9 Health Documentaries That Are Scary, Uplifting, and Streaming on Netflix

Consider this quote from the documentary Food Matters: "One-quarter of what you eat keeps you alive and three-quarters of what you eat keeps your doctor alive." The film posits that healthy eating could be the "cure" to most ailments currently treated by modern medicine.

One of the more heartwarming titles on this list, the message behind Embrace is incredibly positive and uplifting. Any woman who has felt like her body is not good enough (so, every woman?) will be inspired by watching body-image activist Taryn Brumfitt travel the world interviewing women (including former models, a burn survivor, and Ricki Lake) about their struggles to accept themselves and feel comfortable in their skin. Wisdom and self-love abound.

In America, from a very young age, we associate sugar with comfort and joy: holiday treats, birthday cakes, home-baked cookies, Halloween candy . . . so it's not difficult to see why kids get addicted to sugar and then suffer the consequences later in life. Katie Couric narrates this provocative documentary that examines how the sugar industry profits off of childhood obesity.

This film follows three health advocates on a dramatic crusade to bring awareness about healthy eating (and particularly eating whole, plant-based foods) to the masses because, as one of them points out, "revolutions can't start without awareness." The statistics are sobering and undeniable: continuing to rely on mass-produced meat and fast food will be fatally dangerous to society.

This documentary is equal parts informative and infuriating, as it sheds light on how manufacturers straight-up lie to consumers about everyday products that contain dangerous — sometimes life-threatening — chemicals. The personal anecdotes will make you tearful; the corporate indifference will make you angry.

Do you know the secret to happiness? Turns out, it's different for everyone. More of a mental-health-related documentary, Happy takes a peek at what brings joy and satisfaction to a wide array of people in various lifestyles and circumstances. It will bring a smile to your face, no matter what your definition of happiness is.

Similar to Fed Up, Sugar Coated takes a hard look at the sugar industry and its clever PR strategies over time, as it hides the many health risks of sugar consumption while millions of people become sick and obese, all to protect various corporate interests.

If everyone knew the truth about processed food and the effects it has on the human body, they'd be enraged. And yet, the entire diet and weight-loss industry is dependent upon people being duped into staying overweight and unhealthy, and they'll go to great lengths to keep it that way. Hungry For Change is eye-opening and will get you riled up (in a good way).

Bet you can't watch this documentary without itching to lace up your sneakers afterward and go for a long run. From Fat to Finish Line follows 12 formerly overweight runners as they train for and complete a 200-mile relay race from Miami to Key West, FL. You may just cheer them on from your living room.