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Large Diet, Large Health Risks

With a weight increase of 25 lbs. and a cholesterol increase of 65 points, Morgan Spurlock has captured international attention with Super Size Me, a documentary about his 30-day McDonald's only diet.  His diet had three rules: he could only eat items from the McDonald's menu, no super sizing unless asked by the cashier, and he had to eat everything from the menu at least once. In addition, he limited his exercise to about the amount of walking done by an average American office worker.  By the end of the thirty-day period all of this spelled disaster for his liver, his blood pressure, and his libido.  Spurlock consumed over thirty pounds of sugar, greatly increased his risk of heart disease, and his doctors believed he was beginning to show signs of addiction.  More than a year after his diet he had finally reversed the damage done to his body and taken off the excess weight.

Advertising and Legal Action

While he was eating his way to a Body Mass Index (BMI) that would classify him as "overweight," Spurlock traveled the country gathering evidence to show the fast food industry's responsibility in America's weight gain.  What he found was a group of elementary school students who recognized Ronald McDonald more often than George Washington or Jesus Christ and a number of Washington D.C. tourists who knew the "Big Mac" jingle ("two all beef patties, special sauce..."), but could not recite the pledge of allegiance.  He also found that quantities of food offered had increased.

When McDonald's and Burger King opened they offered one size fry and one size soda pop.  You can still get those items from their menus; they are now called either small or kid-size, and have three or four sizes above them.  Because of this type of advertising and product pushing, lawyers that Spurlock interviewed for his film believe that the fast food industry could be held legally responsible for the health risks caused by their products, just as the tobacco industry was for theirs. 

Spurlock also found that people would go to great lengths to reverse the effects of a lifetime of indulging in such large products.  Visiting a hospital in the south, Spurlock interviewed a man about to undergo gastric bypass surgery to try to reverse the health risks associated with his obesity.  The man lists the cause of his weight problem as an unhealthy diet including large amounts of fast food and almost a gallon of cola a day.

Reaction to Health Issues

Since its debut at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Super Size Me has received an abundance of media attention from local and national news to talk shows and online journals.  It has also scored box office numbers rivaled only by Michael Moore films in the documentary genre.  Not surprisingly, public reaction has been strong, both praising and bashing Spurlock for his diet.  Many moviegoers admire the film's ability to expose the serious risks that can be associated with such an unhealthy diet.  Other patrons, however, found the movie full of scare tactics by a man who purposefully increased his daily caloric intake to over double that which is recommended.

Guy Russo, chief executive of McDonald's Australia, was one of the first of the McDonald's camp to speak out about the film, calling what Morgan Spurlock set out to do "totally irresponsible."  McDonald's claims that their food can be part of a healthy diet, but consider anyone who consumes their product more than once a week a "heavy user."  They have also put together a plan to begin phasing out their "super size" option, but do not claim that this step is taken in reaction to the film.

Fighting Back in Film

Accusing Spurlock of rigging the results by gorging himself and not exercising, Soso Whaley of Competitive Enterprise Institute went on a similar diet on which she ate only items from McDonald's for thirty days.  The difference between her diet and Spurlock's: she exercised and limited her diet to about 1800 to 2000 calories a day.  She lost 8 pounds and 40 cholesterol points.  She kept an online diary of her diet along with copies of receipts, and plans her own documentary in reaction to Spurlock's.

Commenting on Whaley's film on The O'Reilly Factor Spurlock said, "the film is not about McDonald's, the film is about the lifestyles we lead as Americans.  We overeat and under-exercise in America."  Though the two filmmakers are split by party lines and their allegiance to corporate America, their research proves how a controlled diet without overindulgences can sustain a healthy lifestyle.  While Spurlock was laughing at the excessiveness of the 64 oz. convenient store cola, Whaley was saying in her diary that she would not be doing anything ridiculous like eating a double quarter pounder w/ cheese and super size fries.  The point of both: size is a big problem for the American's diet.

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