The China Study presents a clear and concise message of hope as it dispels a multitude of health myths and misinformation: if you want to be healthy, change your diet.

The author criticizes nutritional information propagated by the news media. Where "scientific reductionism" is employed such that the results of scientific studies are whittled down to an ingredient being good or bad. When, in reality things are more subtle and complicated.

The book references a study done in over 100 villages in China where data on health a diet were gathered for 20 years.

In the last section of the book, specific criticism is targeted at the government, food producers, and academics. Many commonly held belief are called into question.

"...findings from the most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease are challenging much of American dietary dogma." -- New York Times