De-bunking

Synopsis
The Game Changers is a new film executive produced by James
Cameron (Canadian filmmaker known for Avatar and The
Terminator), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Several times Mr. Olympia)
and Jackie Chan that documents the explosive rise of plant-based
eating in professional sports, mixing real-time, groundbreaking
science with cinematic stories of struggle and triumph. The film
features some of the strongest, fastest and toughest athletes on
the planet - and it's backed by them too - with additional EPs
including Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, top-ranked
tennis player Novak Djokovic, and nine-time NBA All-Star Chris
Paul.

The Game Changers follows the story of James Wilks - elite Special
Forces trainer and winner of The Ultimate Fighter - as he travels the world on a quest for the truth about meat, protein, and strength.
Showcasing elite athletes, special ops soldiers, and visionary scientists. Wilks' journey exposes outdated myths about food that not only affect
human performance but the health of the entire global population.

The film was also nominated for the International Green Film Award under the Cinema for Peace
Awards 2019, and was also awarded in the Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival in 2018-19.

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The Movie
James Wilkes is a mixed martial artist and self-defence
instructor. Having suffered an injury he used his downtime to
explore the effects of plant-based diets on health, recovery,
and athletic performance. He first explores the vegetarian
diet of Roman gladiators before interviewing athletes who
attribute their success to a plant-based diet. Comments
follow from Scott Stoll, a physician for the USA Olympic
team, who argues that animal-based protein impedes
recovery and athletic performance due to certain
inflammatory molecules and inflammatory mediators. He
contrasts this with plant-based proteins that, he argues,
promote gut microbial diversity
reduce inflammation
optimize recovery and athletic performance.

The film dramatizes a comparison of the postprandial effects of meals consisting of animal- versus plant-based foods, purporting to show that
those who ate meat showed reduced penile function and indications of endothelial dysfunction that could disrupt athletic performance. In an
interview, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Walter Willett, argues that there is accumulating evidence showing that high consumption
of protein from dairy sources is related to a higher risk of prostate cancer.
The next scenes criticize the meat and dairy industry for what Perry Mason, Executive Officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health,
calls tactics out of the tobacco industry playbook where public relations firms such as Exponent hire researchers to create doubt to counteract
public health messages. Doctor of preventative medicine David Katz says despite the appearance of confusion in the media,

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The Movie
there is global consensus that a healthy diet is a plant-
food-rich diet.

A further indictment of animal agriculture comes from

Bob Bailey, Research Director of Energy, Environment,
and Resources at Chatham House, who says that while
three-quarters of all agricultural land is used for
livestock production such food sources provide 34% of
the protein and 18% of the calories worldwide. Animal
agriculture is charged with being a main driver of
deforestation and is implicated in habitat destruction
and loss of biodiversity. Other scientists in the film
mention other environmental impacts of animal farming
including carbon dioxide emissions, the overuse of fresh
water, and water pollution. Professor of Food Policy,
Tim Lang makes a closing argument that reducing meat and dairy consumption and increasing plant consumption will improve both public
health and environmental health.

Having recovered from his injury, Wilks is shown teaching self-defence with an additional component, what he terms "internal defence", saying
that with his understanding of the benefits of plant-based diets, he now has the tools to protect more lives than ever before.

The movie ends on a highnote- giving a broad understanding of what veganism holds for us and our body in terms of strength and nutrition

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Key Takeaways

All the species get their basic protein requirement from the plants. Animals feed on these plants
and serve as a middleman for us in the protein food chain. Studies have shown that an average
plant-protein eater not only gets the required level of proteins, but gets 70% more protein than
the person who gets their protein from meat/animal-based diets.

Plant proteins are not inferior to animal-proteins in any way. THe general notion is that
plant proteins are incomplete, thus don’t help us gain muscle mass, however, this is not
true and plant-based diet provide all the required level of proteins and contains all the
type of

There is a direct correlation between a meal and the endothelial function. Endothelial is
a covering of the blood vessel that knows and regulates the blood flow throughout the
body. The form of protein makes the endothelial muscle to impair of dialects, in order
to provide more blood flow to the specific for of muscular organs.

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Key Takeaways

The film explores the fact of how testosterone levels increase by as much as 24% when eating a plant
based diet as opposed to a meat heavy diet. According to researchers, plant-based diets include
foods that boost testosterone, including those high in amino acids, omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, and B
vitamins.

Plant-based diets can play a significant role in reducing blocked arteries, thereby
lowering the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, such as stroke and heart attacks.
Research into a strict low-fat plant-based diet originated in the 1980s, in a very small
study of 22 people. It found that four participants had a reversal of the disease in their
arteries after following this diet.

Long-term human studies indicate that vegan diets may decrease your risk for any type of cancer by
15%. The movie claims claims that some compounds, unique to animal products, increase the risk of
inflammation, which can lead to a host of nasty diseases, particularly cancer.

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Key Takeaways

A plant-based protein diet is fat-free and does not result in cloudy formation in our blood as compared to a meat-
based protein diet. Constant cloudiness in our blood stream can result in loss of strength and lack of energy for
other tasks. This also results in the formation and clustering of cholesterol around the heart and vessels, increasing
the risks of heart disease.

Plant-based proteins offers around 64 times the antioxidant content as compared to

meat-based proteins. Antioxidants are required for our body to steady blood flow and to
keep our blood clean throughout the exercising. It helps us to reduce inflammation
measures in our body by 29% in just 3 weeks.

Studies show that our ancestors were not meat-eaters, but plant-eaters. Our civilization does
not have any genetic advantage that allows us to break flesh, however, our organs do show
characteristics developed for digesting plant-based nutrients. For example, humans have 15X
times bigger intestines as compared to carnivorous animals, because it requires a lot more
time to break plant nutrients. Similarly, we show similar dental characteristics as compared to
herbivore animals, and our different vision as compared to carnivores animals.

