What the health…what the heck!?

with Nina Teicholz

Lately, the documentary “What the Health” has been receiving a lot of attention. It is persuasive and provocative. The movie is causing widespread concern about the dangers of consuming animal products. But what is the truth behind the hype? How much science backs the numerous health claims of the movie? Is going vegan the answer to avoiding cancer and chronic conditions? Or is there another side to this story?

Nina Teicholz is our guest on today’s episode. She is an investigative journalist and the author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet.” She has spent over a decade digging deep into scientific claims and shedding light on the misconceptions we have as a society about what constitutes a healthy diet.

She asks hard questions and brings her investigative skills to bear, as we examine scientific evidence of the claims presented on What the Health. The bottom line? Upon close inspection, the studies and documentation for the health claims made by the movie don’t hold water. There is more proof for the benefits of a diet that includes animal products than for one that does not. Nina offers resources for you to see for yourself, found in the links below. Soon, you will also be shaking your head and saying “What the health…what the heck!?”

For a complete review of the movie by Nina, and a thorough pdf that looks at the support for each claim, go to dietdoctor.com.

Notes:

In 1938, the broadcast of an alien invasion caused panic among the listeners. It turned out to be an American radio drama narrated by Orson Wells, but because it was on the radio, people just assumed it was real and panic took over. Media is powerful. It not only presents information but plays with emotional and psychological elements to really impact the audience.
Today, documentaries are a popular genre and health is one of the favorite subjects, but it is important to understand what motivates documentaries and how this affects the information presented in them. Lately, the documentary “What the Health” has been receiving a lot of attention. People are again panicking, this time over the dangers of consuming animal products. But should we really be worried? Is going vegan the secret to a long happy life, or is there another side to this story?
Nina Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet” goes over the scientific evidence behind the claims presented on What the Health. And it is scant.

The discussion covers:

the filmmakers who created the documentary and their motivations
the different techniques they used to create fear during the movie
why the film is really a propaganda piece and not an honest film
what kind of studies are needed to make the kind of claims they do, which ones they are using instead, and why they are not reliable
why there is no reliable evidence that a vegan diet is better for you
why people might feel better initially when they start a plant-based diet
why there isn’t a single diet that fits everyone
what scientific sources where used in the movie and how reliable they are
how the businesses built on these diets influence those who promote them
where to go to study the claims and the studies they are based on, yourself