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Written by jelo singson The film “” is a 2004 part documentary film, part health experiment directed by and featuring American Indie filmmaker, Spurlock. In the film, he records the effects of a 30-day period of time (Feb.
1 – March 2, 2003) in which he ate only McDonald’s food. In the process of documenting the results of the “McDonald’s diet” or “McDiet” upon the director’s physical and psychological health, Spurlock is both surprised and appalled as he discovers not only the detrimental effects of the fast food giant’s products upon himself but also the vast influence that the fast food industry has over the lives of it’s customers-including how it promotes poor nutrition for the sake of profit. Spurlock initiates this documentary as a response to the “epidemic of obesity” as declared by the US Surgeon General as well a careful study on his opinion that fast food franchises, much like tobacco companies, fail to properly label and categorize their products as they are both physiologically addictive and physically harmful-in much the same way as cigarettes are. During the start of the movie, Spurlock subjects himself for evaluation by a team of professionals, including a personal trainer, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, and a general practitioner.
This is done to establish his physical condition and to provide them with a baseline “before” measurement. The teams give their inputs and unanimously agree that Spurlock is in above average shape and in generally good health for a man measuring 6’2 weighing 185 lbs. They also predict that the “diet” would have some detrimental effects, such as weight gain at worst, but nothing too dangerous, stating that the human body would cope well as it is “extremely adaptable.” The experiment would be carried out with the following guidelines: 1. All three main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and all food to be eaten must come from McDonald’s only. Every menu item at McDonald’s must be eaten at least once over the course of 30 days. He must SUPER SIZE MEALS only when offered by McDonald’s staff and if offered the option he must always take it.
He will must not engage in any exercise beyond that which the typical US citizen engages in, pegged at approximately 5,000 standardized distance steps per day. The experiment officially began on February 1, and on the second day of the experiment Spurlock was offered the first of a total of nine super sized meals. He is given a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Super Size French Fries and a 42-ounce soft drink. Unaccustomed to eating that much food in one go, he undergoes stomach pains then proceeds to throw up in the parking lot. In five days Spurlock manages to gain a total of 9.5 lbs. And begins to experience sluggishness, headaches and depression.
Eating a McDonald’s meal, the director claims, could relieve these symptoms and at this point one of his doctors described him as addicted as he was showing physiological signs very similar to substance dependence. Upon his second weigh-in Spurlock had gained another 8 lbs.
And by his last weigh-in he was a total of 210 lbs. From his previous weights of 185 lbs.-an astonishing 25 lbs.-in a mere 30 days. His girlfriend, vegan gourmet chef Alexandra Jamieson, reports that he had been extremely lethargic during the later parts of the experiment, noting a particularly pronounced decrease in his sex drive, and he even began to experience heart palpitations on day 21 of the 'McDiet.' Spurlock successfully completes the 30 experiment, faithfully adhering to the conditions set. He then promptly goes though a battery of medical exams to fully evaluate his health. The medical team was extremely shocked at how quickly and drastically Spurlock’s overall health worsened. Most especially since they initially made predictions that the 30-day McDonald’s diet wouldn’t have any major, negative impact upon his health.
He then begins a detox-recovery program and reports state that it took a total of 14 months to gradually lose the 25 lbs. That he had gained in one month. The film ends with a question directed to the viewers: “ Who do you want to see go first, you or them?” simultaneously showing an editorial cartoon featuring a headstone of Ronald McDonald.
This mirrors the first time this cartoon was used when it was featured first in an article in The Economist magazine in an issue tackling the morality of turning children into a primary market demographic. A brief coda is added to the film detailing how McDonald’s has discontinued the super sizing of their meals six weeks after the film’s release as well as in the inclusion of healthier menu offerings and a market campaign featuring a more active, sporty Ronald McDonald. McDonald’s has refuted claims that these actions were carried out as a response to the film. Update this section! You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.
After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. How To Cite in MLA Format singson, jelo.
