Upcoming documentary sparks controversy over weight loss claims

DETROIT - March 27, 2014 - PRLog -- An upcoming documentary is generating its fair share of notoriety for challenging basic scientific claims that "all calories are not created equal". The documentary's creator Frankie Fihn cites a 2009 Brazilian study under which obese women were given equal calories from cookies and from fruit, resulting in weight loss in only the test group given the fruit. Critics are quick to point out that cherry-picking information does not provide a scientific basis and that more evidence is needed.

Supporters of the documentary basis include Cara Ebbeling of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children's Hospital. In a peer-reviewed study, her study found that  metabolic rate of the body is greatly influenced by the types of food eaten and is more complex than the sheer number of calories. The study determined that higher gylcemic index foods ultimately lead to a slower metabolism resulting in increased weight retention.

Andreas Eenfeldt, MD, a Swedish medical doctor has taken it one step further by adding, "Here’s what’s wrong with calorie obsession: It’s absolutely meaningless. It may seem logical and smart, but in fact it says naught, zip and nothing."

Critics of the study are quick to point out long established scientific facts. Dr. Milan Kumar Piya By "If you eat two meals or five, as long as it's the same number of calories; there is no difference in energy expenditures, so there is no effect on weight loss," said Piya, a clinical lecturer with the U.K. National Institute for Health Research, at University Hospital Coventry and University of Warwick.

When asked for a comment on the controversy, film creator Frankie Fihn added that, "People tend to overcomplicate weight loss. Regardless of which fad diet of the week is popular, the bottom line is that the ones that contain higher amounts of plant-based eating will produce results for people. While our film centers around juicing, it's just using the limitations of daily life. We all need more vegetables but who's really going to graze on 5 lbs of kale every day? Juicing is the best way to get those veggies in your body."

The film, which is currently raising funding can be found here.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-juice-life/x/6703478