This documentary was an interesting look at two men who decide to juice cleanse to lose weight and gain health. However, I had a few issues with the film:
1. I finished the movie without understanding the scientific justifications for 'juice cleansing.' There was clear anecdotal evidence that the cleanse was healthful and rejuvenating, but the film lacked any sort of serious discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of juice cleansing for various populations. I was therefore unconvinced that this was a healthy thing for a typical person to try. My reluctance to accept the filmmaker's word as truth was solidified while I was listening to a Science Friday podcast recently. In the podcast, an author who researched nutrition and eating was explaining how putting vegetables through a juicer removes a good deal of their nutritional content by essentially changing insoluble fiber to soluble fiber. (Side note: I'm on the waiting list at the library for that author's book "Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.") I am not an expert on chemistry, biology, or nutrition, so this sort of scientific and accurate information is what I'm looking for more than a "Look how healthy I feel now!" fad.
2. The filmmaker too often conflated obesity with being unhealthy. This is not a scientifically accurate connection, and it is an all-too-often insulting one for people who are "overweight." In fairness, it seemed to me that there was a stronger emphasis in the documentary on being healthy than on losing weight, but there was too much camera time spent discussing the weight loss that resulted from the juice cleanse as opposed to the overall health effects (see complaint #1).
Overall: An interesting documentary, but more akin to an inspiring A&E show than to a really educational way to get information about healthy eating.
No comments:
Post a Comment