Madelyn Winward

NUTR 1020

11/21/21

What the Health and Nutrition

There is a wide variety of documentaries to choose from when it comes to the topic of

nutrition. All that information can be hard to sort through. The film I decided to dedicate my

time watching is What the Health written and produced by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn.

What the Health is a documentary that exposes the truth about health organizations and

those who stand to make money to keep Americans sick. It follows a filmmaker Kip Anderson as

he uncovers the corruption associated with government and big businesses. He explores

contradicting facts among organizations such as the World Health Organization, the American

Diabetes Association, Susan G. Komen, and other stakeholders in healthcare. He interviews

advocates, medical doctors, experts, and researchers to uncover the truth about what healthy

living looks like. It turns out, it may not be what we have all been taught since we were young.

I chose this film because I saw the trailer on Netflix and was interested to see the research

done on this topic. There seems to be many contradictory messages and information when it

comes to diet and how valid veganism really is. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the film and

wanted to see for myself if this film’s message held any weight.

The film was released on March 7th in 2017 and the topics explored in the film are still

very much prevalent today in 2021. Maybe more so now than it was when the film was released.

Veganism has been on the rise for the past ten years as more people claim to be consuming less
meat. As veganism becomes more popular, there are more options available to those who want to

include more plant-based options in their diet. With these changing trends in our food

consumption, there seems to also create a divide with those who don’t understand. The age-old

question explored in this film being, “if you are vegan, where do you get your protein?”

The push for plant-based protein vs. animal protein was touched on in this course, but

this film seems to make it a point to prove that a plant-based diet is the only healthy diet. I never

got the feeling that eating meat was unethical or even unhealthy during this course. Chapter 6

explored protein and the pros and cons to plant and animal-based proteins. There was also the

Harvard medical school article that discussed whether going vegetarian or vegan was right for

you personally. This leads to the next comparison.

What the Health seemed to conclude that there is only one ethical and healthy way to live and

that is to cut out meat altogether and switch to a plant-based diet. It was even stated that even

consuming meat in moderation wasn’t enough and even if it was, you were supporting disease

and unethical distribution.

The next topic to compare is the need for dairy in your diet. In this course, we discussed MyPlate

and the importance of having a balanced meal with every category including fruits, vegetables,

grains, protein, and dairy. “Milk makes your bones stronger,” was the common phrase used by

parents and doctors growing up. This film explored the reasons that this phrase is incorrect and

that we in fact do not need dairy in our diet.

Through these comparisons, I learned valuable information about nutrition that I had to

further consider. I learned that plants are the real source of protein and that I don’t have to rely so

heavily on meat. I also learned that sugar is not the worst possible thing and that I need to be
more aware of more harmful things that I’m putting into my body. I occasionally eat meat and

dairy products and hadn’t ever considered completely making a switch to a plant-based diet.

After watching this film, I can better understand why people make the switch and can better see

the benefits.

In my opinion, there is not one single way of eating that is considered healthy. Switching

to a vegan diet might be the right answer for many people, but it might not be for everyone. I

want to incorporate more plant-based options into my diet and decrease the amount of meat

being consumed, but I also don’t feel the need to completely cut out meat and dairy products. I

think it’s about having a healthy balance and being aware of all options and choosing the most

suitable option for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film because it presented information that I had not

previously considered. I really liked how Kip Andersen interviewed so many experts on this

topic. I would have liked to have seen a variety of people from all sides of the issue, not solely

those who believed in a plant-based diet. I believe he did use a range of scientific evidence to

back his claims, but I do not believe that he used an extensive range of information. He seemed

to choose studies and evidence that supported his existing beliefs and left little room for a

rebuttal.