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Key Takeaways

The film explores the fact of how meat was promoted as propaganda in our community that it brings
us with more proteins and all. It is similar to the USA promoting milk and lottery amongst its citizens.

Meat, dairy, fish and egg farming controls over 83% of the World Farmland, however,
contributes to only 18% of the total world's calorie need. The reason why animals
require such vast amount of land is that, as they are jus the middlemen, and consume
nearly 6X times the protein from plants, as much they produce.

Rasing cattle requires such enormous amounts of water. Nearly, 25% of the world’s rivers
cater to providing water to farmlands. One hamburger requires around 1000lt. of water to be
produced, leading to a enormous damage to our mother earth.

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Critical Evaluation of the Movie
We have discussed what was discussed in the movie, however, many opposing notions started after the release of the film:

Unmentioned Conflict of Interest:

James Cameron, Executive Producer – Founder and CEO of Verdiant Foods, an organic pea protein company
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor, part owner of ‘Ladder’, a supplement company that sells vegan products
Virtually all of the ‘experts’ interviewed in the film sell vegan products, and books, or profit from veganism

Misinterpretation of Data and Facts:

Studies have shown that gladiators were not entirely vegan, but used to eat whatever was available to them. People don’t eat protein as fuel,
to begin with, they eat protein to build body muscles and in sports like running, protein is not a major requirement to maintain LBM.
Furthermore, plant protein is scarcely bioavailable than other sources. Similary, a lot of facts were false to begin with.

Lack of Balance:
The film does not provide a counter to all the arguments formed throughout. This questions the authenticity of the film to begin with.

Cherry-Picked Data and Athletes:

Some critics argue that the film selectively presents scientific studies and anecdotal evidence to support its claims, potentially overlooking
research that contradicts its viewpoint. Critics have accused the film of confirmation bias.

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How Plant-Based diet is Better
The whole plot of the film revolves around how a plant-based diet/Veganism is better than other diets. Here is some of my key findings and
takeaways as to why I feel veganism is better

Ethical Considerations:
Animal Welfare: Many people adopt a vegan lifestyle out of concern for animal welfare and a desire to reduce harm to
animals.
Environmental Impact: Veganism is often seen as a way to mitigate the negative environmental effects of animal
agriculture, which include deforestation, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and habitat destruction.
Health Benefits:

Lower Risk of Chronic Diseases:

Studies have shown that vegans may have a lower risk of certain chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2
diabetes, and certain cancers. Plant-based diets are often easier on the digestive system and can help alleviate issues
like bloating and constipation.

Reduced Carbon Footprint:

Producing plant-based foods generally requires fewer resources, including land and water, and generates fewer
greenhouse gas emissions compared to animal agriculture.
Preservation of Ecosystems: Veganism can help protect biodiversity and preserve natural ecosystems by reducing the
demand for land and resources used for livestock farming.

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Climate Change
However, the movie does not explicitly mention climate change as its argument, but some facts were shown, telling us how an animal-based
diet leads to loss of water provides a strain on the land, which have implicit implications over climate change.

Reasons for Climate Change:

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The largest contributor to human-induced climate change is the release of greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere. These gases are released from burning fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), deforestation, and various industrial
processes.
2. Deforestation: The removal of forests for agriculture, urban development, and other purposes contributes to climate change. Trees act as
carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When trees are cut down or burned, the stored carbon is released into the
atmosphere.
3. Land Use Changes: Changes in land use, such as urbanization and agricultural expansion, can alter local climate patterns and lead to
increased greenhouse gas emissions. For example, wetlands and peatlands, when drained for agriculture or development, release stored
carbon.
4. Agriculture: Agricultural practices, including livestock farming and the use of synthetic fertilizers, release methane and nitrous oxide, both
potent greenhouse gases. Additionally, the expansion of agricultural land can lead to deforestation.
5. Industrial Processes: Various industrial activities, such as cement production, aluminium smelting, and chemical manufacturing, release
greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
6. Waste Management: Landfills and waste management practices can produce methane emissions as organic matter decomposes
anaerobically in these environments.

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Climate Change
Detailed analysis finds plant diets lead to 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use than
meat-rich ones...
The global food system has a huge impact on the planet,
emitting a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions
driving global heating. It also uses 70% of the world’s
freshwater and causes 80% of river and lake pollution.
About 75% of the Earth’s land is used by humans, largely
for farming, and the destruction of forests is the major
cause of the huge losses in biodiversity.
Eating a vegan diet massively reduces the damage to the
environment caused by food production, the most
comprehensive analysis to date has concluded.
A research showed that vegan diets resulted in 75% less
climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use
than diets in which more than 100g of meat a day was
eaten. Vegan diets also cut the destruction of wildlife by
66% and water use by 54%, the study found.

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Climate Change
Tomas Sarcenso examines the symbiotic
relationship between nature, humans, and their
environs. The work features large constellations
of interconnected modules that create a
reflective maze that viewers can walk into. He
creates these spaces so that the viewer is
invited to gain a new perspective of
understanding and interacting with others.
These webbed and interlinked clusters work to
break the boundaries between nature and
constructed social spaces and offers a new
model for sustainable building as well as living
practices that positively impact the
environment.

What can be done to prevent Climate Change

(On an individual level):
Reduce Energy Consumption Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Support Sustainable Food Choices:
Transition to Renewable Energy Use Sustainable Transportation: Reduce Air Travel

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 THANK YOU

Rishabh Luthra 21BC188

Pavit Singh 21BC197