This documentary

It starts off a little slow and moments are lame but the last 30-40 minutes dropped my jaw like a dozen times!

Edit: Careful about "reading too much in' and taking things that really are not supposed to be advised from the film.
For example: eating fast food as the majority of your diet is only okay if one RIGOROUSLY calorie counts (which it seems most people can't do properly) and exercises regularly.
Also take special notice that when he goes off the diet he doesn't buy Hungryman dinners and Delicio Pizzas to eat healthy at home, he cooks healthy foods with healthy fats usually ADDED.

Hmmmm ... ... I don't know what to think about that. I can't help thinking that an all-fast-food or high-fast-food diet is unlikely to support optimal health indefinitely for more obscure reasons, like more pesticides/ less nutrients in commercially mass produced ingredients, and the lack of, er, nurturing energy in a mass-produced meal.

I mean, yes, it will keep you alive; perhaps you may even stay lean; but will you flourish?

Then again, there are those people who simply require calories-- of any kind-- and they can go forever.

Yes, pretty bad. As you may be already aware, one of the biggest problems is sucrose or sugar that we use freely. Sucrose has little use for our bodies, and is 1 major cause of obesity.

--They are still talking about fast foods, don't people just get it??...I remember the chef jamie oliver trying to help American kids with a healthier diet- The adults didn't want to hear any of it, they are ADDICTED to the "morphine" of fast foods ...And what's with the awful voice of the narrator, how ROBOTIC!

TimePantry, christian (and even q2121) the purpose of the documentary in my opinion is not to potray fast food as something healthy but more to mock the "dogmas" that were established with (the help of) Super Size Me.

TimePantry, I would say that there a certain eras (teenage, twenties) in peoples life when just "a calorie" is enough yet in the long run, optimal nutrition makes a lot of sense.

I think the movie is good since it explores the history behind the low fat recommendations and pretty much debunks the "data" behind the whole idea. Saturated fats fear is just a results of bad science.

Meta analysis(link) concludes "A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat"

q2121, I would recommended reading Archevore (link) and Perfect Health Diet (link) blogs. They are more backed up with science than Fat Head is although they go much deeper even in a way, debunk the "low carb" part of Fat Head.

If you want to change your nutrition habits, Whole30 (link) FTW.

Personally , i enjoy daily exercise, keeping active, and eating a healthy, balanced diet. I guess i'm lucky to realise that it's my responsability to protect my good health.

-It's no secret that some people need to sort their diets anhd exercising out, but a lot of people choose junk food and overeating because their whole life is out of order. They may be comfort eating because their lives are dull and empty. They may not have the time to prepare healthy foods, and there may only be fast food outlets available where they live. They may not know what healthy means, and finally they may like their television too much--All thanks to the "MODERN DAY FOOL" society we live in!

--Anybody that has half a brain can read/ figure that eating 3 meals a day comprising of vegetables, complex carbs and lean proteins, with 2 high protein snacks between meals is the way to go. The rest is keep active, bla bla bla.

-It doesn't require a scientist to state what we have known since deacdes. perhaps people are getting lost in the myriad of foolish "diets"??

Hmm, I suppose I was so excited about the FACTS in the movie that I know I can personally adapt to my 85%+ self-ccoked and minus canning and fresh-freezing probably 65% non-processed food diet. Being weary of general P/F/C ratios and avoiding MSG, HFCS and Hydrogenated ingredients as much as possible.

I TOTALLY gave the layman viewer's experience watching it a massive oversight.

I also mentioned to my roomates near the end of the movie how excited I was about looking up additional information on this along with testing it by myself as rigorously as I can with the diet I mention above. She mentioned this to watch and we were talking about the even-more-in-depth implications of these facts as well as the discussing non-science and marketing leading to these DOGMAS which are just not true.

Admittedly I took 200mg of caffeine 8 hours prior to the post and 500mg N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine 7 1/2 hours earlier which REALLY clicked a strong and long lasting dopamine rush which I was quite aware I was under while watching.

