Super Size Me Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)June 12th, 2004
"Super-Size Me" – Food for Thought
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
Who on Earth would willingly accept an order-taker's suggestion to super size their meals for an additional fifty-nine cents? After all, you're just getting more starch than your body can absorb and more soda that is otherwise free since refills are complimentary. Lacking among these buyers of Super-Sized Value Meals is, perhaps, common financial sense and, certainly, a source of good nutrition. And the lack of good nutrition at these fast food restaurants is what is contributing to the super sizing of the American body. We are indeed the fattest nation in the world. And you can include me as one of the upsized.
"Super-Size Me" is like a college thesis on the ills of fast food on our bodies. It plays like one of those segments you might see on the CBS television news program 60 minutes. It is the documentary that caused a ripple effect among the fast food industry that allegedly made McDonald's rethink it's 'super-size' promotion as well as move the venerable burger chain towards including more health-conscious items like salads.
Yet, it is not an indictment of the McDonald's chain. The film is a general statement of how poor eating habits have crept into our society so completely that even the Surgeon General is gravely concerned. Consider the following points that are made:
1. More and more school children are eating just fries and soda for lunch.
2. Schools have shied away from cooking fresh food and moved towards heating pre-packaged frozen food.
3. More 1st grade students can recognize the face of Ronald McDonald rather than George Washington.
4. It appears that more people can recite the Big Mac slogan (two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun) than can recite the Pledge of Allegiance (I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…).
The film is an incrimination of the entire system that will raise more than a few eyebrows of responsible parents and health-conscious individuals.
But to prove the point, our host, Morgan Spurlock, decides to eat three meals a day at McDonald's for one month. McDonald's just happens to be the testing ground of choice because the sales volume of McDonald's is greater than that of Wendy's, KFC, and Taco Bell combined. In fact, did you know that in Manhattan, there are 4 McDonald's per square mile on that little island? That's a total of 88 outlets altogether! Meanwhile, on a broader note, one-third of all calories consumed in America come from fast food restaurants.
This just seems like a very bad idea for a science project. Four different medical professionals, who will monitor his situation, check him out to be healthy at first. And we are in shock as we watch this once-healthy person literally begin to destroy his body. His weight balloons, his cholesterol levels rise, his energy decreases, his sex life withers, and he occasionally vomits. It's as if eating McDonald's is toxic to him. However, considering the fact that his girlfriend is a vegan chef, you can understand why Spurlock begins to feel nauseated by his new diet. Nonetheless, the point is made.
A documentary should make you go hmmm. It has to make you think. It has to push you to possibly change. And, credit this one for making me do all of that. After watching this insightful film about the general degradation of our eating habits, I'm more likely to choose unsweetened iced tea and the chicken spinach salad. This film is certainly food for thought.
Grade: B
S: 0 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 0 out of 3
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