Effects of consuming meat and dairy foods

Analysis of the film “What the Health.”
1. How did you feel after watching the movie?
The film, What the Health followed Andersen as he sought to discover the effects of consuming meat and dairy foods. He expresses that consuming meat and dairy products is as dangerous as smoking. The basis for this discussion is held in the fact that red meat has been shown to cause cancer due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic aromatic amines. Dairy foods have also been shown to cause heart and lifestyle diseases due to high cholesterol levels. I agree that heavy consumption of processed meat, especially red meat, can cause cancer and that heavy consumption of dairy and processed foods can lead to the contraction of heart diseases and lifestyle diseases. However, Andersen communicates this in such a way as to deter people from overall consumption, which is false. Contraction of these diseases often occurs due to several factors together. The implication that a conspiracy exists between the food and pharmaceutical industries is ungrounded(Know Public Health). While there can be links between the two industries, the evidence and efficiency of the plan are wanting, as a conscious decision to eat less processed foods can immediately crash the plan.Additionally, all processed foods are FDA-approved and, as per regulations, must not be toxic to the body.
2. After watching the movie, did it inspire you to want to change your nutritional habits? Why or why not?
No. It is incorrect to equate the consumption of meat and dairy foods to smoking cigarettes. Proper management of diet can help prevent the occurrence of the diseases mentioned. Additionally, these foods have benefits that plant-based proteins cannot cover.
3. Critically evaluate the video by finding one recent (within the last five years) research article supporting or refuting the material in the video. Briefly summarize the evidence in the research article. Some ideas: Look at the statistical significance or a conflict of interest with the people funding the study. You do not need to print out the article. You only need to include a reference at the end of your paper.
The video insinuates that meat and dairy foods are as harmful as cigarettes in the causation of cancer. To support this claim, Andersen refers to a WHO report in which red meat is classified in the same carcinogen class as tobacco. Analysis of the WHO review shows that it is true that red meat and tobacco are classified under Class I carcinogens. However, these classes do not signify the ability of the carcinogens to cause cancer but show that it has been proven that these substances can cause cancer with multiple studies. Therefore, red meat, the unhealthiest, does not cause cancer at the same rate as tobacco. This genre of documentaries falls under popular vegan advocating projects. It tends to misrepresent data, as in this case. Andersen boldly declares that red meat increases the risk of contracting cancer by 18%. The WHO review showed that red meat only increases cancer risk by 1%(WHO). It is important to note that the doctors used in the interviews are all plant-based and vegetarian-diet advocates.
Works Cited
Know Public Health. “What the Health (Netflix-Documentary) -A Must Watch.” YouTube, 18 Sept. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPD1oIKnnjs.
WHO. “Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the Consumption of Red Meat and Processed Meat.” Www.who.int, 2015, www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat#:~:text=In%20the%20case%20of%20processed. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.