Review: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

This morning I watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. The documentary was embedded (from Hulu) on a website that I periodically read online. I can't say I really enjoyed it.

First off, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead is another documentary that has taken a pro-vegetarian bias. Now that I've been reading and watching so many things, I can quickly recognize prominent names for either side (pro-veggie vs pro-meat, etc). It is done subtly.

There is a scene near the end in which the doctor who monitored Cross's own weight loss is talking, and he goes on to mention a study done by Colin Campbell (author of The China Study). There isn't a lot of talk about research and studies and whatnot, so a quick reference to this guy sure is telling! I've read that book, and I've also read criticism of it. But for me, it finally came down to his over-the-top overstating his point that pushed me over-the-edge to side with the critics. If you do experiments in which you single out one aspect of a particular food (milk casein) and get certain promising results, does that really then mean you jump to the conclusion that that particular food (milk) and all other animal products are the devil? Campbell's book paints that picture. I would like to note that, milk is a whole food and just using the casein for an experiment is like singling out the goitrogens from broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables for an experiment ---and then rendering all vegetables as harmful because of some promising results. Campbell's focus was on milk, but then he jumped a few steps and accused all meat products as disease causing. Sorry, but referring to Campbell's work in anyway is not brownie points in my unwritten book.

It's not just the reference to Campbell's work that irked me either. The documentary also showed meats in a bad light. As though a steak on the grill is something you should feel guilty of eating. This type of negative association was often implied throughout the movie. They only suggest "healthy fats and proteins"  like what we're used to being told, ie. nuts, seeds, and beans. As somebody who has a significant amount of willpower and who has tried to eat like this, I can say it's not really the answer. Yes, we need lots of fruits and vegetables. And yes, people with extra weight can lose weight fast eating like this.....but the key is satiety. The only argument for satiety in the movie was the argument about how much space fruits and vegetables take up in the stomach for their low calorie count. He totally misses the point that when you eat a meat or animal-derived product intact with it's high fact, your stomach and brain communicate with each other to stop you from eating before your stomach is stuffed. This is the reason why I can eat three slices of bacon and be content for four hours. Been there, done the fruit and veggie thing.

As far as entertainment, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead isn't that great either. I am highly interested in all information I can find on food, so that topic was like dessert to me. Unfortunately, the documentary excited me like stale off-brand vanilla ice cream. There were small pockets of humor here and there, but honestly, watching somebody profess about the wonders of juicing for an hour and a half ranks low. Maybe because it's all been said and done before. We all know that processed foods are bad for us, and we need to eat more fruits and vegetables. Other critics of the movie made the point that it was like Super Size Me in reverse. I was also disappointed by the lack of balance between scientific evidence and personal experiences.

However, to end on a good note, I did find the random inserts of animation fun.