Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Forks Over Knives

Forks Over Knives is a documentary proposing that a vegan diet will solve all our worries—health, economy, environment. Made by Lee Fulkerson, a TV writer and director and maker of documentaries. The main subjects are two doctors who concurrently but separately came to the same conclusion in the 50s-70s—a vegetarian/plant based diet is healthier. Some of the health claims made is stopping advancement of cancer, turning around heart disease. Also profiled are some ordinary people who went on doctor-regulated vegan diets (including the filmmaker) who found their energy was higher and health was better. One man taking many medications had a goal to get off his medication, which he attributes to his new diet. Data from different countries show how those with high animal product diets (namely America) tend to have higher levels of heart disease, cancer, pollution, etc. There are also allegations that industry is influencing politicians and thus perpetuating this sort of bad lifestyle in the mantra of making money.

While the film is competently made, I don’t think this is new news to industrialized countries; most people know these types of facts, it is more a matter of convincing people to follow this type of living, which in America I don’t think is going to happen anytime soon.

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