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The Kids Menu

The Kids Menu

2016

Director

Kurt Engfehr

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

THE KIDS MENU is a feature documentary from the team that brought you "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." As filmmaker Joe Cross spent time traveling the world with his previous two films, he met thousands of people and one issue that came up again and again was what to do about the growing childhood obesity problem. In THE KIDS MENU, Joe meets with experts, parents, teachers and kids, coming to the realization that childhood obesity isn't the real issue, but rather a symptom of a bigger problem. The lack of knowledge of what healthy foods are. Lack of access to healthy and affordable options. And the influence of negative role models, whether a parent, teacher or even a celebrity. All of this together seems to be a lot to overcome, but when empowered, kids often make the surprising choice of the healthier path.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.2/10

Fair

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The documentary focuses on public health and nutritional science. There are no explicit LGBTQ+ character arcs or narratives centered on non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Fair

The film includes a range of stakeholders like parents and teachers. It maintains a baseline level of representation without detailing specific gendered power dynamics.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The film adopts a global scope, following Joe Cross around the world. This international framework brings in diverse interviewees from various ethnic and geographic backgrounds.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The narrative critiques capitalist food systems and Western institutional structures. It shifts the focus from individual willpower to systemic failures in education and food access.

Disability Representation

Fair

While obesity intersects with physical health, the film does not explicitly portray characters with disabilities. The focus remains on nutritional education and systemic access.

Strengths

  • The global scope provides a non-Western-centric view of the obesity crisis.
  • It effectively critiques systemic failures in food access and education.
  • The international framework ensures a diverse range of global interviewees.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
  • There is no focus on the lived experiences of people with disabilities.
  • Gender dynamics are not explored beyond a baseline level of inclusion.

AI Analysis

The Kids Menu is a documentary that prioritizes systemic health critiques over identity-based storytelling. It succeeds in moving beyond a Western-centric viewpoint by investigating the childhood obesity crisis on a global scale. This international approach naturally incorporates a variety of ethnic and geographic perspectives. However, the film lacks depth in specific identity categories. There is no visible focus on LGBTQ+ narratives or the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities. The representation of gender remains at a standard, baseline level without subverting traditional hierarchies. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its cultural critique of how societal structures impact nutrition. It functions more as a social investigation into food access than a study of diverse social identities.

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