Super Size Me
Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, came up with a great hook for his debut as a documentary filmmaker.
His experiment, to eat nothing but three McDonalds meals a day every day for 30 consecutive days, provides an entertaining and occasionally disturbing narrative thread that allows for informative and engaging tangents about American culture's disturbing trend toward obesity.
Though the prose in his voice-overs occasionally reveals Spurlock's amateurism, the editing and the quality of his interviews more than make up for it.
Spurlock has absorbed the work of Michael Moore and manages to achieve the same intricate balance between laughter, shock, and information that makes Moore's films entertaining, although Spurlock is without any righteous anger.
No, eating crappy food over healthy food is NOT a choice because the average American has not been informed about how extremely poisonous the American diet is. In Europe, poisonous foods like trans fats have been banned.
the point to this movie is that Americans make the wrong choices and don't know that they are but everybody has the right to eat what they want
No, eating crappy food over healthy food is NOT a choice because the average American has not been informed about how extremely poisonous the American diet is. In Europe, poisonous foods like trans fats have been banned.
give me the freedom to choose crappy foods over healthy foods, it's my choice! and if i die from it it's my own fault, not the governments!
ya well because you choose to be fat and overweight, other citizens have to pay for your bad health through taxes. Are you that ignorant that you can't see it is the governments fault! ITs not about dying...it's about that price every one else pays when you are alive!
This documentary is very interesting.I've watched it at school. I don't eat at McDonalds thsat often and I'm not overweight or close to.I'm 90 pounds and I'm from Canada and there is only small medium large
what are the three main point that stand out of this film?
This guy's an absolute scam-fraud. If he had eaten the healthiest items on the menu -- Granola and Muffins for breakfast, a chicken sandwich for lunch, and a salad for dinner -- Guess what? He would have been healthy! And there would have been no movie!!!
This money-grabbing, self-serving prick went out of his way to make himself a millionaire by stretching and fabricating the truth. I get it: grab a video camera, go to McDonalds, eat the worst food possible, then go to your Doctor for a test. Wow! How creative?!? What an innovator!
This is the point. WHO GOES TO MCDONALDS FOR A SALAD! That's like going to China for a hot-dog. No one just goes to McDonalds for light-calorie bland stuff, they want the burgers and the pancakes.
Also, their granola and muffins contains a lot of sugar. The granola itself is really bad for you. Chicken sandwich- soggy, hormone-pumped piece of "meat" (if you could even call it that). Salad- most of the edges have been molded and it's all iceberg lettuce, the least nutritious kind. Delicious! After eating all of that processed, sugary stuff we would never get fat!
He had a show called "30
Days". If you look at Burger King a large is really an x-large. This video
shows everyone that fast food is not good for you. Now Fast Food chains is
denying everyone their health. Because they are getting much more calories for their
money.
Amen? This is the scientifc equivelant of me standing in the highway and then being surprised by the result---getting hit by a car. Who on God's green earth doesn't know that if you eat McDonalds Super Size meals, 3x daily you will get fat and sick? Wow- thank you for pointing out the incredibly, pathetically obvious.
Well, you should put your theory to the test then and make a movie about it.
It has been proven that McDonalds salads has more salt then a big mac, the chicken sandwich is deep fried and in sugar coated bun and the Granola and muffin is packed with sugar.
I never posted that AT ALL. Glad you brought it to my attention. I have been a vegetarian for over 15 years and a vegan raw foodist for 7 years.....spending most of those 7 years as a Breatharian living on light while overseas. I DO NOT eat at McDonalds nor do I support the killing of animals OR the ingestion of animal by-products. McDonalds clearly supports diabetes and obesity. I weight 100 pounds and jog 8 km every day. I DO NOT EAT MCDONALDS.
who measures weight in pounds, and then distance in kilometers?? GO TO SCHOOL
If you think Granola and Muffins constitute a healthy breakfast, your ignorance is contributing to the problem. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar, stimulate insulin and cause your metabolism to STORE FAT. Our ancestors ate meats, vegetables and SEASONAL fruit minus the preservatives, hormones, pesticides, etc. Despite modern medicine we are less healthy than our ancestors and that's sad.