I apoligize for the narrow views but I suppose stripping the documentary and presenting the facts and comparing to the above links (thanks) and other scientific publications would be extremely beneficial to a vast audience. (An event where a woman I worked with looked, grossed out, at the floating-melted coconut oil around the sides of my 40-50% vegetable/beans and (the rest) pasta dish because it was so fatty and terrible comes to mind)
Keeping in mind to mention other facts like that unlike the gentleman in the film who rigorously documented and calorie-counted every meal to make sure it is under his recommended caloric intake recommendation, people who calorie-count tend to do it extremely inaccurately with under-reporting by an average of around 50% (Pubmed link to the study mentioned in another documentary)

Like I said, I am excited to further research this and test it myself too, but it is 3am and I am still sleepy because my shifting of my sleep to biphasic is only on Day-4 *yawn* so that will be on another day.

Cheers

5 meals a day is in no way better than 3 (link), the effect of gluten is not clear but it's definitely not all dandy (link), and fats are essential (link) to optimal nutrition.

Don't use half a brain when it comes to such complex topic as nutrition.

Nutrition wasn't a complex topic for the first 80,000 years of mankind's existence. We naturally ate a well balanced diet of lean protein with complex unprocessed carbohydrates(grains) and vegetables. I agree nutrition is a complex topic, especially today with how much we know.
That being said I find it isn't difficult to eat healthy. I agree with Christian that small meals throughout the day is healthier, I have observed this first hand and have lost weight compared to eating 3 per day. In fact, 7 I think is optimal, eat the same amount of food/calories just space it out to keep the metabolism running optimally throughout the day. This also follows the natural pattern more readily, as a hunter-gatherer society didn't have adequate food stores to eat 3 large meals, but would eat mostly gathered snacks(fruits,nuts and legumes/vegetable) with 1 maybe 2 large protein type meals from fresh game.
I think people do overcomplicate nutrition today, when it's actually not too difficult. Replacing bad fats(Saturated, Trans) with good(unsaturated), replacing processed sugar with natural(fruit,honey) and overall eating less calories is an easy way to eat healthier. The best thing one can do is eat a balanced diet, I've learned this from many nutritionists. People just eat too much meat these days, your meat portion at one meal should only be the size of a deck of cards. Honestly I would eliminate all meat from my diet(Except fish) if it didn't taste so damn good.
The problem with fast food imo is that it's the cheapest food, the poorest people in America are forced to eat unhealthiest, and consequently have more weight-related health problems. This is fundamentally wrong, and I think America could benefit from having fairly priced healthy food too. The problem is it costs too much to produce.

Ummmmm, that is quite thoroughly refuted at least from what I saw in the film. I plan to look further into the subject but that is one of the beliefs that was SHATTERED.

Also on cutting out meat, I was a 90% vegetarian often eating meat after a workout when it was late or when I had a strong craving but I never ate it at home for OVER 3 YEARS.
I have FINALLY found a natural way out of my mild-but-LONG depression by putting my mild-negative beliefs and false assumptions about meat aside (ironically 3 weeks before watching the film that would have persuaded me for sure) by using my natural sleep rhythm combined with eating meat which is rich in tryptophan because I was CRAVING it after excercise VERY STRONGLY. I was craving it over my starchy but apparently very-healthy diet but what the government scientists were (allegedly) payed to conclude in their research.

Fact - I feel better after eating meat then having a nap then I have ever felt on a drug.

(I'm kinda ranting now, gonna stop myself. The rest of the post I have no problem with at all, quite well put in fact despite the RED)

Wise words, DMTK.

-In the past man ate what he could gather from nature. He most likely ate small birds, and animals...and fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Because there was no fridge then, he ate the food fresh. He would have learnt to store foods that didn't go off quick, etc. The wild lean proteins would contain sufficient omega 3 fats and saturates for a healthy diet. And the food would be high in vitamin /mineral content.

--Todays quality of food is poor compared to that of the past, and due to overfarming, lacking in minerals, vitamins- so meat is also lacking in omega 3 oils etc that were once abundant.