'Super Size Me Summary'. GradeSaver, 16 December 2017 Web.
—. Several legal suits have been brought against McDonald's Restaurants that they are knowingly selling food that is unhealthy. Some of the court decisions have stated that the plaintiffs would have a claim if they could prove that eating the food every day for every meal is dangerous. As such, documentarian conducts an unscientific experiment using himself as the guinea pig: eat only McDonald's for thirty days, three meals a day. If he is asked by the clerk if he would like the meal super sized, he has to say yes.
And by the end of the thirty days, he will have had to have eaten every single menu item at least once. Before starting the experiment, he is tested by three doctors - a general practitioner, a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist - who pronounce his general health to be outstanding. They will also monitor him over the thirty days to ensure that he is not placing his health into irreparable damage. He also consults with a dietitian/nutritionist and an exercise physiologist, the latter who also deems him to be above average fitness.
As it mimics the lifestyle of those who eat fast food, he will also do no exercise for the thirty days, limiting himself to under 5,000 steps per day (the approximate equivalent of 2½ miles). These health and medical experts have some predictions about his general health and wellness by the end of the experiment. His vegan chef girlfriend also has some predictions about how this experiment will affect his mood and therefore their relationship. As he goes through the experiment, he speaks to a number of people - many experts in their respective fields - on the pros and cons of the fast food lifestyle. Just over halfway through the experiment, it is evident that even the experts can be wrong, and not in a good way.
—. Why are Americans so fat?
Two words: fast food. What would happen if you ate nothing but fast food for an entire month? Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock does just that and embarks on the most perilous journey of his life. For 30 days he can't eat or drink anything that isn't on McDonald's menu; he must wolf three squares a day; he must consume everything on the menu at least once and supersize his meal if asked.
Spurlock treks across the country interviewing a host of experts on fast food and an equal number of regular folk while chowing down at the Golden Arches. Spurlock's grueling drive-through diet spirals him into a physical and emotional metamorphosis that will make you think twice about picking up another Big Mac. —.
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock makes himself a test subject of this documentary about the commercial food industry. Rigorously eating a diet of McDonald's fast food, three times a day for a month straight. Spurlock is out to prove the physical and mental effects of consuming fast food. While doing this, Spurlock also provides a look at the food culture in America through it's schools, corporations, and politics as seen through the eyes of regular people and health advocates.
'Super Size Me' is a movie that sheds a new light on what has become one of our nation's biggest health problems: obesity. The synopsis below may give away important plot points. Synopsis. As the film begins, Spurlock, age 32 at the time the movie was filmed in 2003, is physically above average, as attested to by three doctors (a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, and a general practitioner), as well as a nutritionist and a personal trainer. He enlists all three to track his health during the month-long binge. All of the health professionals predict the 'McDiet' will have unwelcome effects on his body, but none expects anything too drastic, one citing the human body as being 'extremely adaptable.'
Prior to the experiment, Spurlock ate a varied diet but always had vegan evening meals to appease his then-girlfriend (now wife), Alexandra, a vegan chef. At the beginning of the experiment, Spurlock, who stands 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, had a body weight of 185.5 lb (84.1 kg). Spurlock starts the month with breakfast near his home in Manhattan, where there are an average of four McDonald's (and 66,950 residents, and twice as many commuters) per square mile (2.6 km²). He also elects to ride in taxis more often, since he aims to keep the distances he walks in line with the 5,000 steps (approximately two miles) walked per day by the average American. Spurlock has several stipulations which govern his eating habits: He must fully consume three McDonald's meals per day (at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time). He must sample every item on the McDonald's menu at least once over the course of the 30 days (he managed this in nine days). He must only ingest items that are offered on the McDonald's menu.
