Anyone who sees “The Game Changers” will most likely (at first) no longer feel like eating animal products, the celebrated Netflix nutrition documentary is so insistent and convincing. No wonder, since the film was produced by Hollywood star director James Cameron. The problem: The supposed evidence can’t keep up with the strong images at all. Instead, as two nutrition experts have told FITBOOK, the film is bogged down in bias, simplification, subjectivity and bogus science.
With «The Game Changers» Netflix has released a nutrition documentary that – without exaggerating – went viral. At least as viral as a nutrition documentary can go. Basic statement: Those who do without animal products and eat purely plant-based food are stronger and live healthier (and longer). The film suggests that you can also (or even more so) take off as an athlete if you don’t eat meat. And the message resonates with many people. «Rocky» star Dolph Lundgren explained that he wanted to eat «plant-based», i.e. vegan, because of the documentary. A colleague recently told me enthusiastically about “The Game Changers” and explained that she wanted to be a vegetarian from now on. She also wanted to know when we will report about it at FITBOOK. That’s what we want to do now – only you will probably like our findings less.
Maybe it’s because I’m a meat eater, but the film felt suspiciously well rounded after just a few minutes. Sounds strange, so I want to explain it with a counter question: Since when has (nutrition) science been so clear, since when have there been no counter-opinions, counter-studies, counter-evidence to a thesis? Anyone who sees the film, also thanks to its psychologically clever use of special effects, wants to vomit the canteen crockery from lunchtime straight away. One simple fact should at least make you skeptical: the film was produced by James Cameron. He is not only an Oscar-winning director (“Titanic”, “Avatar”), but also the founder and managing director of Verdiant Foods, a manufacturer of pea protein. That doesn’t mean anything at first. Except that from an economic point of view, of course, he could have little interest in animal proteins and fats doing better than plant-based ones – at least in his own show. Nevertheless, the fact that a pro-vegan film was produced by a manufacturer of vegan dietary supplements sums up one of the biggest criticisms of The Game Changers: bias coupled with a lack of objectivity and a lack of personal competence.
The well-known nutritionist and graduate ecotrophologist Prof. Dr. Nicolai Worm like that. «The absence of a balanced discussion of the facts presented up to omitting deviating facts has nothing to do with real science,” says Prof. Worm to FITBOOK. But let’s start from the beginning.
Weak point instead of strength: The many studies and «studies»
The story within The Game Changers is told by a former MMA fighter, James Wilks, who was sidelined by a serious injury. According to the documentary, during this time he worked on a “study on Roman gladiators”, which came to the following conclusion: the brave fighters were herbivores.
What the film doesn’t say: It’s not a study, but a nice narrative piece in an archeology magazine. The underlying study only comes to the conclusion that the gladiators ate mixed foods with a lot of vegetables. Quote from the press release from the University of Bern: «Roman gladiators mainly ate vegetarian food». From a pure plant basedso vegan nutrition is out of the question.
Since 2008 dr. Nicolai Worm Professor at the German University for Prevention and Health Management (DHPG) in SaarbrückenPhoto: Prof. Dr. Nicolai Worm
Prof. Worm is also far from impressed by the scientific evidence cited. Worm on FITBOOK: «Many of the studies mentioned had a very small number of subjects, which casts doubt on their validity. Some have appeared in lesser-known journals, which are known to have less scrutiny. At the same time, many large-scale, methodologically better studies whose results would not fit the message of the documentary were not taken into account.” That’s what pseudoscience is all about: you hold an opinion and pick out the concurring opinions of others as ‘evidence’ that seems to support your own position. But: A study proves nothing. Especially not when other studies come to completely different conclusions.”
Problem: Lots of insinuations and half-truths
In «The Game Changers» much is said and presented in a certain way, implied and left in the room, which leads the viewer to the conclusion: vegan is healthier. At the same time, a lot will happen Not said, which could put the supposed facts into perspective.
One conclusion is that yes, you can also get your daily minimum dose of amino acids with a purely plant-based diet. The fact that you have to eat a lot of vegetables and especially legumes (which you – or the intestines – have to tolerate first), while on the other hand a small portion of animal protein would be sufficient, goes unmentioned.
