A Controversial New Documentary On Netflix Claims Eating Eggs Is A Bad As Smoking
A controversial new documentary on Netflix claims eating eggs is a bad as smoking What the Health has come under fire by the scientific community for some of its sensational claims about non-vegan diets A controversial new documentary on Netflix claims eating eggs is a bad as smoking The world of healthy eating has turned into a bloody battlefield. Veganism 's increasing popularity has seen its mantra founded not only on a moral basis, but also with a focus on the lifestyle's perceived health benefits, though to what extent has become a major sparking point for controversy. A new documentary What the Health, available on Netflix , explores the links between the consumption of animal products and disease, has come under fire by health professionals for its sensational claimsthat one serving of processed meat a day increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 51%, or that eating one egg a day is as bad as smoking five cigarettes a day. Top chefs reveal what they really think about going vegan The film's website does cite sources for each of its claims, but these have found challenge within the scientific community. Alexandra Freeman, executive director of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at Cambridge University, told The Times that the claims about eggs are sourced from an "extremely controversial paper", for example. Though eggs have been the source of much negative media attention due to their cholesterol level, scientific evidence has since provided significant basis to believe that the consumption of cholesterol isn't necessarily associated with higher levels in the blood or an increased risk of heart disease. Mary Jane Detroyer, an NYC dietician and nutritionist, told the Daily Mail that the 51% claims about red meat are "distorted scienc Continue reading >>
What The Health: What The Vegan Netflix Film Gets Wrong | Time
The recent pro-vegan Netflix documentary, What the Health , is under fire from nutrition experts. The film, which is co-directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhnthe creators of another Netflix documentary, Cowspiracyand co-produced by actor Joaquin Phoenix , is being criticized by some health professionals for exaggerating weak data and misrepresenting science to promote a diet that avoids all animal foods. TIME fact-checked the film. Here are four things that What the Health got wrongand what it got right. No, eggs are not as bad for you as cigarettes The documentary claims that eating an egg a day is as bad for your life expectancy as smoking five cigarettes a day, due to artery plaque buildup from high cholesterol content in eggs. But that assertion is based on outdated information, and recent research suggests that the effects of eggs are nowhere near comparable to those of cigarettes. Recently, national nutrition experts declared that cholesterol, found in foods such as eggs, is not considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption. Other research has shown that the kind of cholesterol you eat isnt solidly linked to cholesterol levels in the blood. Plant-based food can help decrease the risks for certain cancers, says dietitian Andy Bellatti, who has followed a vegan diet for six years. The idea that if youre going to eat an egg you might as well smoke a Marlboro, I dont find accurate. The link between meat and cancer comes with caveats Andersen, co-director of the film, rightly points out that processed meat was declared a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a World Health Organization group, in 2015. IARC did find a link between eating processed meat and a higher risk for colorectal cancer. However, in contrast to the film, IA Continue reading >>
Debunking New Documentary What The Health | Daily Mail Online
New documentary What The Health recommends people ditch animal food product and adopt a vegan diet The film tells viewers the most healthy way of eating is cutting out all meat, fish, and dairy It makes claims that these products are making us fat, giving us cancer, and poisoning us with toxins One of the claims it makes says one egg a day is as bad as five cigarettes New York dietitian Mary Jane Detroyer called the documentary 'irresponsible' A new documentary urging people to ditch animal food products and start eating vegan is 'irresponsible' and 'misleading', according to a leading nutritionist. What The Health, which debuted on Netflix in March, tells viewers that the is one healthy way to eat involving cutting out all animal products from our diet. The documentary, a huge success on the streaming site, says that meat, fish, poultry and dairy are making us fat, giving us cancer, and poisoning us with toxins. Directors Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn said their aim was to help Americans make healthier food choices. But New York City dietitian and nutritionist Mary Jane Detroyer tells Daily Mail Online: 'It was one of the most poorly represented documentaries I've seen.' Currently, America is experiencing obesity, diabetes and heart disease epidemics driven primarily by the Western diet. The Western diet, which is characterized by high fat and high sugar meals, has come under attack by nutritionists as the cause for these serious health problems. But the film presents the facts in a way that misrepresents the information and scares people into thinking all of the food they eat is poison, Detroyer explained. 'A lot of what the information they presented was valid. For example, they make the claim that research conducted by the American Heart Association is paid for by f Continue reading >>