This includes bottled water. Any and all outside consumption of food is prohibited. He must SuperSize the meal when asked, but only when asked. He is not able to SuperSize by his own accord. He will attempt to walk about as much as a typical U.S citizen, based on a suggested figure of 5,000 standardized distance steps per day,5 but he did not closely adhere to this, as he walked relatively more while in New York than Houston. Day 2 brings Spurlock's first Super Size meal, at the McDonald's on 34th Street and Tenth Avenue, which happens to be a meal made of a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Super Size french fries, and a 42 ounce Coke, which takes 52 minutes to eat. He experiences steadily increasing stomach aches during the process, and promptly throws up in the McDonald's parking lot.
After five days Spurlock has gained almost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) (from 185.5 to about 195 pounds). It is not long before he finds himself with a feeling of depression, and he claims that his bouts of depression, lethargy, and headaches are relieved by a McDonald's meal. One doctor describes him as 'addicted.' He has soon gained another 8 pounds (3.5 kg), putting his weight at 203.5 lb (92 kg). By the end of the month he weighs about 210 pounds (95.5 kg), an increase of about 24.5 pounds (about 11 kg).
Because he could only eat McDonald's food for a month, Spurlock refused to take any medication at all. At one weigh-in Morgan lost 1 lb. From the previous weigh-in, but it was hypothesized by a nutritionist that he had lost muscle mass, which weighs more than an identical volume of fat. Spurlock's girlfriend, Alexandra Jamieson, attests to the fact that Spurlock has lost much of his energy and sex drive during his experiment.
It was not clear at the time if Spurlock would be able to complete the full month of the high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, and friends and family began to express concern. In Day 21, Spurlock has heart palpitations.
Consultation with his concerned internist, Dr. Daryl Isaacs advises him to stop what he is doing immediately to avoid any serious health problems. He compares Spurlock with the protagonist played by Nicolas Cage in the movie Leaving Las Vegas who deliberately drinks himself to death over a similar time period. Despite this warning, Spurlock decides to continue the experiment. Spurlock makes it to day 30 and achieves his goal. In thirty days, he 'Supersized' his meals nine times along the way (five of which were in Texas, three in New York City). All three doctors are surprised at the degree of deterioration in Spurlock's health.
One of them states that the irreversible damage done to his heart could cause a heart attack even if he lost all the weight gained during the experiment. He notes that he has eaten as many McDonald's meals as most nutritionists say the ordinary person should eat in 8 years (he ate 90 meals, which is close to 8 years of eating it once a month). Findings Text at the conclusion of the movie states that it took Spurlock 5 months to lose 20 pounds (9 kg) and another 9.5 months to lose the last 4.5 pounds. His girlfriend Alexandra Jamieson, a vegan chef, began supervising his recovery with her 'detox diet,' which became the basis for her book, The Great American Detox Diet.
'The bottom line, they're a business, no matter what they say, and by selling you unhealthy food, they make millions, and no company wants to stop doing that.' The movie ends with a rhetorical question, 'Who do you want to see go first, you or them?' With a cartoon tombstone for Ronald McDonald ('1954-2012') as a backdrop. The cartoon of the tombstone originated in The Economist where it appeared in an article addressing the ethics of marketing toward children. In the DVD release of the movie, a short epilogue was added about McDonald's discontinuation of the Super Size option six weeks after the movie's premiere, as well as its recent emphasis on healthier menu items such as salads, and the release of the new adult happy meal. However, it is shown that the salads can contain even more calories than hamburgers, if the customer adds liberal amounts of cheese and dressing onto them prior to consumption. It is claimed by McDonald's that these changes had nothing to do with the film.
Another issue that Spurlock focuses on is the way McDonald's targets young children with ads before the kids themselves realize how harmful the food is. In the movie, Spurlock jokes that he will battle the socialization of his children by punching them in the face every time they pass a McDonald's so that the golden arches do not elicit happy memories.
WELCOME TO AMERICA Image Courtesy of: Would you like to super size that? This map of the United States is lit according to visual distance to the nearest McDonald’s. Have we got your attention yet?