Yes, strongman Patrick Baboumian says he gained 50 pounds after quitting meat in 2005. But even if that is true – it is not mentioned whether and which dietary supplements or other means he still takes – what does that tell us? Only that he gained 25 kilos during the time that he did not eat meat. This is at best an association, a correlation, but not causality. Maybe he just ate more, which could also explain weight gain. Or who says they couldn’t have done it just as easily, maybe even easier, with a different diet (keto, paleo, etc.)? This classification is completely absent in the film.
Also interesting: What is seitan made of and is it a good meat substitute?
The viewer leaves with the apparent proof: (Only) because he ate a purely meat-free diet, he was able to gain 25 kilos in mass. But wait a minute, did Baboumian live vegetarian or vegan? As the film goes, «How could one of the strongest men in the world eat only plants?» No meat, no milk, no eggs?” There’s a catch with this statement: it’s not true. Because as part of a muscle building experiment, he spent a month in 2009 fed on 6000 calories a day – including, in addition to 1.5 kilos of low-fat quark, more than half a kilo of pollock a day. According to Baboumian, she has been a purely vegan since December 2011.
Problem: adventurous conclusions
And on it goes: In «The Game Changers» a study is presented that comes to the following conclusion: «The same study that showed that just one hamburger can reduce blood flow by 27 percent also showed a 70 percent increase in inflammation. Sounds dramatic (we’ll get to the use of percentages in a moment) – and is a good example of the very selective choice of supposed evidence. What did the researchers study – and what did they really find out?
In a very small study with just eleven (!) subjects, the participants ate either a burger or a burger with avocado in a randomized order. The viewer learns: After four hours, an inflammation value (IL-6) was increased by 70 percent in the burger-without-avocado eaters. What the viewer doesn’t learn: The same value was one, two, three, five and six hours after the meal Not elevated. Just in the time window of four hours after that. As far as another inflammatory score (TNF-alpha) is concerned, no significant change was detected at all. «From this, deriving the conclusion of an increase in inflammation of 70 percent is an adventurous shortening of the facts,» continues Prof. Worm – albeit one that fits perfectly with the message of «The Game Changers». Incidentally, the study was sponsored by the avocado industry. Nothing out of the ordinary, many studies defending meat consumption have been and continue to be sponsored by the meat industry. However, this very point is condemned by the producers of The Game Changers. The same possible conflict of interest in the avocado study is not mentioned. Kind of tastes like double standards.
Also interesting: Is eating tofu good for the heart?
Problem: «The Game Changers» works with blatant abbreviations
Jörn Utermann is a nutritionist and sports nutritionistPhoto: Jorn Utermann
Another nutrition expert consulted by FITBOOK is also critical of the documentary. Ecotrophologist and nutrition coach Jörn Utermann, who has also worked as an author for FITBOOK, is bothered by the blatant abbreviation of facts and refers to the example of the firefighters:
The film introduces us to a crew of overweight firefighters who have improved both their cholesterol and blood sugar levels after switching to a vegan diet. So the viewer goes with the lesson learned from the documentary: If I do without animal products, I can lower my cholesterol level. And that’s not all: According to The Game Changers, eating meat also increases the risk of diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.
The problem: Again, a comparison of facts is presented as causality, i.e. as evidence. Because firefighters gave up animal products, they became healthier. Utermann says to FITBOOK: «I’m not surprised that the firefighters from the film were able to improve their blood values with a vegan diet.» They are overweight and probably eat primarily finished products. «Any other healthier change in diet would probably have had the same effect.»
There are also a number of studies that show that you can also improve your cholesterol and blood sugar levels with a healthy mixed diet that also contains low-fat meat products, with a Mediterranean diet or with a Paleo diet. Utermann further: “The fact that meat is fundamentally unhealthy and increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes is simply wrong. Rather, highly processed foods are the problem. But these can also be vegetarian products such as croissants and fries, which contain a lot of trans fats.”
And the main cause of type 2 diabetes is not meat or its animal protein, but overweight. This phenomenon is ultimately due to «too high calorie intake and too little exercise and not to…