Food Documentaries

The impact of documentaries

Documentaries have the ability to shed light on a range of topics and uncover hidden truths to a wide audience. With the popularity of Netflix and Amazon Prime, food documentaries can rise to fame within a matter of days and become the topic of conversation for millions of people around the world. As expected, this has both pros and cons.

You may have heard of:

- Supersize Me

- Seaspiracy

- Cowspiracy

- Food Inc.

- What The Health

The Pros

Food documentaries are so effective at raising awareness of previously unspoken topics and raising the alarm. They also kickstart an interest into a niche area and inspire people to learn more and educate themselves and people around them. High quality documentaries can communicate and frame confusing topics in a transparent light, allowing the average viewer to understand once unfamiliar themes. For example, Seaspiracy launched the issue of overfishing into the public eye which has garnered both admiration and criticism...but nonetheless, plenty of us were discussing industrial fishing with friends and family who had never done so before.

The Cons

As with many genres of documentaries, the content can be sensationalist and exaggerated in some cases. Though many people may go away and do their own research, many will feel they are fully informed and not look any deeper than the information the film has presented them with. Presenting old statistics is a tactic which many films have been called out for, this cherry picking of data can make a complex topic seem clear cut, in favour of the movie’s agenda.

The impact on nutrition and our diets

Some documentaries can make us feel “guilty” for consuming foods such as meat and fish, and many promote plant based diets, displaying all the negatives associated with consuming animal products. In this instance, it’s crucial to recognise that nearly every documentary is made to shock, entice more viewers, and create a buzz. This may not always be a negative, but it can be difficult to spot when the information we’re presented is fair and balanced.

 It is important to remember that it is your personal choice what type of diet you decide to follow. If you decide to reduce a food group, take some time to educate yourself on what foods you can incorporate into your diet to get all your nutrients and if required what supplements are recommended. For support reach out to a registered dietitian or nutritionist for any questions you may have.

Our Advice

Remember, these documentaries are created by Netflix, Amazon etc and have been exaggerated to get our attention and draw more viewers. Documentaries may not portray how evidence based their claims are or where the information to make these claims originates from, we recommend...

- If you feel passionate about a particular topic, do some further research and educate yourself further on the subject.

- Reach out to charities and campaigns advocating for various issues and support them in any way you can.

- If you decide to change your eating habits, ensure you do some further research and if you are unsure reach out to a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Written by: Caitlin O’Nions and Lucy Mclean (ANutr)