Welcome to our blog! This blog was designed by Team English Flyers at Bridgewater State University. It contains information on the 2004 documentary by Morgan Spurlock called Super Size Me and the effect it had on the fast food industry. In the upper right corner you will find links to various social media sites. If you click on Facebook it will take you to the official Super Size Me Facebook page. If you click on Twitter it will take you to the official Morgan Spurlock Twitter account.
Lastly, if you click on YouTube it will take you to the official trailer for the film. All posts are in order according what you need to know:. What the documentary is. Who Morgan Spurlock is. Why is Obesity a problem?. How the documentary addressed the issue of obesity.
How Super Size Me effected the fast food industry. What changed?. Entire works cited Feel free to visit our About page for more information! Thank you for visiting!
Super Size Me in Seven Minutes. What the heck did I just watch? Well let’s start at the beginning: In 2002 in New York, two teenage girls sued McDonald’s for knowingly selling them unhealthy food that ultimately caused their obesity.
One of the girls was 14 years old, four feet, ten inches tall and weighed 170 pounds. The other girl was 19 years old, five feet, five inches tall, and weighed 264 pounds.
Several courts stated that the claimants would have a case if they could prove that eating McDonald’s food everyday is dangerous to the human body. In response to these claims, director and filmmaker Morgan Spurlock created a documentary called Super Size Me. Using his own body, he conducted an experiment in order to discover just how dangerous eating McDonald’s food can be to the average person’s health.
The rules of the experiment:. Only eat food sold at McDonald’s for thirty days.
Must eat 3 meals a day. Order every item on the menu at least once by the end of the thirty days. If asked to supersize his meal he has to say yes Becoming Average Image Courtesy of: Spurlock wanted to make the experiment as safe and as official as possible by documenting his health status throughout the thirty days.
Therefore, before even starting the experiment he went to three doctors, a general practitioner, a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist all of which concluded that his health was above the national average. He continued to see these doctors throughout the experiment and he periodically consulted with an exercise physiologist and a dietitian. Since Spurlock discovered that, he was much healthier than the average American he made other changes to his life style to make himself more like the average American. These changes include not exercising for thirty days and limiting himself to 5,000 steps a day.
The whopping 2.5 miles the average American walks in one day. This was quite a change for Spurlock because he regularly exercised, and his girlfriend typically only cooked him vegan food because she was a vegan chef. On top of all of the exercise Spurlock also lived in New York City at the time so he walked everywhere he went.
To limit himself to 5,000 steps a day was quite the challenge. During the experiment, he started driving a car or taking a taxi everywhere he went. On top of that, he started using the elevator. Thus Spurlock was primed and ready to undertake what is perhaps one of the most shocking and cringe-worthy experiments ever undertaken in the fast food industry. Image Courtesy of: “My body officially hates me.” – Morgan Spurlock Until the documentary Super Size Me, director Morgan Spurlock was still looking for his big break. Graduating from New York University in 1993 with a degree in film, Morgan Spurlock had a rough start to his career. Some of Spurlock’s early jobs included being a production assistant, notably ones such as Leon: The Professional (1994) and Kiss of Death (1995).
Spurlock was having trouble making ends meet which led him to become a stand-up comic in California for a short time. His career as a comic didn’t last for long and eventually found himself homeless, finally hitting rock bottom. Spurlock’s career really started with the TV series I Bet You Will (2002). Spurlock was the producer of this TV series that aired on MTV where random participants were “dared” to do stunts that were generally gross or embarrassing. If the participants were successful in completing their dare, they won a cash prize. With the success of this TV series, Spurlock has finally found a place for himself in the film industry, but it was not until 2003 until Spurlock had an idea that would change the way millions of Americans thought about fast food.
