Movie Review: Forks Over Knives

When I first watched Forks Over Knives it was like a revelation. At the time, I’d just begun venturing into vegetarianism for my own health, ethical reasons and also as a form of peaceful protest out of wanting to shift my support from certain industries and practices. My health wasn’t in bad shape, I just wanted to take it to new levels. I’d read bits here and there about the medicinal powers of plant based diets but not until Forks Over Knives had I seen their magnitude so clearly articulated. I was using a plant based diet as preventative medicine, but seeing it’s healing abilities, especially with some of the most serious diseases was eye opening. Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in America and both have the same solution, but almost no one’s talking about it.

Forks Over Knives centers around the work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who didn’t grow up together but took strikingly similar paths to reach the point where they converged. Both grew up in animal agriculture and went into the medical field only to learn that the nationally embraced practices they were raised on were to be the very thing they’d been called to refute. When we think of someone promoting a plant based diet, stereotypes of left-wing, long haired hippie types may come to mind, so when these to highly esteemed doctors clearly explain the effects of consuming processed, refined and animal foods based on years of research it’s a refreshing prerogative. Through the personal journey of the film’s director Lee Fulkerson and several others we can see the effects of switching to a whole-foods plant based lifestyle from a standard American diet over the span of just a few weeks and the results are astounding. Someone could rattle off the conclusions from dozens of studies but seeing real life transformations drives home the message of the movie in a wonderfully personal way. From reducing bad, or LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and the need for medications, to the increase in energy, happiness and health, it’s a wonder plant based diets aren’t a go to move for every doctor in America and the world at large, but the film touches on why that is as well.

One of the main transformations in the movie comes from Joey Aucoin, a typical middle aged American male dealing with health problems that have just become his normal life. In the beginning of the movie Joey was taking 9 pills and 2 shots a day but after just a few weeks of switching to a whole foods, plant based diet he is able to live and thrive without the medications that were bogging him down. This is why plant based diets are silenced, something Dr. Campell felt directly while expanding his research during his time at Cornell University. Insurance, medical and pharmaceutical industries will begin to quickly lose customers and they aren’t ready to give that up, even if the cost is simply getting their customers what they are seeking, healthy lives. The statin drug Lipitor used to lower cholesterol is the most widely prescribed drug in the world, but what if that business dissolved, who would that hurt, and who would it help?

Forks Over Knives does a fantastic job of explaining the source of so many common diseases and their rates per capita, not just in a America, but globally, and the readily apparent patterns formed by this information paint a clear picture. I’m fascinated by plant based diets and their healing properties, but could hardly enjoy an hour and a half of straight medical talk. Forks Over Knives elegantly blends information sourced from personal stories and large scale studies, including the largest study of plant based diets ever conducted, The China Study, with enjoyable, curious and positive components of plant based diets which synthesizes into a beautiful arrangement of entertaining education. Showing the pitfalls of animal agriculture, processed foods and their resulting effects on our population is an easy task. Obesity in America is rampant, our disease rates are generally the highest amongst all other nations and the cause of these problems is staggeringly obvious. The trick to this is showing the good side; the opportunity and the ease with which health can be renewed.

The movie documents several dramatic transformations but they don’t take years, they often happen in weeks, which was one of the most surprising parts of the movie to me. Sure, there is a continual progression by staying with a plant based lifestyle in the long term but the bulk of the health improvements and alleviation of debilitating ailments happens in a relatively brief time period. Forks Over Knives shows how moldable our own health is and the trivial role genetics actually play in disease. Many common myths are discussed in the film like cow’s milk being an essential component of a well rounded diet and that we need animal foods for protein. Hearing a passionate vegan friend debunk these issues is one thing, but seeing doctors who treat thousands of patients lay out the facts make the truth abundantly clear. Our daily habits create our culture at large, and hearing that I am of the generation that will be the first to potentially have shorter lives on average than the preceding one is beyond startling. With all the money spent on research and treatment, why are we letting our overall health worsen?

Our health is in our own hands and tools like Forks Over Knives, whether in the form of the documentary, book or website can strengthen us as we make the decision to take back control of our health and live the lives we deserve. Forks Over Knives came across my path when I was becoming interested in plant based lifestyles and helped to solidify my choice to move forward on the road to vibrant health though shifting what I do and don’t put into my body. Years later, it still resonates with me and I seem to take away something new from it every time I see it. There are so many ways to go about plant based diets and Forks Over Knives primarily focused on a whole foods diet which is crucial. While I think incorporating raw foods is key and don’t quite agree with the perspective that all fats are bad, overall I think this movie is fantastic for anyone to watch regardless of your goals or current lifestyle. This documentary provides an expansive foundation of information for anyone to who build upon as they move towards the plant based lifestyle that suits their tastes and physical needs. It’s one of the main tools I recommend for anyone wanting to learn and feel blessed that Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and the whole Forks Over Knives team have created such an outstanding resources for moving our health and planet in the right direction.