Top NZ scientist joins Nelson nutrition discussion

Top NZ scientist joins Nelson nutrition discussion at movie premiere

One of New Zealand's leading scientists will join a panel discussion with local doctors at the Nelson premier of Grant Dixon's health documentary, The Big Fat Lie, early next week.

The Ministry of Health’s former chief scientist, Professor John Potter, one of those interviewed in Dixon's award winning doco, will attend both screenings to be held in Nelson and Mapua next Monday and Tuesday evenings.

Local health professional, Hannah O'Malley, organised the event thinking one showing would be sufficient but was quickly surprised when the first night sold out and she was forced to find a second venue. This also sold out and had to be relocated.

"The response to the initial event was overwhelming," she said. "All 150 seats of the Suter Gallery Theatre sold out three weeks ahead.

"Demand was so huge that we organised a second event to be held at the Mapua Community Centre and these tickets are also selling fast."

Local medical doctors Taisia Cech, Wayne Hurlow and Graham Evans will join renowned public health researcher, Professor Potter, in a discussion covering key lifestyle health and environmental issues facing thousands of New Zealanders.

The discussion is expected to challenge traditional thinking around our reliance on some medications and will consider the value of adopting a whole food plant-based diet as a way of producing better health outcomes.

The Nelson response has also been welcomed by Dixon himself who says he's not only pleased to show his movie two days in a row but "now I get to stay two nights in one of New Zealand's most beautiful spots. I'll take that over Auckland traffic any day."

On a more serious note however he said there was growing discussion amongst medical doctors and other health professionals about whole food plant-based eating “because the science around it is so strong. I only wish they'd told me before I had my heart attack".

He sees it as the forerunner of big things to come.

"There's now a new paradigm that, if implemented, will revolutionise our health system, save the nation billions, give life back to tens of thousands, and turn around our appalling obesity, diabetic, heart disease and cancer rates. Our most debilitating diseases can now not only be arrested, but in most cases reversed and cured."

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