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Last month, the BBC released the documentary Clean Eating: The Dirty Truth. In the programme, Dr. Yeo, Geneticist from the University of Cambridge and President of the British Society of Neuroendocrinology investigates how well the ‘#cleaneating’ craze is backed up by scientific evidence.
After meeting some of the best-known proponents of the clean eating trend, including Ella Mills, Dr. Yeo interviewed plant-based pioneer T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study. Dr Yeo challenged the results that led to the study’s conclusion, claiming the author didn’t take into account several important factors, effectively discrediting the link between animal protein consumption and cancer.
T. Colin Campbell responded by writing a commentary blog on his website nutritionstudies.org:
“Unfortunately, the final product falls far short from being an unbiased investigation of diet and health messages. Not only was information and messaging selectively edited with an obvious agenda, but key information was egregiously omitted from his ‘investigation’.”
The damning article, titled “British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Your Credibility Is Tarnished” was very popular and received over 4 thousand shares. Many people on social media (see video below as an example) criticized the programme’s bias, prompting the BBC to respond:
“The BBC rejects the accusations of conflict of interest and agenda that Prof Campbell makes about both the programme and its presenter Dr Giles Yeo. As with all BBC programmes this film was edited in line with BBC Guidelines, and accurately reflects the views of Prof Campbell that he expressed in the interview he conducted with the BBC.”
The full documentary is available to watch below.
