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 | Root for Charles, John, and Garnet as they try to buck the system of pills and procedures and outfox their heart disease and diabetes. When their doctors inform them that they can't get better, our intrepid trio tells the doctors to think again. Charles, John and Garnet decide to take on their diseases by drastically changing their diets. We all know making resolutions is easy; sticking to them is the hard part. |
With lighthearted animation, piercing expert interviews and a feisty attitude, Chow Down is the moving story of the success you can achieve when you rewrite the recipe for a healthy life.
Synopsis of Chow DownOne man's struggle to reverse his severe heart disease .... with diet. |  |
Charles, 45, devoted husband and father of two, is shocked to learn not only that he has cardiovascular disease but that the blockages in his heart are so severe that his surgeon refuses to operate. But Charles is a fighter and he'll do whatever it takes to be around to see his kids grow up.
 | Just like Charles, millions of Americans are sick and they're tired of the pills and operations. What if you could avoid it all, but nobody's willing to tell you how?
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic is trampling the status quo to get the word out. He's the director of one of the longest-running studies in the peer-reviewed scientific literature showing that a plant-based diet can reverse even late stage heart disease. If heart disease, the number one killer in America, can be stopped and often reversed with diet, why aren't people like Charles routinely given this information before being sent to the operating room? |
With lighthearted animation and piercing expert interviews, CHOW DOWN exposes the three factors that fatally impact our country's health: the medical community's allegiance to the status quo, the government's allegiance to the food industry, and Americans' allegiance to cheap, convenient food.
Charles refuses to accept his doctor's grim prognosis. With Dr. Esselstyn's help, he resolves to not only treat his disease but to reverse it. We all know it's easy to make resolutions, but sticking to them is the hard part. In Charles' case, it could be the difference between life and death. Root for Charles as he tries not only to save his life but also to end the cycle of cardiovascular disease in his family.
In Chow Down, we meet the elephant in the operating room!
Main SubjectsCharles Venezia
Charles, a devoted father, is stunned to learn that the blockages in his heart are so severe his surgeon refuses to operate. He'll do whatever it takes to see his children grow up.
John Oehrle
John fears having his chest cut open for a bypass he believes is a bandaid, not a cure. But his family thinks he'll die without the surgery.
Garnet Hall
Garnet, a do-it-all working mom, lands in the hospital with type-2 diabetes. She fears her regimen of medications will lead her down a grim path to dialysis and early death. |  |
CHOW DOWN - A film with heart!
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Reviews
- "Recommended as inspiration to anyone who wants to take control of their own health, free from the influence of big pharma, big food and big government." - Eat Drink Better
- "Chow Down might make a good hint-hint gift for friends and relatives you fear may be on the road to a heart attack, if they don't start changing their eating habits." - Movie City News
- "Nothing dull or dry about this documentary. It's lighthearted, clever, controversial, with cool animation to help explain the technical stuff--and it tells the truth. So go out & find yourself a copy!" - Happy Healthy Long Life
- "It's very rare to get such insightful breakdowns of the human condition measured in a way that speaks across all backgrounds. There are no easy answers in changing diet, but there are solutions. Chow Down takes a realistic approach to the matter and should be required viewing for all adults in America." - AndersonVision
- "Food counts: it's the source of great pleasure, though people who have been attacking their own hearts and forcing their bodies to yield to diabetes will find changing to a healthful alternative mighty difficult. Having this Chow Down in your library will help. Put it on when you're tempted to dig into flesh." - Arizona Reporter
- "Chow Down is exactly the kind of thing that has mainstream appeal. Since heart disease is so prevalent right now, it's pretty easy to picture film screenings in Anywhere, U.S.A. being sold out." - Our Hen House
- "Chow Down is a kind of Supersize Me in reverse. The three heroes - Garnet, John, and Charles - attempt to shift from a mainstream American diet (lots of red meat and processed foods) to a vegan diet. The results are nothing short of remarkable." - Philly Mag
Experts
Neal Barnard, MD is the founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine.
T. Colin Campbell, PhD is Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University.
Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH is Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute of Loma Linda, California and the founder of the Coronary Health Improvement
Project (CHIP).
Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, a renowned cancer surgeon and researcher at the Cleveland Clinic, is the director of one of the longest-running studies in the peer reviewed scientific literature showing that a plant-based diet can reverse even late stage heart disease.
Joel Fuhrman, MD, is a family physician who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods.
Michael Jacobson, PhD, is co-founder and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
David Katz, MD, MPH, is is the Director and founder of Yale University's Prevention Research Center
Luise Light, MS, EdD, the former USDA Director of Dietary Guidance and Nutrition Education Research, was responsible for the original food guide pyramid and revamping USDA's nutrition information.
Michele Simon, JD, MPH, is a public health lawyer who has been writing about the food industry since 1996. She has a master's degree in public health from Yale University and received her law degree from the University of California.
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