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What The Health [diabetes Explained]
One of the biggest hang ups for those that are trying to debunk "What the Health" is the explanation of diabetes, and from a medical perspective, I just wanted to explain everything and what they meant, and their belief. As I have mentioned in other blog posts, a full agreeance across the board medically on just about every single topic is never going to happen so it is totally within the right of a professional (or a critically thinking individual) to say "You know what? I don't think that I agree with that and I agree with this instead" and that is okay. It is important however to look at the data from every angle and decide which party that you agree with. I feel it's pretty common knowledge that you also have to keep an open outlook on who funded the studies, yadda yadda, so that you know if there is bias there. Many times, there is a certain group of medical professionals in the "plant based" sector and they are ALL the same physicians. This creates this round robin of evidence, and causes everyone to think they have an agenda. They all started on their own, did tons of their own research and came to these conclusions therefore they all collectively have come together to try to get the word out. What else would you expect them to do? They aren't lobbying.They are just real people who are passionate about these topics. Many of the articles against "What the Health" say that they are cherry picking evidence to support their argument. I mean if we are getting real, don't we all do that? There are meta analysis and systemic reviews that try to collectively look at all of the evidence and it's important to look at all of that, but at the end of the day if you are trying to make a point then you are going to reference a study that supports your case. DUH. However, I als Continue reading >>
What The Health: Documentary Review & Fact Check
What the Health: Documentary Review & Fact Check A review of the popular netflix documentary, What the Health. In June of this year, a popular documentary hit the e-shelves of Netflix calledWhat the Health.The response has been far and wide with many claiming a conversion to veganism or citing its research to support their current lifestyle. This review will cover the overall climate of the film, fact check some of its claims and give my professional opinion as a food and nutrition expert in response to the film. What the Health: Documentary Review & Fact Check To be honest, when Facebook friends and acquaintances started raving about What the Healthand restating some of its facts, my blood started to boil a little. I wanted to avoid watching the film because I assumed there was a lot of bias involved. Although there was bias, in all actuality the film was less shocking than I had presumed (though I did I brace myself for the worst). Thats not to say that there arent incorrect facts and figures, outdated research, poorly-performed studies or research lacking strength (inadequate subjects, not duplicated, etc.) because there are absolutely those weaknesses. I wasnt shocked by the light music that played happily in the background while the now make-up-laden, smiling ladies and man presented as case studies exclaimed how great they felt after two weeks on a vegan diet because I expected that of the film. I wasnt shocked by the staggering statistics on obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease because (they are accurate and) I was already aware of those. And lastly, I dont disagree at all with emphasizing a plant-based diet. I think we should all be following a plant-based diet. That doesnt necessarily mean I think everyone needs to eat a completely vegan diet (although Continue reading >>
'what The Health': Has It Really Been Debunked?
'What The Health': Has It Really Been Debunked? A top doctor looks at claims made against the film Experts looked at the science behind the movie (Photo: What the Health) In November I was at Google headquarters in Mountainview for a series called Talks at Google . This is like a TED talk series but it goes for 60 minutes not 18. I was invited to participate in a debate on the viral movie What The Health [WTH] and I prepared some notes. I was joined by director Kip Anderson for the green team. At the last minute the format changed to a more collegial discussion amongst participants with different viewpoints but these notes were created. I hope these selected bullet points are of value. The science behind the top 10 claims fromWTH.. There are some points of agreement between opposingsides; 1. Some meats are not even good enough to be considered food. 2. Carcinogens have been found in every chicken sample in fast food restaurants. 3. Some processed meats can be as harmful ascigarettes. 6.Sugar causes inflammation (so does meat). 7. CAFOs (factory farmed animals) harm animals, pollute earth, create antibiotic resistance, sicken people living near them. Both cigarettes and processed meat are considered carcinogens The opponent wrote in a blog that documentaries like WTH suggest 'you should consume your vegetables in liquid from and eat soy burgers for the rest of your life'. In addition, it was claimed that the following points were made in the movie and are false. As above, there was some agreement that some processed red meats can be as bad for health as smoking. Furthermore, the science in a 'comparative risk study' showed that one egg a day over 15 years was same risk for heart disease as smoking five cigarettes a day. 2. 'Fat causes type 2 diabetes notsugar' My prior Continue reading >>
