What the Health – Documentary Review

• Documentary Name: What the Health
• Director: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
• Run Time: 1h 37m
• Year of Release: 2017
• Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

The 2017 released movie “What the Health” is the second film from the makers of the documentary Cowspiracy, which was a huge success. 

What the Health is narrated from the writer’s and co-directors personal account. Kip Andersen starts with a confession that he is a “recovering hypochondriac” – a person who worries about their health even though they don’t have any medical condition.

The condition made Kip highly obsessive about his lifestyle. This included refraining from the so-called bad foods (soft drinks, sugar), indulging in an active daily routine, taking every possible supplement, etc. No sooner did he realize that more than anything, it is the processed foods, especially the meat & dairy industry, that are the leading cause of cancer and heart diseases.

The coverage of the documentary is from a US perspective; the director uncovers some astonishing facts about many renowned US-based health organizations like American Cancer Institute (an organization dedicated to eliminating cancer), American Heart Association (an organization that funds cardiovascular medical research), and American Diabetes Association.

In the course of the movie, he points out the hypocrisies of these organizations. They advocate meat-related products as a healthy diet, which is a stark contradiction to various studies.

Many institutions receive sponsorship from meat-promoting multinationals, dairy companies, and even big pharmaceutical companies. This indicates a substantial nexus to keep people from the truth and make billions of dollars of business.

Apart from health misgivings, the meat industry contributes to greenhouse emissions and deforestation, posing considerable risks to the communities living near animal farms and breeding centers.

The 97 minutes film also takes us through the lives of a few individuals, of how their severe medical condition dramatically changed by switching to a plant-based diet. The movie is interspersed with Kip Anderson’s interviews with physicians, dietitians, researchers, and sports athletes.

What the Health documentary is available on Netflix.