How Far Will You Go To Satisfy That Craving?

Obesity (defined by the World Health Organisation as having a BMI greater than 30), is highly related to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. In 2014, more than 2 in 3 adults in the US were considered to be overweight or have obesity. Our choice of food does not merely affect the joy and pleasures that we get from our tastebuds, but also affects our health and physical body in the long run.

After hearing about a lawsuit against McDonald’s from two girls, accusing the restaurant chain for contributing to their obesity, Morgan Spurlock decided to film a movie about his experience following a 30-day period, during which he ate only McDonalds. The documentary titled Supersize Me was nominated for the academy award, and six weeks after the film’s debut, McDonalds dropped their supersize portions, showing the influence of the film.

Spurlock started his experiment eating a McDonalds meal three times a day, consuming every item on the menu at least once. For every day, Spurlock consumed an average of 5,000 kcal (equivalent to 9.26 Big Macs) during the 30-day period. The film documented radical effects on Spurlock’s well-being, physically and mentally.

The ugly truth

During the 30-day program, he consumed as many McDonalds meals as most nutritionists say the ordinary person should eat in 8 years, including 30 pounds of sugar and 12 pounds of fat within 30 days. The most startling part of the documentary was a school cafeteria scene showing how kids eat junk food when parents are not around, and school administrators pay no attention.

The movie ends with the question “Who do you want to see go first, you or them?” Leaving room for viewers to reflect on their dietary habit and how it affects their body. This documentary is not exactly a storytelling, plot-twisting film, yet it is real and thought-provoking, when we see so many of us, who chose to live in a fast food nation, poisoning our own bodies, knowing perfectly well the effect fast food has.

Watch Supersize Me in iTunes

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