Debunking What The Health, The Buzzy New Documentary That Wants You To Be Vegan
There’s a sensational documentary out on Netflix that seems to have a lot of people talking about going vegan. In the spirit of so many food documentaries and diet books that have come before, What the Health promises us there is one healthy way to eat. And it involves cutting all animal products from our diet. Meat, fish, poultry, and dairy are fattening us up, giving us cancer and Type-2 diabetes, and poisoning us with toxins, Kip Andersen, the film’s co-director and star, tells us. Reflecting on a youth spent inhaling hot dogs and cold cuts, he asks, “Was this like I had essentially been smoking my whole childhood?” No, Kip, not really. To be sure, Andersen and co-director Keegan Kuhn’s intention was to explain the link between diet and disease and help Americans make healthier food choices. And there’s no doubt we are in the midst of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease epidemics driven in part by the kinds of food we eat in the quantities in which we eat them. But Andersen’s film fails on several accounts, and cranks the food fear sirens to irresponsibly high levels. He mischaracterizes and overstates what we know about how particular foods drive disease, by offering a narrow view of the science with cherry-picked studies to support his views. He also seeks out a slew of vegan and animal rights–friendly health professionals rather than a more balanced roster of experts, and engages in silly gotcha journalism to suggest organizations like the American Diabetes Association intentionally hide the truth about diet. Most of us could stand to eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat and dairy, and a plant-based diet is a healthy choice for many people. But with messages like “drinking milk causes cancer” or “eating eggs is as bad as smoking ciga Continue reading >>
What The Health - Wikipedia
What the Health is a 2017 documentary film which critiques the health impact of meat and dairy products consumption, and questions the practices of the leading health and pharmaceutical organizations. Its primary purpose is to advocate for a plant-based diet . The documentary has been criticized by a number of medical doctors, [1] [2] dietitians , [3] [4] [5] and investigative journalists [6] [7] for what they describe as confusing causation with correlation , cherry picking science studies, using biased sources, distorting study findings, and using "weak-to-non-existent data". Advertised as "The Health Film That Health Organizations Don't Want You To See", the film follows Kip Andersen as he interviews physicians and other individuals regarding diet and health. Andersen is also shown attempting to contact representatives of various health organizations, but comes away dissatisfied with their responses. Through other interviews he examines the alleged connection between the meat , dairy , and pharmaceutical industries, as well as various health organizations. The synopsis is that serious health problems are a consequence of consuming meat and dairy products, and that conspiracies exist to cover this up. [8] [9] What the Health was written, produced, and directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, the production team for the documentary Cowspiracy . [10] What the Health was funded via an Indiegogo campaign in March 2016, [11] raising more than $235,000. [12] The film was released globally on Vimeo on March 16, 2017 [13] , and screenings licensed through Tugg Inc. [14] The documentary has drawn some criticism, including scientific skeptics , who contend that it misrepresents facts: On July 3, 2017, medical doctor and founder of Turntable Health , Zubin Damania , acting in Continue reading >>
Does Sugar Cause Diabetes?
The recent film What the Health raised the question as to whether sugar or other carbohydrates cause diabetes. The notion is understandable. Blood sugar levels are high in diabetes, so a common idea has held that eating sugar somehow triggers the disease process. However, the major diabetes organizations take a different view. The American Diabetes Association1 and Diabetes UK2 have labelled this notion a “myth,” as has the Joslin Diabetes Center,3 which wrote, “Diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar.” These and other organizations have worked to educate people about the causes of diabetes and the role that foods play in the disease process. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Type 2 diabetes—the most common form of the disease—is caused by insulin resistance and pancreatic failure. Here is what you need to know: Sugar Is the Body’s Fuel The human body runs on glucose, a simple sugar. Just as gasoline powers your car, glucose powers your muscles, your brain, and the rest of your body. Glucose comes from fruit and from starchy foods, such as grains, beans, and potatoes, and your body can also produce it when needed. Without it you would die. Diabetes means having higher-than-normal blood glucose values. It comes in three common forms: Type 1 diabetes is caused by the destruction of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, usually through an autoimmune process. The triggers for this process are under investigation and may include dairy proteins, viruses, or other factors. Type 2 diabetes typically starts with insulin resistance. That is, the cells of the body resist insulin’s efforts to escort glucose into the cells. What causes insulin resistance? It appears to be caused by an accumulation of microscopic fat particles within muscle and Continue reading >>
Sugar Does Not Cause Diabetes: Did The Film What The Health Get Itright?
