We eat too much processed and fast food.
Corn in some form is contained in almost every processed food we buy.
The way food is grown and produced harms our health, small farms, and the environment, and treats the animals that become our food horrendously.
… These are all things we know about the condition of food and health in the US, but nothing makes these messages clearer than the following five powerful food documentaries.
These movies will change the way you eat and live, and completely open your eyes to the state of food in the US.
King Corn
2007’s King Corn tells the story of two college friends who move from Boston to Iowa to grow and farm corn. Through the eyes of these two new farmers, we learn about the growing role corn plays in American society.
We see how the industrial production of corn has harmed family farms and public and environmental health, and that this is a trend that isn’t isolated to corn farming, but rather a symptom of the way we grow and produce food in the US.
Super-Size Me
This famous film from 2004 follows narrator and star Morgan Spurlock as he eats nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days straight. Very quickly into the experiment, he develops numerous health problems—both physical and emotional—but nevertheless continues his crazy diet.
Throughout the experiment he interviews experts and consumers about fast food. In the end, we’re left with a poignant picture of what we all should know but sometimes need to be reminded of: fast food makes us fat and sick.
Food, Inc.
Filmmaker Robert Kenner demonstrates how a few large corporations’ obsession with profit outweighs any concerns about public health, farmers’ ability to get by, the safety of workers, and the health of the environment. These corporations have tried to develop more ‘perfect foods,’ like larger chickens, seeds that are resistant to herbicides, and even produce that won’t go bad.
But as the documentary shows, these new foods are having disastrous consequences, both on our health and on the environment. Food, Inc. will truly open your eyes to the sad state of food production in the US today.
Food Matters
Food Matters argues that our system of industrialized food production, along with the medical industry, is making and keeping people sick. It explores how we need to focus more on changing our diet to treat and even cure health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and depression, rather than relying on pills which only serve to make the pharmaceutical and medical industries richer, while keeping us sick.
The film also looks at the relationship between the poor quality of the food Americans consume and our rising healthcare costs. Finally, it provides solutions to the problems it presents. This film will make you reevaluate the way you eat, and also inspire you to change the current system!
Forks Over Knives
Although here at the Alternative Daily we think that animal products in moderation can be part of a healthy diet, this documentary certainly shows the power of incorporating more healthy plant-based foods into your diet.
Almost all of these documentaries are available on Netflix, and some of them are also in their full-length form on YouTube. We suggest watching them all, as we can only protect our health and the environment we live in through educating ourselves.
-The Alternative Daily