--Shaolin, i have studied nutrition, so i understand what a healthy diet comprises, however to " save my brain" i wasn't gonna start talking about fats, etc. Good meat, seeds, nuts-already contains the fats you need -period!, don't go feeding on what those health and fitness magazines tell you-they are a business interested in selling you stuff and facts to keep you confused with analysis paralysis...

I agree that meat is important to a balanced diet. You can see this throughout human history, many argue that eating protein led to brain development. Keep in mind natural protein was different than the heavily processed crap we eat today. I'm talking fresh fish, lots of insects and lean red meat(antelope,gazelle). Not the farm raised, bred animals of today which are just walking hunks of meat. Ideally I would want to eat only fish and insects if I really wanted to be in ultimate health state. I may switch to this as I get older, but right now I'm young and I enjoy a good cut of beef.
As to the comment on the fats, I know that there is debate on this, but from a biological standpoint its been settled. You have to look at the molecular structure of these compounds and you see that unsaturated fats work better with our biochemistry than do saturated(based on what I have leared in Biology regarding this). That being said fats are essential parts of our diet. I have heard this over and over, your body craves these fats and they are good in moderation. You want to boost levels of good cholestorol and unsaturated fats do this. They have also been linked to lower rates of heart disease and cancer. Look a the mediterranean diet with heavy use of olive oil(monounsaturated fat) for evidence of this. Are you really going to argue that butter(saturated fat) is healthier? I know its better than trans fat, but not unsaturated by a long shot. I will rewatch the video in more detail to make sure I understand the argument correctly.

I appreciate that you are quite knowledgeable about nutrition, more-so than me for sure. But you are showing clearly that you did not watch (all) the film.

This was thoroughly refuted in the film as well. The quoted statement is COMPLETELY FALSE.

I get the idea this guy does not really know whaqt he is talking about? Fast food okay as long as you calorie count and excercise? hahah good luck with that...Just becasue someone is not fat does not mean they are healthy as well...I eat more calories that probabily anyone else in this thread as someone who is preominantly fruitarian..do you understand how many calories that is in a day when you eat just huge bowls of sweet all day long, and smoothies etc? Why is it not effecting my health? Why do I feel better than ever?

The whole calorie debate is stupid if that is the main point someone is going to make. If you are eating fast food all day long, you can count your calories all you want you will NOT be a healthy person. You might be skinny but you will look like shit compared to if you were eating huge ammounts of calorie rish fruits all day long. The source of the calories is important.

I started to watch the video but found it lacking in quality.

Why are you so invested in what this one guy says q21? People make all sorts of videos and claim all kinds of bullshit all the time..I dont think this guy is any different.

"5000 calories of anything is going to make you fat and screw up your health"..

Then why dont I see ANY fat or unhealthy looking fruitarians?

You hit the nail on the head Fractal. I was about to respond to with a similar argument. Basically how can you go against all known facts when its only one person making said claim? This was the same problem I had with 9/11 truthers, and especially the film Loose Change. Turns out I was very right about this as many things have been proven wrong in that film
I'm basing what I say from nutritionists and other research I have done to find a simple but healthy diet, that isn't a fad diet but based on how the chemistry in your body works.

yeah my man point would be fruitarians, reguardless of how people feel about a fruitarian diet..usually you will consume 5000+ calories..and I have seen many of them..never ever a fat one or unhealthy looking one..so what is up with that?

I would also worry about brain function of people eat fast food and rely on calory counting and excercise..the brain requires glucose to run..do you also understand the levels of vitamine C that surround the brain q21? Look at bonobos..look at the vitamine C they ingest in a day. 5 or 6 grams. How the hell are you goint to get 5-6000mg of vitamine C when you are counting calories like that? you have to eat tons and tons of fruit to get that much vitmaine C on a natural diet free of supplements..and if you arent getting that much how is that impcting brain health when the largest portion of the vitamine C in the body is centered around the outside of the brain?