Professor of Cardiology, Summa cum Laude grad, Kahn Center for Longevity and GreenSpace Cafe. www.drjoelkahn.com @drjkahn. Author The Plant Based Solution NEW Sugar Does Not Cause Diabetes: Did the Film What the Health Get itRight? The documentary What the Health is receiving a huge amount of attention and most of it is positive. Many reports of people attempting to eat better are filling social media. I discussed the film on a local TV station in Detroit after two reporters indicated that the movie had made a big impact on their diets. There have even been reports that restaurants serving healthier fare have seen an uptick in customers attributing the change to the film. I have seen this in my own plant-based restaurant and have a What The Health Happy Hour that has been very popular. Naturally, there have been critics of the movie defending their viewpoint that meat based diets are healthy, but most have rallied around a statement in the film by Neal Barnard, MD that sugar does not cause diabetes. As the answer to this question may be important to you, I have done some research and share it here but this is in NO way an endorsement to add back soda and candy bars to your diet. In a world stressed by growing obesity and its medical consequences, limiting sugar is a universal recommendation from all health experts. 1) Type 1 diabetes is not caused by sugar. All agree on this as type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease leading to destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. However, patients with type 1 diabetes can develop and reverse insulin resistance (IR) in their muscles and liver so understanding the origin of IR is important. 2) Who is Neal Barnard, MD? Dr. Barnard is a graduate of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Continue reading >>
Myth: Sugar Causes Diabetes
We all know the stereotype – if you’ve got diabetes, you must have eaten too much sugar. But, with this sweet ingredient found in so much of our food – and, recently, so many of our newspapers – what’s the truth about sugar? And how does it affect diabetes? What is sugar? Sugar is found naturally in fruit, vegetables and dairy foods. It’s also added to food and drink by food manufacturers, or by ourselves at home. The debate about sugar and health is mainly around the ‘added sugars’. This includes: table sugar that we add to our hot drinks or breakfast cereal caster sugar, used in baking sugars hidden in sauces, ready meals, cakes and drinks. Does sugar cause diabetes? There are two main types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the insulin producing cells in your pancreas are destroyed by your immune system. No amount of sugar in your diet – or anything in your lifestyle – has caused or can cause you to get Type 1 diabetes. With Type 2 diabetes, though we know sugar doesn’t directly causes Type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to get it if you are overweight. You gain weight when you take in more calories than your body needs, and sugary foods and drinks contain a lot of calories. And it's important to add that fatty foods and drinks are playing a part in our nation's expanding waistline. So you can see if too much sugar is making you put on weight, then you are increasing your risk of getting Type 2 diabetes. But Type 2 diabetes is complex, and sugar is unlikely to be the only reason the condition develops. If I have diabetes, can I eat sugar? Having diabetes doesn’t mean you have to cut sugar out of your diet completely. We all enjoy eating sugary foods occasionally, and there’s no problem including them as a treat Continue reading >>
What The Health Review: Top 3 Misses Of The Vegan Documentary
Current: What the Health Review: Top 3 Misses of the Vegan Documentary What the Health Review: Top 3 Misses of the Vegan Documentary Dr. Axe on Facebook6221 Dr. Axe on Twitter49 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr. Axe on Youtube Dr. Axe on Pintrest134 Share on Email Print Article I never like a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to nutrition. We all have unique biologies what fuels one person could leave another feeling lousy. Thats one of my main issues with the What the Health documentary streaming on Netflix. In this What the Health review, Ill offer my own take and outline the major hits and misses of the film. While its not completely evident in the first few minutes, What the Health is actually a pro-vegan film that tends to skew studies and figures to make a point. (The filmmakers even seem pro-sugar at some parts no kidding.) Im not debating the fact that there are benefits of a vega n diet , butthere are drawbacks, too, including some vegan foods Id never eat. (More on that later.) Investigative journalist Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet, performed an analysis of the 37 health claims made in the film. In her What the Health review, she found that about 96 percent of the data fail to support the films claims. The film does not cite a single rigorous randomized controlled trial on humans supporting its arguments. Instead, WTH presents a great deal of weak epidemiological data, case studies on one or two people or other inconclusive evidence. Some of the studies cited actually conclude the opposite of what is claimed. What the Health Claim: Sugar doesnt cause diabetes; meat does. The experts and doctors in What the Health are pro-vegan, although they arent actually introduced th Continue reading >>
The Truth About ‘what The Health’ Claim “sugar Doesn’t Cause Diabetes”
