7 Wonder, one of the UK’s fastest growing independent production companies, has landed a commission from BBC Three to produce Obesity – The Post Mortem (1×60’), a ground breaking film that takes viewers on a unique journey inside the human body to investigate the devastating impact of obesity.
Obesity – The Post Mortem will look directly at the fat on the inside of our bodies, revealing that it’s what we can’t see that’s killing us. Morbid obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of nine years and is blamed for over 30,000 deaths in the UK every year.
With almost three quarters of British adults likely to be overweight or obese in less than 20 years, this is a significant problem showing no signs of slowing. There is plenty of focus in today’s world on how people look, but as the film demonstrates it’s about what’s happening to our insides.
In a UK first, 7 Wonder has enlisted leading pathologist Dr. Mike Osborn and Assistant Pathology Technician Carla Valentine to perform a televised autopsy on a female donor who weighed nearly 17 stone. This specialist team will open up the body of the donor to discover exactly what excess fat can do to our organs.
With the full support of the Human Tissue Authority, a temporary post-mortem license was granted and a multi-camera shoot was designed to capture every incision. Viewers will follow the 5000 mile journey of the donor; from California where her body was first donated, to the post-mortem table in London, where Mike and Carla will open the body to unveil the hard truths of obesity.
Alongside the post mortem, a cast of young contributors will also reveal how biology, psychology and food have conspired to make them fat, and what it means to live with the day-to-day reality of obesity.
Damian Kavanagh, Controller, BBC Three says, “Obesity and body image are two issues we know resonate with young people, but the debate is often framed by what’s on the outside. Post Mortem dissects what’s happening to our bodies on the inside in unflinching detail.”
Steve Condie, Executive Producer at 7 Wonder adds, “It isn’t easy getting people to face up to the severity of a health crisis such as the obesity epidemic. Sometimes you need a dramatic spectacle to grab people’s attention. Obesity-The Post Mortem is a unique programme, an extraordinary visual experience packed with compelling insights into how obesity impacts deep inside in our bodies. We hope it will both fascinate and educate our audience.”
The programme is co-production between 7 Wonder, backed by Seven Network Australia and Third Street.
