Low carbohydrate diets for weight loss are well established in literature starting with William Banting's "Letter on Corpulence" from 1864, and have been part of popular diet culture since "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution" was published in 1972. However, this way of eating has been vilified as harmful by health advocacy organizations, mainstream academia, the USDA, and others who subscribe to Ancel Keys' Diet Heart Hypothesis established in the 1950s.
This documentary gathers together several of the leading voices pushing back against the guidelines codified with the USDA Food Pyramid and continuing to this day with My Plate. Americans have been told that fat, particularly saturated fat, is unhealthy and the majority of the macro-nutrient we consume should be carbohydrate based. This documentary explores if the mainstream narrative has made us healthier or not.
Physicians, including Robert Atkins, have been reversing type II diabetes in their practices for decades, but he never conducted any clinical trials. Since then, clinical trials have been conducted on diet and type II diabetes, including one by Dr. Sarah Hallberg detailed about midway through this documentary.
The documentary also delves into the results from the Minnesota Coronary study that was conducted from 1968 until 1973 but the results went unpublished until 2016. Why would such a study be buried?
This documentary includes a two week experiment with three healthy adults eating low carb for one week followed by low fat, and monitor health markers, including a continuous glucose monitor. They also interview the subjects to see how they feel throughout the experiment.
The usage of industrial seed oils vs natural fats is explored, but not fully fleshed out. Apparently more studies are needed on this topic. Similarly, the role of cholesterol in cellular repair is mentioned, but only briefly.
Documentaries about health and nutrition ALWAYS have personal anecdotes from those who have tried various eating approaches, and this one is no exception. We hear from folks who were obese, diabetic, and even an army helicopter pilot, and his experience with military rations that are based on USDA guidelines.
Despite exploring some dark topics with regard to health, there are certainly uplifting moments in this documentary, including a "light at the end of the tunnel" with regard to a change in recommendations from an advocacy group.
One star deducted for avoiding discussion of Dr. Robert Atkins, who was a pioneer in both weight loss and Type II diabetes reversal using a low carb approach, and took the brunt of the abuse from the Diet-Heart hypothesis crowd, even having his medical license jeopardized. Instead they focused on the Tim Noakes trial.
One star deducted for the lack of humor. Yes, there is inclusion of a brief South Park clip, but in 2009, Tom Naughton brought up several of the same topics in his funny documentary "Fat Head", but Mr. Naughton and his excellent work is never referenced in "Fat Fiction".
This documentary gathers together several of the leading voices pushing back against the guidelines codified with the USDA Food Pyramid and continuing to this day with My Plate. Americans have been told that fat, particularly saturated fat, is unhealthy and the majority of the macro-nutrient we consume should be carbohydrate based. This documentary explores if the mainstream narrative has made us healthier or not.
Physicians, including Robert Atkins, have been reversing type II diabetes in their practices for decades, but he never conducted any clinical trials. Since then, clinical trials have been conducted on diet and type II diabetes, including one by Dr. Sarah Hallberg detailed about midway through this documentary.
The documentary also delves into the results from the Minnesota Coronary study that was conducted from 1968 until 1973 but the results went unpublished until 2016. Why would such a study be buried?
This documentary includes a two week experiment with three healthy adults eating low carb for one week followed by low fat, and monitor health markers, including a continuous glucose monitor. They also interview the subjects to see how they feel throughout the experiment.
The usage of industrial seed oils vs natural fats is explored, but not fully fleshed out. Apparently more studies are needed on this topic. Similarly, the role of cholesterol in cellular repair is mentioned, but only briefly.
Documentaries about health and nutrition ALWAYS have personal anecdotes from those who have tried various eating approaches, and this one is no exception. We hear from folks who were obese, diabetic, and even an army helicopter pilot, and his experience with military rations that are based on USDA guidelines.
Despite exploring some dark topics with regard to health, there are certainly uplifting moments in this documentary, including a "light at the end of the tunnel" with regard to a change in recommendations from an advocacy group.
One star deducted for avoiding discussion of Dr. Robert Atkins, who was a pioneer in both weight loss and Type II diabetes reversal using a low carb approach, and took the brunt of the abuse from the Diet-Heart hypothesis crowd, even having his medical license jeopardized. Instead they focused on the Tim Noakes trial.
One star deducted for the lack of humor. Yes, there is inclusion of a brief South Park clip, but in 2009, Tom Naughton brought up several of the same topics in his funny documentary "Fat Head", but Mr. Naughton and his excellent work is never referenced in "Fat Fiction".