Earlier this year, pro-vegan documentary What The Health was released on Netflix. The film, which explores the credibility of large health organisations’ advice on nutrition, has received a lot of attention from both supporters and critics alike. Many people have attributed their change to a plant-based diet to the documentary including singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. However, one claim made in the film has been picked up by critics in an attempt to discredit the documentary as a whole: that sugar does not directly cause type 2 diabetes. For years now we have associated diabetes with an excess of sugar in a person’s diet. Diabetes is indeed the body’s inability to manage glucose levels in the blood but does this mean that sugar causes type 2 diabetes? Diabetes is a condition where a person’s pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes), or if it does the body can’t use insulin in the way it is supposed to (type 2 diabetes). Insulin is what allows glucose to pass from our blood into our muscle cells and therefore allows the body to use glucose as energy. When glucose can’t access the muscle cells, blood sugar levels rise. In type 2 diabetes, insulin is present but doesn’t work properly, this is called insulin resistance. This occurs when there is a build up of fat in muscle cells, this then stops your body’s signalling process that tells insulin it needs to allow glucose into the muscle cells. There are studies that back this up. Nearly a century ago the blood sugar levels of two groups of volunteers were monitored after they ate. One group ate meals high in fat, the other diets rich in carbohydrates. The group who were eating a fat rich diet experienced much larger spikes in their blood sugar after eating than the group who were fed carbohydrates Continue reading >>
A Real Doctor Watches What The Health
Its always funny, when ever someone with actual knowledge of health stuff tells the truth about health they instantly get accused of being paid to do so by the hard of thinkers. Its widely known now that the sugar industry has been paying off scientists for years to paint meat as a cancer causing villian, when in fact it is sugar causing all these health problems and most meat is actually very good for you. Especially the fat weve been told is bad. I also watched the other video on YouTube. Am I the only one having MST3K flashbacks with zdogg as Joel, tom is tom servo, and Logan is crow? This movie comes out every few years. The last vegan-promoting one was called Forks Over Knives which, sadly, did not feature Steve-O so a reboot was clearly required. Katie Couric did a much better researched one a while back. This movie is for suburban moms and hipsters. Trouble is this sort of message doesnt target the low information, low socioeconomic class folks where the obesity epidemic does the most damage and costs the most federal healthcare dollars. How do you message to them, ZDogg? Invest in organizations that promote healthy eating. Help organizations that bring fresh fruits and vegetables to urban food deserts. A lot of times people know that they are not eating a healthy diet but unhealthy foods are cheaper and more accessible. Offer to host cooking classes at community centers or a fitness group that service underprivileged communities. This was actually partially our approach at Turntable Health. Teaching kitchen, fitness studio, health coaches on site. Plant based diet was actually often a recommendation for many of our patients BTW! But in general, how to cook yourself quickly on a budget in a food desert You are obviously trying to impky people who dont earn a liv Continue reading >>
The Science Behind The Top 10 Claims From What The Health
The Science Behind the Top 10 Claims from What the Health Every couple of years, a new health documentary pops up in the media or over dinner conversation. Nine times out of 10, the movies takeaway is that you should consume your vegetables in liquid form and eat soy burgers for the rest of your life. What the Health, a Netflix documentary brought to you by the makers of Cowspiracy, is one of those documentaries. Why respond to something so not science? Normally, something like this doesnt even deserve a response, but some of the claims in this movie are downright harmful. When controversial documentaries, articles, and conversations cross into your personal space, remember one thing: If you present solid science, you dont have to emotionally charge your audience with scenes of parents serving their children cigars wrapped in hot dog buns. Heavy-duty evidence stands on its own. After watching What the Health, your friends start side-eyeing the hunk of butter you just plunked into your coffee. If youre looking for some real science behind the claims in this movie, read on. Here are the top 10 claims from What the Health and the real science behind them. Nope.This is a claim that pops up in the news every couple of years, and my response is always the same:Not all meat is created equal and some meats arent even good enough to be considered food. But when someone lumps all meat together as being bad for you, regardless of quality, you can bet theres more fear-mongering than science behind the claim. In What the Health, the documentarys anti-cheese meat-hating doctor Neil Barnard, M.D. sent researchers into fast food restaurants to test for carcinogens in their products. Surprise! They found carcinogens in every chicken sample they took. Fast food chains are notorious for Continue reading >>