Nothing about this video seems to have covered all the bases at all. It is such a shallow look at health and diet.

I said in the first post


Fast forward to 1 hour in and you'll see minute by minute highly respected MDs, PH.d's and Political critics brought in to explain the inaccuracies, the false data and the MASS CORRUPTION of the nation's whole idea of what good food is because of what was/is told, legislated and subsidized by the government.

He (yes he and not the numerous PH.d's interviewed) mentions something everyone already knows but I felt was useful to put here.
I paraphrase but "When you tell people something that conflicts with their deep-seeded beliefs they tend to get pissed off and not believe it."

Please take the time to watch it with an objective mind before blasting your opinions at the FACTS in the film.


Edit 2:About the fruititarians. Well I'd say it has something to do with the fact that one would need to eat over 52 apples in a day, 5.6 Kg of apples. 45.5 cups of grapes, 7.2Kg in one day. Like overdosing on Cannabis the body doesn't really seem capable of it, like over-eating on fruit.


Edit:
The people who were interviewed on the film:
Sally Fallon
Weston A. Price Foundation

Mary Enig, PhD
Weston A. Price Foundation

Michael R. Eades, M.D.

Mary Dan Eades, M.D.

Al Sears, M.D.
Wellness Research Foundation

Eric Oliver, PhD
University of Chicago

Jacob Sullum
Reason Magazine

Eric Feit, M.D.

He was supported by some others as well:
Uffe Ravnskov, M.D.
Malcolm Kendrick, M.D.
Jimmy Moore
The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics
Michael Blowhard
Sue Mullins

The body needs to work for it's calories. Free calories aren't good for you.

Most easy calories will make you more hungry after they'd been absorbed in the bloodstream, leading to heartburn etc. (wich can cause cancer in the oesophagus)

McDonald's whitebreads used for it's burgers for instance, are very bad for the whole digestive system. It becomes a sticky substance within the bowles that mixed with meat and other stuff 'glues' itself to the side of the intestines where it can stay there for days while it starts rotting.

Just a detail.

Why would I watch the whole thing when in the first quarter of it the guy has already gone off on weird points and tangents that seem more fantacy than reality??

Im 6'1 and maybe 150 pounds..where is my fat with all the calories I eat? Why after working with numerous doctors(some of whome did tell me to calorie count) and nutrionalists did I find that forgetting about calories and eating tons of them, and getting on raw fruits and veggies did I actaully start to feel better than ever?

Why is the human digestive system so long in comparison to true meat eating species? Why are there so many studies linking acidic diets(like the diets outlined in this video) to cancer and other diseases?

If what this guy is saying does nto resonate at all with my own experience, someone who was really sick at one point..then why would I assume what he is saying or what anyone else in the video is saying is true? it is easy to find and MD to say something..not all doctors agree on things you know...There are TONS of doctors out there that would go against what this video is saying..

Did they bother to mention in the video at all how FAT binds to insulin? Why is noone talking about that..it's all about the calories but they dont bother with the rest lol..

Anyway Im over this topic there are so many diet threads here already where I have said all these same things and anyone who wants to figure this stuff out can just do the research. It is all out there.

Two things to your post

1. About you fruititarian diet and how you can consume large amounts of calories(and sugar) and still be in good shape. This goes exactly back to what I was saying about understanding the biochemistry. The fructose in fruit is processed very differently than is sucrose or lactose or any other sugar for that matter. Your body uses all that energy almost instantly, and that is why eating fruit, especially before meals is important.
2. Secondly, I agree completely on the bits about using MD and PHD interviews.
Q21 this is a classic appeal to authority, we shouldn't trust them just because of their title. We should look into the hard data that backs up what they say. I'll admit I didn't watch the whole video, but I'm open minded and will go back to the parts you mentioned and see what actual hard evidence(if any) is provided for these claims.

Yes, they cover that quite comprehensively in fact.

But best of luck with your health and diet in the future, whatever works for you works for you and I would never try to deny that.