Supersize Me

Super Size Me

In 2004, director Morgan Spurlock attacked the fast food industry by compiling a documentary following Spurlock's own attempts to eat nothing but McDonalds for thirty days. In his film, Spurlock asks, and provides one potential answer to the question "Why are Americans so fat?" In just one month, Spurlock managed to not only gain 25 pounds, but to significantly raise his cholesterol levels, and suffer from severe liver damage. The results of his diet were astonishing, and have hopefully provided insight to those unhealthy Americans consuming excessive amounts of fast food on a daily basis.

The rules of Spurlock's diet were to eat at least three meals a day from McDonalds. If Spurlock was asked if he wanted to super size it, he was forced to say yes. If McDonalds did not sell it, he could not consume it. Spurlock even refused to take vitamins suggested by his dietitian because McDonalds did not manufacture vitamins. The last rule was that Spurlock had to try everything on the McDonalds menu at least once. During the course of his journey Spurlock paid regular visits to his doctor and nutritionist. Even in the first days of Spurlock's new diet, changes in Spurlock's health were already being recognized. Weight gain came quickly, and not long after more serious effects, such as chest pain, were being noticed. Spurlock claimed to even feel some sort of addiction towards the fast food. He would feel tired and anxious, however once he got his "fix" of McDonalds, Spurlock would suddenly feel better. Before the month was up doctors were begging him to stop the diet claiming his health was on the line, and that the damage could possibly be irreversible. Despite the good advice, Spurlock stuck it out and continued his fast food expedition in hopes of changing Americans prospective on the fast food industry.

Some argue that Spurlock's documentary was misleading because it is very uncommon for one person to eat the extreme amounts of fast food as Spurlock did. The results of Spurlock's diet were only excessive,