Have you ever wondered how they get made? Interestingly, the filmmakers often have financial ties to the vegan food industry.
Indeed, the creators of “What The Health”, Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, are deeply involved in the vegan movement. The producer of “Game Changers”, James Wilks, owns a plant-based nutrition company. These connections don’t automatically mean their documentaries are flawed, but it does highlight potential conflicts of interest.
The potential issue here isn’t the promotion of plant-based diets, which are, indeed, healthy and eco-friendly. The concern arises when the scientific data is potentially manipulated or misrepresented to promote a specific viewpoint. This can ultimately lead to the viewers making choices based on biased, manipulated viewpoints and incomplete arguments.
Rather than showing the body of evidence, the filmmakers of WTH have cherry-picked evidence and have claimed that consuming one egg a day is as bad as smoking 5 cigarettes.
This is claimed on the basis that egg yolk is comprised of ‘pure cholesterol which results in the build-up of plaque’ in arteries. Yet science shows that LDL cholesterol is increased by consuming too much-saturated fat, and each egg only has 1.5g of SF.
As per WHO, cigarettes are classified as type 1 carcinogens, and around 1 million smokers die yearly from smoking cigarettes, and none result from consuming eggs.
Additionally, the Game Changers documentary amusingly claims that vegan athletes attain impressive results. While commendable, the documentary suggests that these improvements occurred by excluding animal products. The idea that excluding animal products from the diet can improve athletic performance can be instantly discarded if we look at what Usain Bolt consumed before becoming the fastest man in humankind’s history (HINT: He extravagantly ate 100s of chicken nuggets).
So, while claiming that excluding animal products from the diet improves athletic performance, a comparison with animal-based athletes is warranted to make objective sense. However, doing so would provide data against the agenda-based claim required to validate the show’s core premise.
Furthermore, high-profile doctors on the show attested to the cringingly simplistic explanation of blood samples and erection in male participants centred around the endothelial function of blood vessels and blood flow to male genitals. They concluded that consuming meat “always impairs our ability to perform at our best,”.. Whatever that means.
Throughout both films, the narrative constantly depicts animal products as low-quality fast food yet do not explain the nutritional differences between fried fast food version of poultry products and omega-3-enriched grilled seafood.
In an era where misinformation spreads easily, it’s essential for documentaries – seen as educational resources by many – to present balanced, nuanced perspectives and disclose potential conflicts of interest. It’s the responsible way to educate and inspire change!
A thorough discussion on this subject would perhaps conclude that plant-based products such as fruits and vegetables are essential for good health, but animal products are too.
So, the next time you hit play, remember to do a little research and maintain a critical mindset. Because when it comes to our diet and the planet, each one’s health and our every choice matters!
To get a complete unbiased take on nutrition and how to lose weight and stay healthy without starving, buy a copy of my book Eating Less is Making You Fat now.
