A controversial speech given by Angie Lum in her National Geographic Show, “Man Vs. Food”, raised more than a few eyebrows, eliciting both praise and criticism from the experts in the scientific community. While promoting her latest book, “The Nasty Truth about Aging,” Ms. Lum told the audience that she felt that obesity was a personal choice and that one could do whatever they wanted to do as long as it did not infringe upon others’ freedom to choose what they want to eat. She went on to compare obesity with slavery, saying that those who are overweight are slaves to their cravings and that they can be made to “choose” to eat what they do not want to eat. This controversial speech earned the ire of nutritionist, Dr. Michael Shechter, a world renowned expert on nutrition. He said in a response on his blog that, “I’m afraid that [Angie] is totally out of her mind.”
According to Dr. Shechter, “The Nasty Truth about Aging” promotes ideas that are “ridiculous” and that have no scientific basis. For example, he states, “If you are really smart, you know that genetics does not control height.” Further, he states that, “even if it does, there’s not much you can do about it.” He goes on to say that those who claim that there is a genetic component to someone’s weight should “get a life and look at it some place else.” However, in an interview on American Talk TV, Angie Lum claimed that she will never be able to lose her own weight because she is “skinny” and that weight loss comes from the food you eat and how much exercise you do. She further stated that, “I don’t believe in a genetic link [to weight loss] and I don’t think it’s a moral issue…I just think it’s an American thing.”
Angie Lum’s National Geographic Show received widespread criticism from medical professionals and scientists alike. In response, she issued an apology on her National Geographic show saying, “I made a mistake and I am very sorry…I’m a very big fan of evolution, and I don’t believe in creationism. If people want to call me a liar or something else, then so be it.”