One of the worst documentaries ever if you can even call it a documentary. With the same methods i can prove that carrots are bad for people.
@Homemaker l hope you see this, you can lose weight quite simply if you follow these rules carefully. There is 4.5 Litres in your Gallon, you must drink at least 2 Litres per day of water if not more, a coffee in the morning if you wish, nothing else only water. Water is your friend, eat your meals off a bread and butter plate, never go over the edge, and do not stack high, make the plate up as you would to a visitor, don't be foolish your only hurting yourself. You can have 3 snacks a day, a handful of unsalted nuts, a yogurt, a piece of fruit. You must walk 5 kms, you have to work that out in miles, l have to bring my bloody calculator every time l come to the US, well you won't convert to metric you lot. As l said you must walk 5 kms, that's 5 kms there and 5 kms back. l promise you, if you do that for 1 year, you will lose at least 25 kilos, in a very healthy way, if my memory serves me correct, that's somewhere up near 45lbs, you won't know yourself, and you will thank an Australian Sous Chef, who took the time to tell you this, l wish you all the luck in the World and l know you will look fantastic. l bet you will look a right dish too. This film inspired Australia's McDonalds to be the first in the World to change their menu, immediately after, with fresh, healthy and well balanced food added to their menu, salad, yogurts, orange juice, etc, etc. Also a new burger called McOz with less than 3 grams of fat, even we Chefs eat. This film did more good than bad around the World, good on ya Morgan Spurlock, thanks for helping Australian kids.
Kind Regards
A Sous Chef.
dude i love this show !
Something to really think about. We eat mostly homemade meals-try to minimize processed ingredients. We don't eat 'fast food' often. We wouldn't even fall into the category of 'heavy user' but we occasionally indulge. I ate a carrot for lunch, thinking as I chewed. I talked to my kids about the food groups and why our bodies need them. Despite all this, I am overweight (not obese) I just love food! I eat more than I need at most meals-what's up with that??
In case there were any doubts that the damn corporations are killing us all. It's open war on humans.
For those who missed that: this movie had been scientifically disproved several years ago (by Swedish scientists I think). They did the same things like in the movie with none of their subjects displaying any of the drastic effects. In other words: this is a funny movie but it's not a documentary. It's fiction.
This message has been brought to you courtesy of McDonald's.
Also fathead, the documentary. Guy ate only 2000 calories of fast food a day, was obese when he started by technicality of body mass index only, and lost like 12 pounds in a month. He walked every night, and that's it. The guy in this documentary would have had to have eaten at least 5000 calories a day to gain that much weight, which no normal person would do, even if they ate fast food every day.
i seen this doc like ages ago and havent eaten any mcdonalds since and in my country mcdonalds dont have supersize only large, medium and small !!
i think it is true all american have the choice to eat what the want
I would make the argument that the value of liberty is what Americans prize the most. You are free to say what you like, you are free to profit of your successes, but you are also free to ruin your own life. It is an individualistic view of the world. At best, it places the responsibility of each individual's prosperity on their own shoulders. At worst, it promotes a selfish society where the state of one's fellow man is of no importance. This view of the world supposes one critical thing: That generally speaking, its citizens have the good sense and intelligence to do what is right for themselves and for their family. We know very well this is not the case. For example, countless people borrow and spend, because they are 'free' to, sums of money they can't possibly pay back. Or, increasingly, people don't eat foods that will nourish the bodies, choosing rather to over-consume foods that will make them obese and sick. As demonstrated time and time again, corporations have their own interests at heart and won't bat an eye-lash at exploiting, to the point of ruin, the very consumers who have made them rich. In my view, it is the role of government to regulate business to prevent practices that are not good for society as a whole. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Be it Republican or Democrat, there is no difference, they accomplish the same thing: the erosion of laws which protect its citizens in order to maximize the profits of big business (the reason for this current economic crisis!), the erosion of the social net (welfare, health care, old age pension). The result is the rapid disappearing of the middle class and the further widening of the gap between rich and poor. No, people certainly do not have the good sense to do what is good for them.