Spurlock was inspired to create a documentary about the true nature of the fast food industry while watching a news broadcast about two teenagers suing McDonald’s for causing them to become overweight. With the money remaining from I Bet You Will’s success, Spurlock his journey into the depths of the fast food fad. For one entire month, Spurlock was only to eat McDonald’s food. In addition to eating at the fast food giant for three meals a day, if any McDonald’s employee asked if he wanted his meal super-sized, Spurlock could not say no. Spurlock’s documentary was appropriately named Super Size Me and debuted at the 2004 Sundance film festival. The documentary became a wild success in part for its shocking nature and in part for its raw take on the fast food industry.
Spurlock’s documentary was nominated for the Grand Jury prize and won for Best Documentary Director at the Sundance film festival the same year of its debut. Since then, Super Size Me has been nominated and has won several other awards including ones such as the Documentary Screenplay Award (won, 2005) and an Oscar for Best Documentary (nominated, 2005). By: Jake Pugsley Works Cited “Awards for Super Size Me (2004).” IMDb.
IMDb.com, n.d. Dugdale, Helen.
“Super Size Me.” CineSchool. Film Education, 2006.
“Morgan Spurlock Bio.” Morgan Spurlock Biography and Filmography. Image Courtesy of: Percent of Obese (BMI 30) in U.S. Adults To fully understand and appreciate the reason for Morgan Spurlock’s decent into fast food chaos, it is important to know why the topic of obesity is so relevant in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 17% of all children ages 2-19 and 35.7% of all adults are obese. Children and adults listed as obese place their health in serious danger.
Image Courtesy of Morgan Spurlock Before and After 30 days of eating McDonald’s food. The following graphs show the substantial impact that 30 continuous days of eating McDonald’s fast food had on the physical health of director and star of Super Size Me. Weight Before: 185.5 After: 210.5 Cholesterol Before: 168 After: 225 Blood Pressure Before: 130/105 After: 150/90 Image Courtesy of Liver Enzymes Before: SGOT – 21 SGPT -20 After: SGOT- 130 SGPT- 290 by: Jake Pugsley and Kailee Moore Works Cited: Supersize Me. Morgan Spurlock. Morgan Spurlock. Roadside Attractions, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Showtime Independent Films, 2004. Image Courtesy of: McDonald’s on Super Size Me: “A super-sized distortion of the quality, choice and variety available at McDonald’s.” – The Associated Press (2004) So did it work?
Despite the shocking results of Spurlock’s film, the fast food industry and McDonald’s in particular declined to say that the documentary had any impact on their business. However, interestingly enough, one day before the release of the movie, McDonald’s introduced a new “Go Active” menu. Even though they claim to have not been affected by the documentary’s findings, they clearly felt the pressure to add healthy options on their menu before the general public viewed the movie. By doing this, advocates against McDonald’s had less ammunition to use against the company. This way, McDonald’s could claim that their campaign to get healthy happened before the movie’s release and therefore had no impact on the decision. However, the timing between the release of their “Go Active” campaign and the release of the movie is clearly related. McDonald’s knew that the movie would have adverse affects on their image so in order to lessen the blow; they preemptively made the changes to their menu.
In writer Oliver Burkeman’s interview with Morgan Spurlock for the online magazine The Gaurdian, Spurlock reiterates that if McDonald’s was as healthy as they claim, he should have theoretically been fine after eating it for 30 days: “A spokesman for McDonald’s comes on TV and says listen, you can’t link our food to these girls being obese. Our food is healthy, it’s nutritious. So I said, well, if it’s that good for me, shouldn’t I be able to eat it for 30 days straight with no side-effects? To live the all-American diet of over-eating and under-exercising, and be fine?” In fact, the entire premise of the film was in response to this inquiry. Below is a short clip of Morgan Spurlock talking about how he came up with his questioning of just how “healthy” McDonald’s truly was: Six and a half years after Super Size Me was released, Spurlock did a follow up interview in which he discussed and fielded questions about life after the movie. When asked which fast food restaurants have done the most to comply with better nutritional practices, he responded: “That’s a good question.
