Product Description
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What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical
technology in the world, we are er than ever by nearly every
measure.
Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of es
are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About
half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major
medical operations have become routine, helping to drive
care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and
stroke are the country's three leading causes of death, even
though billions are spent each year to "battle" these very
conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative
diseases.
Could it be there's a single solution to all of these problems? A
solution so comprehensive but so utterly straightforward, that
it's mind-boggling that more of us haven't taken it seriously?
FORKS OVER KNIVES
examines the profound cl that most, if not all, of the
so-called "diseases of affluence" that afflict us can be
controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of
animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film
traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet
under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr.
Caldwell Esselstyn.
Dr. Campbell, a tional scientist at Cornell University, was
concerned in the late 1960's with producing "high quality" animal
protein to bring to the poor and malnourished areas of the third
world. While in the Philippines, he made a life-changing
discovery: the country's wealthier children, who were consuming
relatively high as of animal-based foods, were much more
likely to get liver cancer. Dr. Esselstyn, a top surgeon and head
of the Cancer Task Force at the world-renowned Cleveland
Clinic, found that many of the diseases he routinely treated were
virtually unknown in parts of the world where animal-based foods
were rarely consumed.
These discoveries inspired Campbell and Esselstyn, who didn't
know each other yet, to conduct several groundbreaking studies.
One of them took place in China and is still among the most
comprehensive -related investigations ever undertaken.
Their research led them to a startling conclusion: degenerative
diseases like heart disease, type 2 es, and even several
forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented - and in many
cases reversed - by adopting a whole foods, -based diet.
Despite the profound implications of their findings, their work
has remained relatively unknown to the public. The filmmakers
travel with Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn on their separate but
similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both
produced "nature's perfect food"; to China and Cleveland, where
they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and
shook their own core beliefs.
The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the
film, cameras follow "reality patients" who have chronic
conditions from heart disease to es. Doctors teach these
patients how to adopt a whole foods -based diet as the
primary approach to treat their ailments - while the challenges
and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.
FORKS OVER KNIVES utilizes state of the art 3-D graphics and rare
archival footage. The film features leading experts on ,
examines the question "why we don't know", and tackles the issue
of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for
years.
FORKS OVER KNIVES was filmed all over the U.S., in Canada and
China.
DVD INCLUDES CLOSED CAPTIONING, AND ENGLISH AND SPANISH SUBTITLES
Review
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"A Film That Can Save Your Life." --Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun
Times
"Convincing, Radical and Politically Volatile." --John Anderson,
Variety
"Great Movie." --Mark Bittman, New York Times Columnist
"A Great Film." --Sanjay Gupta, MD, CNN chief medical
correspondent
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About the Actor
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T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.: For more than 40 years, Dr. Campbell
has been at the forefront of tion research. His legacy, the
China Project, is considered the most comprehensive study of
and tion ever conducted. Dr. Campbell is the Jacob
Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of tional Biochemistry at
Cornell University and Project Director of the accled
China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Project. The study was the
culmination of a 20-year partnership of Cornell University,
Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Campbell received his master's degree and Ph.D. from Cornell,
and served as a Research Associate at MIT. He spent 10 years on
the faculty of Virginia Tech's Department of Biochemistry and
tion before returning to the Division of tional
Sciences at Cornell in 1975 where he presently holds his Endowed
Chair (now Emeritus).
His principal scientific interests, which began with his graduate
training in the late 1950s, has been on the effects of
tional status on long term , particularly on the cause
of cancer. He has conducted original research both in laboratory
experiments and in large-scale human studies; has received more
than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding, mostly
from the National Institute of , and has served on several
grant review panels of multiple funding agencies. Dr. Campbell
has lectured extensively, and has authored more than 300 research
papers. He and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II, are authors of the
bestselling book, The China Study: Startling Implications for
Diet, and Long-term .
Dr. T. Colin Campbell is the recipient of several awards, both in
research and citizenship, and has actively participated in the
development of national and international tion policy.
Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., received his B.A. from Yale
University and his M.D. from Western Reserve University. In 1956,
pulling the No. six oar as a member of the victorious United
States rowing team, he was awarded a gold medal at the Olympic
Games. He was trained as a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and at
St. George's Hospital in London. In 1968, as an Army surgeon in
Vietnam, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Dr. Esselstyn has been associated with the Cleveland Clinic since
1968. During that time, he has served as President of the Staff
and as a member of the Board of Governors. He chaired the
Clinic's Cancer Task Force and headed its Section of
Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.
In 1991, Dr. Esselstyn served as President of the American
Association of Endocrine Surgeons. That same year he organized
the first National Conference on the Elimination of Coronary
Artery Disease, which was held in Tucson, Arizona. In 1997, he
chaired a follow-up conference, the Summit on Cholesterol and
Coronary Disease, which brought together more than 500 physicians
and -care workers in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In April,
2005, Dr. Esselstyn became the first recipient of the Benjamin
Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. He received the
Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Cleveland Clinic Alumni
Association in 2009.
His scientific publications number over 150. "The Best Doctors in
America" 1994-1995 published by Woodward and White cites Dr.
Esselstyn's surgical expertise in the categories of endocrine and
disease. In 1995 he published his bench mark long-term
tional research on arresting and reversing coronary artery
disease in severely ill patients. That same study was updated at
12 years making it one of the longest longitudinal studies of its
type. It is most compelling, as no compliant patients have
sustained disease progression. Today, 20 years later compliant
patients continue to thrive.
About the Director
------------------
Lee Fulkerson, Writer and Director:
Lee Fulkerson has written, produced, directed or supervised
nearly 170 hours of documentary programming, and has won 19
international awards for his work. These include the prestigious
CINE SPECIAL JURY AWARD for Best Broadcast Historical Program of
2003, network or cable, awarded for his pilot episode of the
series, THE COLOR OF WAR. Most recently Lee wrote SEVEN SIGNS OF
THE APOCALYPSE, a two-hour documentary special for the History
Channel. Previously, he was Executive Producer and head writer of
the seven-hour series SHOWDOWN: AIR COMBAT for the Discovery
Channel. Lee was the Series Producer of the 17-hour THE
COLOR OF WAR series and the 35-hour THE GREAT SHIPS series for
the History Channel. He wrote, produced and directed the
90-minute special THE C OF FLIGHT 191 for the History
Channel, and co-wrote THE LONG MARCH, a two-hour special for
History International. Lee also wrote or produced 11 episodes of
the Biography series for A&E, including programs on MICHELANGELO,
GEORGE WASHINGTON and BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. In the realm of fiction,
Lee co-wrote the screen story Ascent in the television drama
series THE DEAD ZONE for the USA Television Network.
Brian Wendel, Creator and Executive Producer:
Brian Wendel had a long-time interest in tion and . In
the summer of 2008, he read The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell
and realized that the scientific case that a whole foods
-based diet could prevent - and even reverse - disease was
greater than he had ever imagined. This concept deserved a "seat
at the table" in the national discussion. Brian decided the most
effective way to bring this message to a broad audience was by
feature film. His vision for the film was that it be based on the
science - and at the same time, provide a moving experience by
exploring personal stories and historical elements. Brian
recruited a veteran award-winning production team and spent
nearly two years producing FORKS OVER KNIVES, his first feature
film.
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