 |
I have never been the world's biggest fan of fast food - as a vegetarian, the choices on many a Fast Food menu are not designed with the likes of me in mind! That said, I had been known to venture on occasion to Mcdonalds and indulged in their French Fries....but this movie, well, it puts a different perspective on things! I was interested in seeing this having heard much about the film, and I must say that morgan Spurlock makes an interesting and entertaining splash into his first role as Director and star of a 96 minutes eye popping look into the world of Fast Food. The premise of this being Spurlock ate nothing but McDonalds 3 times a day for a month - including full sugar versions of Soda and if a clerk asked him if he would like to "Supersize " his menu...that he did! He does this while on a venture around the states in which he conducts a number of research studies into fast food, consulting experts along the way!! The film takes a good look at the increasing problems caused by fast food in our nations schools - todays youth generation is the first ever to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents and we can blame lack of physical activity along with meals like McDonalds, and poor school catering, for this startling fact! The film is both entertaining and hard to watch - take the scene when Spurlock has his first attempt at consuming the entire contents of a Supersize meal - he tries to do so but vomits as his stomach can take no more. The scary part about this, is the fact that millions of Americans eat this same meal on a daily basis with little effort! Even worse, is the toll this eating takes on his body - his cholesterol and blood pressure start to soar, his kidneys and live function begin to fail as the sodium and fat content in these meals attacks the body of this former healthy man! His energy is replaced by lethargy, headaches and a generally ill feeling! And the worst part....what damaged occured to his body in just 30 days of eating Mcdonalds, takes over a year to undo!!!! A must watch for everyone concerned about their health or diet...and even those who do not care, may change their mind after seeing this!Read full review
In today’s fast-paced world, fast food has gone from being an occasional dining option to a staple in the diets of the majority. Thus, it should come as no surprise that obesity has become a nationwide epidemic, second only to tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in America. In the midst of putting on all the extra pounds, America’s self-responsibility has been abandoned in favor of the more fashionable (and much easier) act of putting the blame on someone else. The peak of this insanity occurred in 2002, when two obese teenagers sued McDonald’s, claiming they were responsible for their atrocious physical state. Despite common knowledge that fast food shouldn’t be part of a regular diet, it would seem there were still some who weren’t aware of this and thought Big Macs and super-sized fries were the cornerstone of any nutritional regimen. Morgan Spurlock uses the pair of lawsuits as the basis for his groundbreaking documentary, "Super-Size Me," in which he sets out on a 30-day, all-McDonald’s diet, with the intentions of discovering the extent of damage it can cause. Although one wouldn’t figure an all-McDonald’s diet would entail too many boundaries, Spurlock does incorporate a handful of rules. These rules include having to eat three meals a day at McDonald’s during the 30-day timeframe (the suggested amount one should consume in eight years), only eating items from their menu, only super-sizing the meal when asked, and getting no exercise (since the average fast food patron gets none). By the end of the month-long experiment, he’s not only put on 25 pounds, but battled headaches, depression, chest pains and the much-dreaded loss of sex drive, to boot. One of the aforementioned doctors informs him that he’s done damage to his liver in the same sense an alcoholic damages theirs with booze. Spurlock wisely avoids making his experiment the sole attraction of the documentary by also taking a look at other issues that tie in with it like nutrition, addiction and obesity. These portions drop factual tidbits that will not only inform the audience, but surprise them, as well (a bagel contains a whopping five servings of bread, for instance). A trip to several public schools across America also serves as an eye-opener for how out of control student diet has become, thanks greatly to the emergence of junk food. "Super-Size Me" may benefit from being informative, but its entertainment value is just as strong. Spurlock’s natural charm and sense of humor will have you learning and laughing simultaneously. The documentary also makes the wise decision of not being entirely anti-fast food. While it informs you of the dangers of fast food, it also stresses the importance of self-responsibility. The DVD presents the documentary in its original aspect ratio and features a decent audio commentary, in addition to several deleted scenes and interviews. As nice as the bonus material is, the meat of this offering (no pun intended) is the documentary itself and definitely worth the purchase. After watching it, you suddenly won’t feel so bad about the three fast food meals you sacrificed in order to pay for it.Read full review
I was curious more than anything else, and had no preconceived ideas except I wondered about a gross out I'd heard about (there's a mild not-too-explicit vomit scene). When confronted with medical evidence of severe liver impacts to an otherwise healthy young male after 21 days or so of high fat/salt/sugar diet - I received a loud wakeup call. I watched a low res HULU upload of this film which prompted my eBay purchase of the "Super Size Me" DVD. Alex Jamieson (Morgan Spurlock's adorable wife) wrote a book "The Great American Detox Diet" that got Morgan back on track after his 30 days of self abuse. You get to meet her in the movie. I was motivated by this film to make changes in my eating habits. I bought Alex's book, and started my own detox diet. That led to a subsequent trial of a vegetarian diet. Now in my 3rd week, I notice many good physical changes. The key for me was discovering there is great tasting satisfying vegetarian food to be had, already prepared for me - I just never looked for it before. Fortunately, I live in Seattle and there is no shortage of great grocery stores (PCC Natural Markets), restaurants and even Trader Joe's has some great take home vegetarian chow. I was in complete denial that my favorite meats and sausages and butter & eggs weren't having an impact on my damaged liver. I thought it was normal to crash (go to sleep in my living room chair) for 1/2 hour after dinner. Now I know better. Thank you Morgan for making this film.Read full review
Morgan Spurlock is the star, writer and director of Super Size Me - the documentary of Spurlock's quest on a 30-day all McDonalds diet. Morgan Spurlock sets out to live like much of America's fastfood nation - no working out, soda and McDonalds for every meal, etc. What happens to Spurlock isn't surprising - his health immediately deteriorates, he becomes agitated and depressed, and he gains massive amounts of weight. Super Size Me is a great adventure that is shocking in many ways: 1) Morgan Spurlock's decisions to consciously do this... 2) This is a diet that a substantial portion of our country lives on! 3) Though we would all expect the Super Size Me diet to ruin one's health... it happens faster than anyone (including the doctors) could predict The movie is a great ride and one that will make you question your eating and health habits if you currently don't treat yourself wellRead full review
Ever wondered about the real cost of those convenient runs through the drive-thru at the golden arches? What price are we really paying from our obsession with this ubiquitous titan of marketing? Watch what happens to a young healthy individual after only one month of dining solely on what the most recognized purveyor of "fast food" considers breakfast, lunch, and supper. You may get a much needed education in the tragic effects of consuming the carefully engineered products of a huge, ruthless corporation hiding behind the smiling clown and pop culture advertising. If you care about your health, your family's health, and want to understand what effect unquestioning adherence to marketing imagery can have, buy this film, watch this film, share it with friends and family, and rewatch it from time to time.Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