One which I probably don’t have the best answer for” Spurlock then pointed out the fact many fast food chains now offer healthier options and that the fast food industry simply say these changes are merely “coincidental” in taking place during the release of the film. From the perspective of the fast food industry, the healthy changes made had little or nothing to do with the documentary. However, it is painfully obvious that major changes occurred after the release of the movie despite an admittance from fast food chains. Compared to 2002, people nowadays expect a great deal more from the food industry. We still want our food fast but we also want it healthy thanks to the eye opening documentary from Morgan Spurlock. By: Kevin Mallory Works Cited Burkeman, Oliver. “‘Your Liver Is Turning into Pate'” The Guardian.
Guardian News and Media, 15 July 2004. The Associated Press. “McDonald’s Phasing out Supersize Fries, Drinks.” Msnbc.com.
Supersize Me Study Guide Answers
The Associated Press, 3 Mar. “Full Menu Explorer.” McDonalds.com.
Spurlock on Super Size Me. Morgan Spurlock. YouTube, n.d. Image Courtesy of: Still think Super Size Me had no effect on McDonald’s? Image Courtesy of: This is the serving menu from McDonald’s in the year 2002. After extensively studying the menu, there are a few items of note that should be considered:. Combo sizes include: MEDIUM, LARGE or SUPER SIZE.
There are only 3 salad choices. Breakfast includes: BACON, EGG, CHEESE, SAUSAGE COMBOS, PANCAKES, HASH-BROWNS and BURRITOS.
Happy Meals do NOT offer a choice of sides. Nutritional information is NOT included Compare this to the current menu options: Image Courtesy of: This is the serving menu from McDonald’s in the year 2013. Works Cited “Adult Obesity Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Aug. “Awards for Super Size Me (2004).” IMDb.
IMDb.com, n.d. Burkeman, Oliver. “‘Your Liver Is Turning into Pate'” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 15 July 2004. “Data and Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Jan. Dugdale, Helen.
“Super Size Me.” CineSchool. Film Education, 2006. “Full Menu Explorer.” McDonalds.com. “Morgan Spurlock Bio.” Morgan Spurlock Biography and Filmography. The Associated Press.
“McDonald’s Phasing out Supersize Fries, Drinks.” Msnbc.com. The Associated Press, 3 Mar. “The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Aug. Spurlock on Super Size Me. Morgan Spurlock. YouTube, n.d.
“Super Size Me.” IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Supersize Me in 7 mins: How too much of McDonald’s will make you feel. Morgan Spurlock. YouTube, n.d. Supersize Me.
Morgan Spurlock. Morgan Spurlock. Roadside Attractions, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Showtime Independent Films, 2004.
These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful of their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous takes us on the journey of one man, Spurlock who decides to find out if McDonald's, the fast food giant, is capable of causing him to become obese. He allows himself to only eat from the McDonald's menu during a 30 day period in order to track his health. He desires the results after a court case was dismissed; in this instance, two women claimed that McDonald's made them obese. The judge threw the case out as they could not prove it was McDonald's that did it to them.
Over the journey of the 30 days we watch as Morgan's weight begins to steadily increase, but more than that his entire inner being is changing, which affects his outward appearance and functioning. He has frequent mood swings, his sex drive is essentially diminished to nothing, his liver has an increased amount of fat stored in it, and his overall health is in rapid decline.
The point of the film is to discover whether or not it is the fast food business that is killing us or are we blaming our obesity on an innocent company. Unfortunately, the findings are quite disturbing. Spurlock is changed because of the fast food, but we also see the responsibility of the people to stop eating the food is necessary to shut them down.
Regardless of how obese one gets, they still choose to eat the food that is causing their weight and health issues. It's only when we decide that we no longer can eat this way and thrive, let alone exist in any semblance of a healthy way, that we are able to truly change and make a difference. Update this section! You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section. After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. How To Cite in MLA Format Anonymous 'Super Size Me Study Guide: Analysis'.
GradeSaver, 17 December 2017 Web.