Is HEalthy Food a Human Right? A film REview of the Film "What the Health"

PC: Whatthehealth.com

What the Health, a Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn documentary, has exploded online primarily as a vegan propaganda documentary. However, it also addresses much more than the value of eating a plant-based diet.

What the Health does focuses on the health components of a plant-based diet; however, it chiefly focuses on the corruption of the U.S. government and the funding behind food programs within the country.  Further, the documentary takes a look at both the individual and environmental consequences that a diet heavy in meat and dairy cause.

As an individual who takes my health seriously (and therefore love my veggies), I began to consider health as a human right. Within the context of the United States, healthy food is often hard to find and even if found, it is often much more expensive than the unhealthy foods. This especially affects those in impoverished and underserved neighborhoods, where there are high rates of food insecurity. The government   is the body who determines healthy food portions - in terms of categorizing food groups and appropriate portions. In order to make more profits, they are falsely advertising what is healthy and in turn, they are creating a largely overweight society - one in which diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, cancer and rates have skyrocketed.

So, is health a human right? I say, yes. People should not be misled by false information in general, but especially when its government is backed by large food and product agglomerations. Instead, people should understand what they are putting into their bodies, including knowing exactly: what each product does, where it comes from, and the process involved - for example how a steak derives from a cow. Having access to knowledge that enables us to live life to the fullest capacity is a human right. It is time for transparency in the United States food industry and ideally, the separation of companies and State.

What the Health is worth the watch - for both the mind and also the rest of the body. People need to see how interconnected and intertwined the U.S government is with the food industry. There is no shying away from this - the United States is a fat country and it is only growing moreso.. Processed foods, hidden sugar (mostly in the form of corn) in nearly everything and people not having access to the right information are driving factors behind U.S. obesity. Yes, people are entitled to live their own lives in the way that they see fit - whether it’s one of moderation or one of excess- however, the main takeaway from this documentary is: It is a human right to know what you are putting in your body and a human responsibility to consume less meat and dairy products for the future of this planet.

For an easy, plant-based recipe click here: 

Veggies on Veggies REcipe