Vegans are taking over the planet!? It seems not, according to Netflix’s newest documentary What the Health. When I was scrolling through shows on my feed, the title struck me as an interesting play on words. Like many of us, I was intrigued, but I never expected a show about health to scare me more than a horror movie.
Based on the claims in the film, all the food groups except plant-based are fattening us up, giving us cancer and Type-2 diabetes, and poisoning us with toxins.
The documentary follows Kip Anderson who takes us down the rabbit hole by exposing the corruption within government and big corporations who are said to be intentionally keeping Americans sick for profit. While the film explains that its original intention was to explain the link between diet and disease while encouraging healthy diets, there seems to be a larger interconnected system beyond just choosing to eat cleaner.
The film raised questions about why there isn’t more promotion of healthier diets while obesity, diabetes, and heart disease represent America’s greatest health epidemics. Anderson suggests big corporations are to blame as they are acting as puppeteers or ‘sponsors’ behind our most trusted public health institutions(American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, etc…). And thus, are promoting nutritional diets that are not in the best interest of individuals but for economic growth. Anderson then concludes that we should eliminate the majority of our food groups and that planet-based diets are the way to go.
As a vegetarian, I will never be against the promotion of a healthier lifestyle. However, I do think that the all-or-nothing approach to healthier living was too generalized and slightly aggressive. Despite Anderson’s “discoveries,” I think it necessary to listen to their own bodies and be conscious of our consumption. In short, this singular approach may not work for everyone and that’s okay. However, I do think What The Health offers is unique as it opens our eyes about conscious living and promoting eco-friendly alternatives. Also, I agree that there should be more research and investigations in holding these “trusted” institutions accountable for promoting accurate information only. I encourage anyone interested to check out the new film as it is insightful as well as an entertaining watch.