People can have good sense and intelligence if they're taught to do so from a young age......there is no such thing as "human nature", nothing is "hard wired" so it's not like we're destined to be stupid. I'd rather have freedom from the government and corporate control than be constantly told what to do; eating crap is what the rich and powerful want you to do anyway because it keeps them in power.
there are lots of things that are hard wired... like selfishness; little kids naturally don't want to share their toy with others, they want to have that toy only for themselves because it makes them happy. I agree, we aren't destined to be stupid. but i think at our core we are pretty low... as in selfish thoughts and desires. but we can choose to act above that!
I totally agree with you misschriss.
Analyzing the documentary film, “Super Size Me,” I observed that this film illustrates the value of liberty in America. One way that the value of liberty is illustrated is through the choices in food that we make. Because we are free to choose and consume what we want and like, this value of freedom is becoming one of our biggest enemies.
People tend to make poor food choices, because they want what they like and disregard what they don’t. To illustrate, Morgan Spurlock, the director and guinea pig for this documentary film, “Super Size Me,” is asked by his vegan girlfriend why he won’t become a vegetarian. He replies, “I’m not going to change just because you want me to. I like bacon, I love pork chops, ham is the greatest thing EVER.” This quote exhibits many of Americans today. We tend to eat what we want because it tastes good, and most importantly, because we like it. The fact that we are given the freedom to choose what we want to put into our body displays liberty. The government doesn’t prescribe us a set diet nor do they restrict us from eating certain kinds of food, but allows us to enjoy our value of liberty by choosing what we want to eat. Therefore, like Morgan Spurlock, many Americans don’t want to change just because someone tells them to. Besides, just because some health advocate speaks to us about the harmful (long term) health illnesses caused by meat, doesn’t mean it’ll change our eating habits. Becoming vegan isn’t the answer to being healthy either, but making better choices with our freedom of eating, like going to Subway rather than McDonalds, does help the situation.
Many kids start at a young age when it comes to testing their liberty to choose what they want to eat. One example that shows this is when the film crew of “Super Size Me” visits Madison Jr. High School to check out what public schools sell to their students for lunch. Little do adults know, schools are a silent advocate to unhealthy foods and choices. In the film, I observed that pretty much the majority of the lunch line at Madison Jr. High School was covered with unhealthy, junk foods such as chocolate chip cookies, French fries, bags of chips, chocolate candy bars, sugar filled drinks like Country Time Lemonade, etc. Among the students, one girl purchased “two packs of Ruffles, a pretzel, a Twix bar, and a Gatorade,” for her lunch. Because the school allows for students to make their own decisions and there is no limit, she is free to grab whatever she’d like and however many she’d like in the lunch line, which triggers the child to devour in high sugars and fats. This freedom of being able to allot unhealthy food, later causes overweight or obesity which then leads to health related illnesses. It’s a dilemma how schools sell unhealthy foods to students, rather than focusing on selling foods that will help nourish the body and brain.
However, one school shown in the film that represents an influential change for public schools in the United States is Appleton Central Alternative High School, in Wisconsin, for students who have truancy and behavioral problems. Their students have been changed through diet of eating “low fat, low sugar, non-chemically processed foods, foods that are free of dyes and preservatives, full of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh preparation foods, etc.” This school has gotten rid of candy and soda machines, thus changing kids’ behaviors, in a way that people would ask why these students are going to this school, as well as their focuses and participation in classrooms have risen. If many of our public schools negotiate on better terms with companies such as Sodexho School Services, and provide a better healthy diet for students like Appleton Central Alternative High School did, I think kids in America would have better health and a higher chance of staying healthy as they grow older.
