Forks Over Knives

If you, or anyone you know and love, are concerned about or dealing with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, other obesity-related issues or autoimmune issues, PLEASE see this film! It is not by coincidence that of nearly 310 million Americans, 290 million are sick with any of the above issues. What we eat matters immensely to our health, and unfortunately, the American public has been duped by the food industry, US Government regulatory industries, and by default misinformed by health professionals regarding what a truly "healthy" diet consists of. The foods we have been eating (even according to government approved "healthy" nutritional guidelines), are directly contributing to more and more people becoming chronically and terminally ill. Treating our illnesses with surgeries and drugs isn't a "cure," however, making an informed decision to change our diet and lifestyle may not only reduce our chances of experiencing the above diseases, but can also greatly improve symptoms and/or slow the progression-- or even reverse the course--of these diseases if you have already been diagnosed! Please see this documentary to begin learning first-hand about the extensive research and studies supporting a plant-based diet as highly beneficial to our overall health, wellness, and longevity. Wish I had known 25 years ago what I am learning now about plant-based nutrition. This film is thorough, well-done, and well-documented. A great way to get informed, and to start on a path toward taking more responsibility for our health and well-being! Drs. Esselstyn, T. Colin Campbell, Neal Barnard, McDougall, and the other physicians and specialists in this film have my utmost respect for stepping forward and providing us with this vital information!

Greetings again from the darkness. Don't show up for this documentary expecting Morgan Spurlock or Michael Moore. This one offers little entertainment value. But then, that's not the objective of the filmmaker, writer Lee Fulkerson. Mr. Fulkerson provides the polar opposite of Spurlock's award-winning "Super Size Me". Where Spurlock ate McDonalds fast food at every meal for a month, Mr. Fulkerson rejects our typical animal-based and processed food diet for plant-based whole foods.

This test is conducted under the watch of Dr. Matthew Ledderman, who along with his wife, run all pertinent blood and medical tests, and then proceed to teach Mr. Fulkerson how to shop, cook and eat in an entirely new way. The goals are weight loss, increased energy and a reduction of prescription drugs.

This film plays more like a PBS special or a film for medical class, as it pounds the viewer with data and information and studies and examples. A few doctors are interviewed and only minimal input is obtained from the "other" side.

The film gives the impression that Mr. Fulkerson set out to prove his point, much like Dr. Esselstyn and Dr Campbell give every indication that their goal is to prove their own points. The famous China-Oxford-Cornell study has received some heat over the years, but regardless, it seems very clear that WITH PROPER GUIDANCE, a plant-based whole food diet affords many benefits to the human body when compared to the animal-based and processed food that have become so prevalent in the U.S.

No attention is given to cigarettes or exercise as this is totally focused on nutrition and it's effects. There is also some information provided in regards to the governmental subsidies of corn crops, and meat and dairy farmers. This leads our filmmaker and many others to presume that the government is not necessarily interested in what's best for us or school kids' lunches. In fact, it appears both sides have a bit of self-interest at stake.

I would encourage everyone to see the film and educate yourself so that you can make the decisions that are best for you. Consult with multiple doctors and nutritionists. No one can argue with the goal of reduced disease and minimal drug intake ... the big question is what's the best way to achieve this.

There is no doubt that this documentary, like so many others is bias, in this case bias towards a vegan diet, and they do seem to leave out facts for that very same reason. However watching documentaries you should know that this is often the case, and you should do your own research and form your own opinion based on other sources than just the film. That said, a documentary is supposed to make you think, and this certainly did that for me. It moved my perception of and curiosity about diet more than any other film or article has. Perhaps it was the astounding facts it presented me with, perhaps it is because I am already looking more at what I eat than I used to. At any rate I highly recommend watching this and forming your own opinion. It does not lecture you about morals of eating meat or tries to make you a vegan to protect the environment. While it does briefly touch on the subject of energy footprint in food production, its most important and dominant message is your health, plane and simple. Do you think meat is vital for you health and survival? The answer this film gives might surprise you.

There is no quibbling about it; this movie does have a certain agenda that some people will find objectionable. Okay. But, there is enough supportive information to at least consider altering our heavy meat and dairy eating habits.

As a middle aged male with questionable eating habits, I have been concerned about my blood pressure, cholesterol, general overweight condition, and the numerous medicines that were necessary to keep them in check. When I watched this documentary, I went to check out some of the information presented. While there are some distortions, the bulk of the facts did vet out. Shortly after scrutinizing the documentary's information, I made the decision to try a plant-based diet, excluding all the meat and dairy that I never thought twice about eating for three months. The end of the three month "test" was to include a medical exam and corresponding blood work. Why not? What is there to lose?

I did decide to include a couple of servings of fish a week in my "vegan" diet. This was a tip of the hat to the Norwegian study that saw a dramatic drop in cardiovascular related deaths when meat and dairy were restricted sharply during WWII. What they specifically left out of the film was the fact that the Norwegians stepped up their fish eating greatly during that time. Other than the inclusion of fish, I went with a plant based diet.

In a nutshell, the blood work and physical changes after three months did see significantly better results. My weight was down. The cholesterol was down 25%. My HDL and LDL ratio improved. Blood pressure still remains an issue and, sorry to say, it didn't help with male performance, but the other results were impressive. When I told my doctor to look at the last year results against this year's, he took a double-take and asked, "What's going on?" He okay'd a cutting of my cholesterol and one of my blood pressure meds. A checkup on the changes are due soon.

While there is plenty to criticize about the film's bias, there is room for all of us to take stock and ask, why not take a step toward improving our eating habits? Is there anyone that really believes eating animal based foods is good for you in large quantities? Yes, probably a hamburger now and then isn't going to kill you, but eating a larger portion of fruits and vegetables is a better step for us in the long run. I'm at about the six-month mark now. I can't see going back to a diet similar to what I had before. I like the way I feel now and I like the numbers on my blood report. It is enough to keep me on a vegan diet.

I decided to watch this documentary a few days ago because I've recently watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and "Foodmatters" and I loved them both. They were both inspiring on some level, but more than inspiring they were eye opening. It can't come as a surprise to anyone living in the west that we are clearly doing something wrong. We may not want to hear about it, or agree on what "it" is but I can tell you after you watch "Forks Over Knives" you will hear a convincing case against the consumption of meat and dairy. The documentary illustrates the findings of two different scientists who have spent more than 50 years each researching the link between nutrition and disease. Their findings are compelling to say the least. Not only does this documentary show tons of scientific evidence but it mixes in some personal stories for variety and entertainment. I eat tons of meat and tons of dairy so some of the science presented in "Forks over Knives" wasn't exactly music to my ears, but the evidence is hard to deny. Even if it's not what you want to hear, and you have no inclination to become vegan you will still find this documentary highly entertaining and memorable.