Diet for a New America [VHS]

In Diet for a New America, John Robbins, son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice-cream empire, presents his theories about how an animal-based diet is killing Americans. Abandoning the wealthy lifestyle of his family, Robbins lived in a log cabin while subsisting on a simple diet of grains, and he eventually realized his calling as a dietary evangelist. He is not without a sense of humor; at one point he describes how he broke with his family by "walking away from our ice-cream-cone-shaped swimming pool." But Robbins takes his mission seriously, buttressing his strong opinions about how America must reform its diet with commentary from physicians and academics, including some experts from Cornell University who appear on camera. Robbins himself visits farms where pigs, cattle, and chicken are raised in hellish conditions to make the point that modern meat production is inhumane. Much of this video comes across as being commonsense dietary advice, though some of the more extreme statements by experts are no doubt debatable. And there's no denying that footage of heart surgeries and animals cramped into filthy cages could serve as strong reinforcement to those seeking a healthier diet. --Robert J. McNamara