ironhorse_iv Review of What the Health

What the Health (2017)

What the Health? More like What the Hell! This documentary is very controversial.

[7/10 · 25 July 2019]

Advertised as the movie that health organizations don't want you to see, this 2017 independent documentary criticized the health impact of meat and dairy products consumption, and questions the practices of the leading health and pharmaceutical organizations for the prime purpose to advocate for a plant based diet. Without spoiling the film too much, the movie has been often criticized by medical physicians, nutrition experts, health care advocators and investigative journalists for what they describe as cherry picking and using confusing distorting weak biased data sources. Because of that, this pro vegan documentary produced by Netflix and directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn has become a challenging yet debatable watch. Regardless if you're for veganism or just love meat. There is no doubt that the movie is indeed informative. The collusion between the government and big business is indeed somewhat alarming. Yet, I do understand that's how the free market works. The relationship works both good and bad. Nevertheless, something does need to be done with the poor animal ranching practices and high pharmaceutical abuse, which can be both inhumane and bad for the planet. However, the same can be said with the wrongs of agriculture, which the negative environmental issues are never addressed. After all, soil degradation, genetic engineering, waste and deforestation does still happen, even if everybody went vegan. Nevertheless, I do agree with the filmmaker statement that eating too much meat based processed food can led to negative health effect. It's common sense. However, the film shouldn't downplay the role of that sugar has in American rise in obesity, diabetes, heart failure and other diseases; when there is plenty of research that says otherwise. The idea that animal consumption is worse than the large of sugar intake by Americans is highly exaggerate. Another misleading claim that the film has, is that becoming vegan can prevent or help cure diseases like cancer or diabetes. In truth, while a diabetic or those individuals with cancers can thrive on a well balanced vegan diet, somewhat managing the disease. It still doesn't really prevent you from getting those illnesses or have it go away. Other factors like the amount of sunlight, stress and lack of exercise can still led you down the same path, even if you're living with a veganism diet. Plus, certain studies, suggest that eating beans, corns, potatoes, white rice and other starches can increase the risk of getting those ailments. In the end, Cancer and Diabetes are still problematic even for those who happen to be vegan. Another problem with the film statement is that there isn't enough time or data to back those claims up. It's just not practical to run rigorous trials as it is too difficult to randomly assign different diets to different groups of people from the beginning and have them stick with those diets for enough time to find clues about whether certain foods caused certain diseases. Studies like the one in the film can only show us short term changes. Long term researches are often rife with uncertainties. Because of that, nutrition researchers have to rely on observational studies. Sadly, this movie barely use any of those. If they did, they would know that the film's messages that stated out eating eggs is as bad as smoking cigarettes is based on outdated information. More recent research suggests that the effects of eggs are nowhere near comparable to those of cigarettes. Nevertheless, besides that, I did dig most of the animation graphs and pies parts. I found them to be highly educational; especially the sequence showing the different between frugivore and omnivores. I just wish the live action interview talking heads sequences were just as enlightening. It was clear that the people in the interviews were quote mined and deceptively edited to favor his beliefs or to go extremely against him. There was barely anybody in the film that meet him in the middle. It was really obvious gotcha journalism that got a little too preachy and propaganda toward the end. Overall: I found this groundbreaking follow-up film from the creators of the award winning 2014 documentary 'Cowspiracy' to be a little one sided. While, there is nothing wrong about going vegan. The same can be said with still loving meat products. After all, both meat & dairy in moderation can be part of a healthy balance diet as both are high with protein and calcium. Plus, they still highly delicious. While some may argue that slaughtering animals solely because people enjoy the taste of meat is morally wrong or unjustifiable. Carnism says otherwise. In the end, I have no beef with this documentary. Like a good meal, I just wish it was a little more well balance.