This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SMU chapter.
One of the best things about Netflix is the giant variety of documentaries. Netflix’s selection of health documentaries is top notch. Here are my top 8 picks for ones to watch:
- “Food, Inc.”- The Oscar-nominated documentary covers what the food industry’s new trends are doing to human health. It covers agribusiness’s abuse of animals and their production of nutritionally devoid food. They even invite many of the companies they talk about, such as Monsanto, Tyson and Perdue, to provide a response to their claims.
- “What the Health”– This documentary advocates a plant-based diet. It was funded by an Indiegogo campaign and was originally released on Vimeo. The announcer looks at the alleged tie between meat, dairy and the pharmaceutical industries and declining health. Although it has been criticized, it is still an interesting documentary to watch for a different view than how most Americans eat.
- “Forks Over Knives”- Another documentary that advocates for a whole food diet low in fats. The documentary asserts that many diseases can be treated by eating a better diet. It discusses the book “The China Study” and the link between the American and Western diet and many diseases – diabetes, obesity, cancer and others.
- “Hungry for Change”– The documentary focuses on the food industry and the diet industry’s strategies that keep us from being healthy. It has the real-life stories of people who have transformed from being sick and overweight. The documentary is from the producers of best-selling “Food Matters.”
- “Cowspiracy”- The Sustainability Secret. This documentary discusses the impact of factory farming on the environment. They suggest that issues like deforestation and the pollution of water come from agricultural industry. They look into organizations like Greenpeace and their policies.
- “Vegucated”– This documentary follows three people from New York that eat a typical American diet as they are put on a vegan diet. It talks about the benefits of a vegan diet – both ethical and health. They trespass on a factory farm and a slaughterhouse to show the truth in the food industry.
- “In Defense of Food”- This documentary is based on the New York Times Best-Seller of the same name. The author, Michael Pollan creates his maxim “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” to describe the easy way of thinking. He uses his career in journalism to look at the health effects of the industry that essentially determines out health.
- “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”- The documentary follows an Australian and an American as they follow a juice fast and then a plant-based diet to lose weight and get healthy. It was awarded the Audience Choice Award – Documentary Film at the 2010 Sonoma International Film Festival.
Even if you disagree in the findings and connections pointed out in many of these documentaries, it can be beneficial to watch them and learn more about food, the industries and just how your body works.