It’s Q&A time! You can ask your own question here for a chance to have it answered in an upcoming edition.
The first part of today’s answer is available to all subscribers, and behind the paywall I do a deep dive into the issues with this new docuseries.
What are your thoughts on Netflix’s new documentary, You Are What You Eat? I just read your newsletter discussing intuition vs. science, and on that note, I consider myself a person who deeply respects science (and who has also unfortunately been misled by pseudoscience claims). However, my intuition is already sensing some red flags with this show—I noticed the study was only 8 weeks, and it didn’t seem to be well designed. I have not watched it yet out of a bit fear/anxiety around how I might feel influenced. Thank you for all that you do to heal our relationships with food and wellness culture!
A reminder that these answers are for educational and informational purposes only and aren’t a substitute for medical or mental-health advice. Although I am a registered dietitian, I’m not your dietitian (unless you happen to be one of my 1:1 clients—hi!—but even then, this email isn’t a session).
I think your intuition is right to pick up on some red flags with this show. Having watched the whole thing (and read the completed study), I wouldn’t put any stock in the results—and I’d continue to avoid watching it if you think you might be susceptible to its influence.
For the uninitiated, You Are What You Eat is one of Netflix’s top shows right now. It’s a pro-vegan, anti-animal-agriculture docuseries by the director of The Game Changers, a 2018 Netflix documentary with a similarly anxiety-producing message about the supposed health impacts of meat and dairy and the ostensible halos around plant-based foods. That movie struck fear into the hearts of many people I know when it first came out, and this new series is already doing the same.
As I’ve often said, I think it’s fine to be vegan for ethical reasons—and as a disordered-eating dietitian, I also know it’s extremely hard for those who are susceptible to disordered eating to follow a vegan diet without having it trigger or exacerbate a troubled relationship with food.
If you’re vegan for health reasons, some preliminary research has shown that it may raise your risk of disordered eating (whereas being vegan for ethical reasons may not). You Are What You Eat pushes both motivations, but its packaging clearly emphasizes health.
The series—subtitled “A Twin Experiment”—bills itself as being centered around scientific research. In fact, the show is barely about science at all. The twin study is a convenient hook for a work of food-related fearmongering, underpinned by dubious claims and a whole lot of bias.
