I get so much information from different sources.... Where do I start with this film?

Anyone else seen it?

I guess How much nitrate-free bacon can I still eat is an important question

Processed food I can live without.

I already don't eat meat everyday, nor large slabs of it and to be honest, something feels off to me when the meat takes up more real estate of the plate than everything else for dinner.

Is RAW cow milk really bad for my bones??

A review by Denise Minger  :

“Forks Over Knives”: Is the Science Legit? (A Review and Critique)

I tried to watch this a few days ago.  It was very dry and boring but I slogged through about 3/4 of it trying to just glean some information.

So, it's full of personal anecdotes about how a plant based (no animal products at all...aka vegan) diet made them healthy.  Have you watched FatHead?  That guy loses weight while eating McDonald's 3 meals a day.  Everyone has a story...

So I like to focus on the more sciency stuff.  The China Study.  I've researched this a lot.  I don't see how you can come away with the conclusion that ALL animal products are bad for ALL humans on the planet, no matter the quantity.  The took a group of people with distinct genetics who did eat animal products and decided that each and every human need to avoid them completely.  Talk about extrapolation.

Now, I don't disagree that the 'average' American downs way more animal products than they need to, and than is probably healthy for them.  But I'm a real believer in "all things in moderation".  As well as there is no one diet for every person.  Many Japanese people can't digest milk.  The Dinka tribe consumes vast quantities of milk and blood and little fiber.  Switch their diets and I bet you would have a lot of sick Japanese and a lot of sick Dinkas.

In my opinion, what we should be learning from all these studies that show rural people in other parts of the world have lower incidents of this or that disease is that PROCESSED CRAP is not food and its not doing us any good.  Why blame it on meat/milk?  Why blame it on saturated fat?  Why blame it on natural products consumed in reasonable quantities that humans have evolved to eat?  I put the blame on eating substances that are represented as food but have never been part of the human diet until the last 50 years or so.

Disclosure:  I'm biased.  I'm a vegetarian.  I hate anti-meat propaganda.  Don't even try to take my dairy products away from me.  

Marissa Little wrote:
PROCESSED CRAP is not food and its not doing us any good.  Why blame it on meat/milk?  Why blame it on saturated fat?  Why blame it on natural products consumed in reasonable quantities that humans have evolved to eat?  I put the blame on eating substances that are represented as food but have never been part of the human diet until the last 50 years or so.

I agree! 

There is a region in rural (ex-Soviet) Georgia where it is very common for persons to live to 100+ years.  They farm organically, not because it is "healthier", but because they cannot afford chemicals (and, anyways, "That's how Grampa taught me.".

Most people smoke cigarettes and drink vodka regularly.  They grow their own tobacco, cure it and smoke it.  Their vodka is made on the farmstead with their own potatoes.

They eat meat, but probably not a lot...most of their livestock is utilized for pulling their plows, or providing them with eggs and dairy...yogurt is consumed daily.

It is common to have six generations of family living on the farm.  when you ask the 106 year old matron how she does something, the answer is "Like my Grandma taught me."

What little they eat that was not produced on the farm, most of it came from a neighbor's farm, or somebody else in the village.

Simple, but natural life.  When they need a new plow, they hitch the wagon to a horse, and head to the blacksmith's shop.

If their diet was changed, their history would probably end shortly thereafter.

    Nikita Khrushchev was from Georgia. During his reign as top dog in Russia it came to light that there was a very old man in Georgia. Khrushchev became enamored with the idea of Georgians living a very long time and he sent out emissaries to find other old people. There were rewards both financial and in status for families which could produce a really old person. National Geographic reported on this at the time but now admits that the ages of these people where not authenticated and that most were probably much younger than reported. In the 1970s North Americans were exposed to yogurt commercials containing Soviets who appeared to be in their 50s or 60s but who claimed to be far older, thus perpetuating Khrushchev's mythology and helping to fatten the American population on really sweet yogurt.

    Although the Soviet Union is dead, the tradition of Georgians telling lies about their age is alive and well.

Know you know the "rest of the story" interesting history - what town is this you speak of John?

Marissa Little wrote:
So I like to focus on the more sciency stuff.  The China Study.  I've researched this a lot.  I don't see how you can come away with the conclusion that ALL animal products are bad for ALL humans on the planet, no matter the quantity.

You can't, unless your methods are more than questionable.
Maybe a second Denise Minger link is in order :
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/08/03/the-china-study-a-formal-analysis-and-response/

I saw this movie and found certain aspects of it to be very informative.  Thank you for posting the critiques and counter-points to the movie and the China Study.  While having an open mind can be a struggle, it is ultimately the way to be.

peace

I highly recommend Denise Minger's blog rawfoodsos.com if the Forks Over Knives film has you confused.

She takes the film apart and shines a spotlight on the many flaws and inaccuracies.