During this unprecedented time, we’ve seen just how important it is for us to monitor our health, take preventative measures against disease, and be aware of how connected we are globally. This month we’re sharing a variety of programs that shine light on the medical discoveries and groundbreaking science improving the quality of health around the world. Many of the programs below weave together stories of present-day patients and doctors at the forefront of research to provide insight into the full perspective of health and wellness.
The Gene: An Intimate History
April 7 & 14 at 8PM
From the earliest discoveries of the first genetic scientists to the unparalleled ethical challenges of gene editing, our ever-growing understanding of the human genome has changed our world. From Executive Producer Ken Burns, this 2-part documentary combines elements of science, social history, and personal stories to explore the historical narrative of genetics and how this scientific field is shaping our future.
Blood Sugar Rising
April 15 9PM
Blood Sugar Rising follows the diabetes epidemic in the U.S. Diabetes and pre-diabetes affect over 100 million people in the US, costing more than $325 billion each year. This documentary puts human faces to these statistics, exploring the history and science of the illness through portraits of Americans whose stories shape the film.
KVIE Digital Studios: Focus on Health–Art and Wellness
Can specialized experiences with art reduce the burden of chronic pain? A pilot program from UC Davis Health and the Crocker Art Museum called Art Rx is investigating how art can help other pain treatments be more successful.
Inheritance
Meet three women who are genetically predisposed to breast cancer. Follow Alejandra, Lilith, and Bonnie as they undergo life-altering medical procedures in the hope of reducing their risk – and saving their lives.
NOVA: The Truth About Fat
April 8 at 9PM
Do we control our fat, or does it control us? For generations, overweight individuals have been stigmatized and cast as lazy. But scientists are coming to understand fat as a fascinating and dynamic organ — one whose size has more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, sumo wrestlers, and supermodels, NOVA explores the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones, and even reproduction.
H20: The Molecule that Made Us
April 22 and 29 at 9PM
H20: The Molecule that Made Us is a landmark, 3-part series that tells the human story through our relationship to water. We find out how our success is intimately connected to our control of the molecule, but that the growth of our civilizations has also created a dangerous dependence on a precious resource: One that may soon run out.
Bedlam
Available to stream on April 15
Shot over the course of five years, Independent Lens: Bedlam examines the mental health crisis through intimate stories of those people who are in and out of overwhelmed and under-resourced psych emergency rooms, jails, and homeless camps in Los Angeles, while psychiatrist and filmmaker Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D. also searches for answers to his own late sister’s mental illness.
Understanding the Opioid Epidemic
Understanding the Opioid Epidemic combines stories of people and communities impacted by this epidemic along with information from experts and those at the frontlines of dealing with the epidemic. The program traces the history of how the nation got into this situation and provides possible solutions and directions for dealing with the crisis.
ViewFinder: Food for Thought – Food Allergies
According to Food Allergy Research and Education, it is estimated that roughly 32 million Americans have food allergies and approximately 5.6 million of them are children under the age of 18. For years scientists have been researching the food allergy epidemic, searching for answers to what causes these reactions, and what can be done to monitor them. Food for Thought – Food Allergies follows the stories of patients dealing with food allergies and the research they’ve been involved with as they navigate life.