Another particular case that represents the liberty of consumption, in the film, is from a man named Bruce Howlett. He consumed about 52 liters of diet soda every two weeks, and one day went completely blind for a whole week. As he stopped drinking soda, his sugar level percolated, reverted his eye sight, allowing him to see again. We underestimate the power of what we consume, will later affect our body. Bruce Howlett’s case shows that because he utilized so much sugar, he later had to pay for it through his vision, and is now going through a gastric bypass operation for his overweight. If our government restricted the inhabitants of this country from drinking only a certain amount of sugar carbonated drinks (or any sugar filled drink for that matter), would a situation like Bruce Howlett’s actually happen? But of course, people would complain and object to such a matter, because this would mean that the government is denouncing its citizens’ liberty, the freedom to eat/drink what we want, and that is not what this country is about.
As misschriss has written, “generally speaking, its citizens have the good sense and intelligence to do what is right for themselves and for their family. We know very well this is not the case.” I agree with this quote because it says a lot about our society today. Although many of us may think we know or may actually know what’s right for our family and ourselves, there is no exact limit to which we can compare to. Because our society has no limits to what we can eat and how much we can consume, and since we live in a generation where we have an over abundance of food, many people are not able to restrain themselves from it. The result of not being able to restrain, later leads to becoming overweight or obese, and then escorts into bigger health related illnesses, such as coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. People would argue that as long as we’re exercising and being active, it’s okay for people to consume whatever they’d like, but in reality, it’s easier said than done. Realistically speaking, for those who do keep an active lifestyle continue to do so, but as human nature, we all get worn down at times and it’s hard to keep an exercising schedule, especially when many people work and take care of kids. Our freedom to eat and drink whatever we want is our enemy in a sense that we know what’s going on, but we’re unable to break away from it. As Adam Naaman, MD (Laparoscopic Surgeon) affirms, “I think it is human nature to seek a drastic solution, only when you’re faced with a drastic problem.” Our liberty to eat whatever we want will lead to an eating identity disorder, and when something negative does happen, that’s when we’ll seek a drastic solution. But by then, it could be possibly too late. In the end, it’s all about proportions and setting your own limits to keep yourself healthy, because it’s your responsibility not anyone else’s.
intresting who said they couldnt commit suicide by eating junk food?
watch this then Food. Inc
cant believe we watched both in class :O
Wow, this is soooooooooo cool. I'm totally off fast-food now. I'm going for a nice chicken salad.
jesus christ!! This guy is suicidal!
I thought is was 2004.
In the Netherlands we don't even have supersize. There is just small medium and large. And I even think that our large is like the American medium.
You know what is funny at preschool in the Netherlands candy is forbidden so well as soda's. And we can't buy fries and pizza etc. at high school as well.
Ha ha! While in the US, Congress has just declared pizza a vegetable and FAUX Noise has made pepper spray a condiment. No wonder the world laughs at the USans.
Genius documentary about how the big companies get us!
@ springfieldcolors
in the end it's both the corp. and the gov't responsibility to monitor the quality of food - for the same reason you can't sell e-coli burgers - people get sick. fast food shouldn't be as nasty as it is, it should be edible within reason without the risks of obesity and heart disease.
that said i also think people shouldn't eat it and have better access to good food.
It is really frightening when Morgan Spurlock is getting serioulsy ill, I quit eating fastfood (most of the times).
We need to tax sugar and invest the money collected into healthy food education programs, farmer's markets, rebates on fruits and vegetables, etc.
We need to tax whiny people who want to control other people's lives. I don't like sugar in my coffee, but at the same time I don't feel the need to force people to pay an extra levy for it. What the Hell is wrong with people like you? If you want an all powerful intrusive government --go move to a country that has one and leave the rest of us out of the equation! God I'm sick of you left-winged progressive control freaks.
u r already controlled but barely recognise that you are. It doesnt matter if one is left, right, center, far left or far right. The laws that are being developed and put in place by owners and ceos of multinationals have no political affiliations other than use and discard.The laws benefit them and not society as a whole. Taxing a product that harms people to promote something good and at the same times discourages its use seems to be a win win situation. Although it might be a smarter idea to add taxes to those companys and ceo's who produce the product in the first place.Targeting the user may help but getting the source may effect more change.
