Featured Cast
After graduating from Colgate University during which he won three Patriot League Championships playing Division 1-AA football, Brent "Minty" Smith moved to New York City to pursue a career in Employee Benefits. His employer offered a financial incentive for completing a preventative care screening, revealing he had Metabolic Syndrome. The diagnosis spurred Brent into learning more about his health. One day, while drinking a beer with his friend, fraternity brother and film major, Duncan Quirk, they discussed making a movie about health in America. When Minty clicked on a website for amateur film makers a quote struck a cord, “The difference between a film maker and a wanna-be-film maker is the person that picks up the camera and starts filming.” Minty, with Duncan’s help, did pick up the camera and the movie began taking on a life of it’s own.
Brent Smith
Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., is an author, psychologist, and professor at Harvard Medical School. She is best known for her research on dreams, hypnosis and imagery, and has written on evolutionary psychology. Dr. Barrett has published four books and discusses topics from two of them in SICKCARE; Waistland (2007) and Supernormal Stimuli (2010). Dr. Barrett’s book, Waistland (2007) explores the weight and fitness crisis in terms of supernormal stimuli for food and rest. In SICKCARE, she focuses on the concept of supernormal stimuli – the idea that technology can create an artificial object which pulls an instinct more strongly than for which it evolved.
Dr. Deirdre Barrett
Rani G. Whitfield, M.D., a board certified family physician with a Certificate of Added Qualification in sports medicine, has become known as “Tha Hip Hop Doc” or “H2D.” Dr. Whitfield is an impassioned advocate for increasing the awareness of health related issues, including HIV/AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse. His mission is to improve social conditions and health care services for African-American parents and youth. By combining hip-hop culture with messages of healthy living, Dr. Whitfield empowers individuals to change unhealthy lifestyles.
Dr. Rani Whitfield
aka Tha Hip Hop Doc
Tommy Cassano attended Colgate University and played football alongside Brent, winning three Patriot League championships. Post college, Tommy moved to Cleveland, OH to work for one of the largest real estate investment trusts in the country. Soon realizing the corporate life was not aligning with his dreams, he moved to Arizona for his love of the outdoors, adventure, and the fitness oriented environment. Tommy was introduced to the AmenZone Foundation, a nonprofit organization that teaches “primal” physical training and carries a mission to fight childhood obesity. Tommy quickly worked his way to becoming the lead trainer of their 3rd location in Scottsdale. He later moved to California and founded OutDoorBody, a one of a kind lifestyle transformation experience.