what these two groups ultimately believe to be true. The percentage of obese children in the United States has risen from 5% in 1980 to almost 20% in 2012. Factors such as food choices and fitness levels are contributing greatly to this problem. Obese children eventually become obese adults and bring along with them many adverse medical conditions. These medical conditions such as diabetes are known to be severe and place a shorter life expectancy on the people it affects. Ultimately, what is at stake here is childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States due to people’s failure to eat the proper foods and as a result of children followin...
In today’s society, childhood obesity is no big surprise, we are “used to it.” In “Young Kids, Old Bodies” by Alice Park we are shown many graphs and pictures and each depicts a different story depending on the page the reader is on. As the reader reads along each page the different pictures/graphs set the stage for the author’s words.
The illusion of innocence is deeply instilled in the outlook of children. Reality soon takes its grip as kids begin to grow and mature, and they lose their pure qualities that they have once possessed. Their father Atticus shelters Jem and Scout from the town’s disease, teaching them the act of sympathy and how to distinguish the good aspects over glaring at the imperfections of people. The loss of innocence portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is exposed as the lives of Jem, Scout, and Dill go through their racist and prejudice society, learning how the worlds dreamlike qualities is nothing more than just a childhood fable. The children’s judgment of people and society quickly sheds as Lee displays the harsh realities to Jem, Dill,
Hingle, Melanie, and Dale Kunkel. "Childhood Obesity and the Media." Pediatric clinics of North America 59.3 (2012): 677. Print.
The year 7 camp was supposed to make us year 7 kids start to interact and socialise to know each other better as we will need to work together as a team later in the year. On the camp, I had to take responsibility for my own belongings and look after myself.