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
This was an amazingly eye opening video that I honestly believe every single American should see. Especially those who frequent fast food establishments and teens. It was extremely interesting, factual and humorous. It was also pretty scary! To think that McDonalds considers those who eat at their restaurants once a week "heavy users"! I thought that term was reserved for drug addicts and such. This video documents one normal sized healthy mans quest to see what would happen to him if he ate nothing but McDonalds food 3 times a day for one month. What happened was he gained 26 pounds, got headaches, lost his sex drive, vomited, practically ruined his liver and almost died! He had 3 doctors in various locations monitor his health during the entire experiment and after 3 weeks they actually advised him to stop or he might do permanent damage to his liver! One things for sure, I will never set foot in a McDonalds again. Watch this video.....you will not be sorry. Mark in PaRead full review
Here's the only thing i didn't like about it - there were some scenes and discussions that aren't appropriate for younger viewers... and i really think that people of ALL ages would benefit from this info! Here's what I did like about it - everything else. I haven't eaten fast food more than a few times since I originally saw this about a year ago. I don't exercise and I haven't really changed much else, and I lost 20 lbs. I'm going to have to exercise to get down to my goal weight of 135, I have 10 lbs to go and feel SO much better since I quit eating fast food. I bought this movie to help improve the quality of life of the people I love. I loan it to everyone! Even if they say they've seen it, I make them watch it again. You can be happier than you are now. You can accomplish more in your life than what you think you can. Eat to live. Food is fuel. Take back control!Read full review
This documentary depicts a man who eats nothing but McDonalds for every meal. He does this to prove that the highly-engineered food is not healthy, although fast food chains would like you to believe otherwise. The result is physically noticeable and as he gets checkups from his doctor, he is urged to stop for health concerns. He continues and in the process exposes fast food as bad for your health. The film is told honestly and with humor -- fun to watch and lighthearted. A favorite scene is when he places french fries from 3 different restaurants into glass jars in order to watch how they decompose over time. French fries that were more natural eventually began to mold and rot, however after many weeks the McDonald's fries had not changed. Scary. This is something we put into our bodies ... yuck. If you enjoy documentaries, then you will like this film. It should be a must-see movie for every person who consumes fast food on a regular basis. It's definetly changed my eating habits!Read full review
I am walking evidence of just how destructive the garbage sold at fast food chains can be on the body. Since passing by the drive-through windows and exercising moderately, I have lost 70 pounds in less than one year, no longer take any of the three blood pressure medications I had been on, and just feel a whole lot better. People may think the movie is extreme, but it is a wake up call for anyone struggling to lose weight and improve their health and quality-of-life.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Today, most people eat out of convenience and to please their taste buds, instead of the living cells in their body that keep their "ticker" going. This movie is educational and funny at the same time, but yet serious in nature when it brings out the fact that our nation is going downhill health-wise because of the many fast food restaurants, and easy access to junk food. It makes you realize we need to slow down and think twice before we stuff "quick food" into our mouths and how it will effect us later in life....and tragically, in many cases, its sooner than later.
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