Sugar Babies Part 1: The Bitter Sweet Truth About Diabetes

Part 1 examines the public health epidemic of diabetic children in America from the point of view of the children and the families living with the diseases. The documentary offers a brief primer on diabetes: there are two main categories - type 1 and type 2. Both conditions occur when the body fails to perform its most essential function: converting food into energy. In both types of diabetes, the goal is to maintain "good control," or near-normal blood sugar levels, which diminishes the risk of horrific complications such as kidney failure, loss of limbs, and blindness. But the burdens of "good control" are huge, and this documentary lays bare those responsibilities: for type 1 children, it is multiple-daily insulin injections or insulin pumps as well as blood sugar testing; for type 2 children, it is trying to lose weight in often challenging circumstances, when most have become trapped in a stuck-to-the-screen sedentary lifestyle. At a quick, exciting pace, Jenny Mackenzie's film follows its five main stories at home, in school, on the sports field, and at diabetes clinic - all against the backdrop of the public health crisis.