Not that you would notice but, at the end of the movie, they mentioned how after the airing of the documentary, the Corporate Supreme Court made it illegal for citizens to sue these type of pigs
feed establishments for the ailments they cause. So much for your small government, eh? Yeah, sure, small government when it allows the corporations to run amok but when it comes to protecting the citizens against them, all hell breaks lose and the likes of you start to demand that we be screwed. But I suppose you don't see anything wrong with that.
tiny,
They may influence kids, but kids aren't driving to the restaurants and paying for the meals, the parents are. We should BLAME THE PARENTS for 1)Not teaching their kids proper nutrition and exercise, and 2) Refusing to tell their kids NO.
Karenep
Neither, McDonalds nor any other fast food restaurants are forcing consumers to buy their food.
.
While not forcing kids they influence kids in a major way into believing something false. Since kids cannot be asked to make healthy decisions which can effect the rest of their lives while being overwheight or diabetic. Kids could be protected from this, but that's not solving the problem. The aggresive mcdonalds marketing machine is to blame. Commercials which are glorifying candy etc. are partaking in the same idea.
- Thatss Right...
Apr 2010 This doco has been around a while now and its the first time i've seen it. Wish I'd seen it earlier! Very informative, eye opening and a touch scary.
I had a friend a little older than me have a heart attack aged 47. He survived and they told him if he hadnt been playing football (thats soccer to you Yanks) until 5 years previously he probably wouldn't have survived it. His fitness saved his life! This brings home what's really important on top of the food is some kind of exercise. It's a drag and there is no way around it. We HAVE to move our bodies around alot more than we currently do in our urban lifestyles. The human body just wasn't evolved to sit around watching tv or working at desks every day.
A great documentary - truly innovative at the time. Morgan Spurlock is an engaging personality and the fact that he uses his own body in this experiment makes his point all the stronger.
good documentary. got the message loud and clear.
Still couldnt find answers to
who should take responsibility people who eat FF or Corp. or Govt.??
This is a great documentary, very informative, which I enjoyed! I find it interesting that one can sue a company like McDonalds for "selling food that is not good for people", previously. That is ridiculous! Everyone should take personal responsibility for what they eat! Neither, McDonalds nor any other fast food restaurants are forcing consumers to buy their food. I think one should eat foods that suit one's lifestyle. The type of food served at McDonalds which are more high calorie type of foods are appropriate for people who do labour intensive jobs or have a lifestyle that needs that kind of high calorie foods. Of course one has to balance it with some vegetables and fruits and eat healthy portions according to one's size and not American portions. I have gone to an American restaurant called Billy Bombers and their serving for 1 person is equal to 2 persons, according to our standards. I generally can't finish my main meal (which I have to always give to my sister) and I don't order any soups, salads or desserts but only drink water. By the way, I am 5'9 so I am not a small size person. I think Americans should reduce the portions of their meals as it is just too large! Thus, the adverse results of eating at McDonalds for 3 meals for a month came as no surprise to me. Though, even if at all, I eat a McDonalds meal, it is because my sister buys from there which is about once a month. I have decided to not eat at fast foods from now on because I don't have the kind of profession or lifestyle that justifies eating such foods. I was a bit concern about what I have seen in this documentary and have concluded that fast food is not a healthy choice for me even if it is eaten for only once a month. I thank God I am thin but I don't want to feed my body with such foods in the future.
Hey blahblahblah,
You don't HAVE to download the movie.
Just watch the movie here. For FREE.
you guys know where i can download this movie?
i wanna see this movie, what year was this movie showed? cause i never heard about it, just on youtube, how stupid i was? ilove mcdonald's but i dont eat there often... like 1-2 times a month? is that often or what? but, whenever we eat there...i would eat so much. HAHA. guess its the reason im 116lbs. HAHA.