I was really excited for the Fasting (2017) documentary. It started out really strong. Unfortunately, it has a issues so severe that I can’t blindly recommend the film without notes. Here’s my quick notes on how to get the most out of the documentary.
The first 39 minutes are a triumph. Really incredible. You the viewer can pretty much stop right there if you want.
If you choose to continue, definitely skip minutes 39-54 because it talks about eating disorders which have absolutely nothing to do with fasting. It is appalling how terrible this segment is. As soon as you see the words “EATING DISORDERS” appear on screen during the segment change, immediately skip to 54 minutes.
The rest of the movie after 54 minutes has utility and more case studies, but is less coherent than the first 39 minutes. Watch it if you desire.
It is really bizarre that eating disorders in the documentary at all because it has absolutely nothing to do with fasting and it’s a largely incoherent segment. Furthermore, in this segment, one of the speakers perpetuates a myth about Roman vomitoriums that should have been fact checked. (A vomitorium is a stadium entrance built for huge crowds to be able to move through quickly. That is all.) Therefore, just skip minutes 39-54 completely. There’s no science or anything of use in that segment. (Filmmakers, if you’re reading, please cut the aforementioned segment out entirely and re-release. It’s embarrassing and brings down the quality of your film. I don’t know what possessed you to include 15 minutes of total garbage in the middle of your otherwise perfect movie, but it needs to go. One cut is all it takes to fix this whole film.)
Some people have complained that a packaged diet product named Prolon, a fasting-mimicking diet option, is mentioned in the movie. It is mentioned because it is scientifically proven to work and was designed to be a compromise for doctors and patients that feel uncomfortable or paranoid about fasting. It is a product primarily for DOCTORS to prescribe to patients. It exists, it works, it’s a valid option, it educates your doctor, and it provides further proof of the science of fasting. I hope many doctors see it and realize it is an option. The people calling this documentary an advertisement for Prolon are short-sighted and cynical. They are the worst kind of people.
I wanted very badly for this documentary to be a hit. It started out so strong and scientifically accurate with a great message. I genuinely wrote this review to sing the praises of the first 39 minutes because it really deserves the praise and viewing. It is so unfortunate the film makers proved to be such amateurs. I wonder what went wrong.