User Reviews

In the film "Chow Down," David Katz, director of the Yale University's Prevention Research Center states that we could eliminate 80 percent of all heart disease, 90 percent of diabetes, and 60 percent of cancer with what we currently know about food. In an interview for Boston Magazine Katz clarifies: "The "what" is easy. Michael Pollan nailed it. 'Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.'

One of the physicians in this film (Esselstyn) recommends a high carb, low fat diet. Another (Fuhrman) decidedly does not. All are critical of the USDA which does not promote a plant based diet (largely because it's primary constituents are the meat and dairy industries).

The strength of the film are the honest, personal journeys of the three participants.

They bring up many good points in this documentary.

The government IS supporting agribusiness instead of recommending a diet to our citizens that is actually healthy. The movie DOES make a good point that less than 1 percent of government agricultural subsidies DO go toward fruits and vegetables. We DO emphasize surgery and pills to treat diabetes and heart and disease, when it can be treated by diet.

We put complexly constructed melanges of chemicals into our bodies on a daily basis. They are called "food." And to not examine the effect these highly complex chemical compounds have on the human body, itself a highly complex system of chemical interactions (as well as electrical and mechanical systems), is completely foolish, and the medical establishment has for way too long ignored the effects these substances have, in favor of talking about "genetics." The movie makes this point also.

So far, so good!

Where the film goes utterly, tragically, terribly wrong, is putting forth the clichéd low-fat, high carb, whole grain based diet. The same diet that has been emphasized for 50 years by the medical establishment and the government that this film has just spent 30 minutes griping about. The same diet that has been in effect as the most recommended one while obesity rates, and diabetes rates, and heart disease rates in this country have EXPLODED.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Eat your bacon. Eat your cheesesteaks. Eat that hunk of good quality European cheese. But don't forget to emphasize your fruits and vegetables! But DUMP THOSE GRAINS! Grains are poison. Our ancestors did not eat grains. They ate animals and plants, and probably some occasional milk, cheese or yogurt. That's it. Dump the grains, the rice, the sugar, the beans, the legumes, and by and large, the milk, with occasional cheese and yogurt.

And you people paying $4.00 per pound for peppers (as seen in this movie) are clearly going to the wrong market. I find fresh vegetables much cheaper at a local market in a nearby lower middle class area.

On a final note, in support of my point of view, I would note that if you look at the classic government sponsored "Food Pyramid" shown in the film, and you cut out all grains, the pyramid STILL has a solid bottom. If you cut out meats and animal foods, then the pyramid has a giant chuck out of the side and it collapses and falls over.

For an opposing view, I would recommend the documentary "Fathead," though I did have some problems with that one as well.