Super Size Me (2003)

Super Size Me, Indeed.

My wife and I watched the "Super Size Me" DVD last night. It was the third time we watched it and we enjoyed it very much. Let's face it, Fast Food is a major facet of the American Culture. It's everywhere. Within five miles of our house there are "McDonalds" (2), "Jack in the Box"(3), "Karl's Jr." (2), "Wendy's"(2), "Rubio's," "Burger King," "Arby's," "El Polo Loco," "Taco Bell," "KFC," "Subway"(4) and about a half-dozen local Mexican Taco Shops. No matter what road you take, there's fast food readily available. Yum. Some of it is actually quite good and I confess to eating at some of the places now and then. My personal favorites are "El Polo Loco," "Subway" and a couple of the Mexican Taco Shops. Actually, if you know what you're doing, you can get a reasonably healthful meal. And, of course, it's real fast and oh so convenient. The trick is that you shouldn't do it too often. Did I mention that it's real fast and convenient? Did I mention that some of the items are rather good and tasty? Did I mention that the food is so easily available and inexpensive?

The problem is, as I see it, most people have no idea what they're doing. The nutritional knowledge of the average American is practically nil. They select almost exclusively on taste and they are greatly swayed by the ubiquitous advertising. Furthermore, they're always rushed and need something that can be grabbed and consumed quickly. If you're such a person, and that's most of us, you probably aren't paying real close attention and you're going to end up with food that is very high in fat, sugars and sodium, none of which are particularly good for you, and you'll be very low in vitamins and fiber. The next question might be, How often do you do this? Once a month? Once a week? Every day? Almost all the time? Well, I think you're entering into a situation where you're going to be ill some of the time, much of the time or all of the time. Best of luck.

We try to avoid fast food as much as possible and be highly selective when we indulge. It's a tough task. We almost never go into McDonald's, except for coffee which is actually quite good. Go figure. Well, "Super Size Me" picks on McDonald's and the attack is pretty devastating. It's a lot of fun, also. I love this movie. The jist of it is that Morgan Spurlock decides to eat exclusively at McDonald's for a month. Every day. Every meal. Even water. He is monitored by three doctors and a nutritionist and they record his progressive and dramatic deterioration. By the time he's halfway through his experiment, he's already in serious trouble with warnings from his doctors. At the end of the month, his blood pressure is high, his cholesterol is high and he's gained 24.5 pounds, among other things. It's really eye opening, and Spurlock is a fun character to watch. It's a fun movie to watch, but it's deadly serious. Let's face it, this is a film that should be required viewing for all people who indulge in fast food. We've watched several times, and every time our intake of fast foods is down dramatically over the next six months.

Gary Peterson November 1, 2008

Not shocking!

I thought this documentary was well done, even if the deck was stacked. Yes folks, if you eat fast food for 30 days 3x a day you will become seriously ill. I don't think it is fair to pick on McDonalds, there are many fast food companies and they are all spending lots of dough to get your attention. Growing up, my mother always cooked home made, and I mean nearly from scratch. I attribute that to being healthy, and having an appreciation for home-made spaghetti, beef stroganoff, tacos, fish- twice a week (a few of my favorites) and our dinners always included a veggie (introduce veggies young and kids will eat them, maybe really like them), we almost never had a dessert, and by dessert I mean peaches and cottage cheese... (funny how I've as an adult never cared for dessert!)Why do I mention this? Growing up this way gave me an appreciation for really good food. I was spoiled rotten by my mom, and grandma who are both excellent cooks. We rarely ate fast food, and when we did it was a special treat...not a way of life.

When as parents we "feed" our children responsibly, hopefully they will grow to incorporate those responsible ideals. This idea can be applied anywhere. Some have posted comments that childrens' cereal is purposely shelved at a height where kids can see it...they are little guys ;) Who buys the cereal? Who plans the meals?

One point I would like to make about Super Size Me: After viewing I've not been able to eat a chicken McNugget since. (I do get a craving for a Big Mac though) My son, who watched the documentary with me (he is 9) still finds them tasty. So much for opening his eyes, he doesn't care that it's old chicken. Than again he loves sushi...not regularly served at our house.

People please stop blaming Corporations, schools, Government! It all starts at home...


maybe with home-cooking :)

October 27, 2008

One of my faves

I bought this DVD because I had heard it was really good, and I was certainly not let down! It really opened my eyes as to just how terrible fast food is and what lack of nutritional education is doing to adults and children. I would recommend this film to anyone! September 21, 2008

Excellent

Morgan Spurlock is everything Michael Moore pretends to be as a documentarian. I recently caught his documentary Super Size Me at a budget theater & hope the DVD will have many features. For those who don't know SSM is the best political documentary this year- far better than MM's lamentable Fahrenheit 9/11.
Both films have baddies- W. Bush & McDonald's, both have their filmmakers as stars- MM & MS, but MS has a few things going for him that MM doesn't- 1) a penchant for being honest, 2) a message that affects all his viewers, & 3) a sense of self-deprecation. He demonstrates this by deciding to guinea pig his health in testing whether or not McDonald's fast food is really bad for you. He vows to eat nothing but McDonald's for 1 month straight.
He starts off with a routine physical exam- which shows him to be in above average physical shape for a man I'd reckon is in his early 30s. His month-long odyssey will take him across the country, & to the brink of serious health issues. This is all documented by a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, internist, nutritionist/dietician, & physical trainer- not to mention his vegan chef girlfriend, Alexandra Jamieson, whose almost self-parodically the typical bored white girl with no better cause to be for.... All in all Super Size Me is a terrific film that entertains & enlightens. Can someone eat healthily at a McDonald's? Not really- but the point has gotten to the point that that's not really the point. The point is this can kill you as slowly & surely as cigarets, alcohol, & drug abuse. Here's hoping that MS becomes as big a name as MM, so that he will be able to tackle a varied subject palette. While MM is all windy style over substance MS shows that substance has its adherents too- you just have to remember to pass the gas.
September 18, 2008

An, er, revelation

In which we learn that fast food, when consumed excessively and for long periods of time, can cause some health problems. September 15, 2008

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