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[grantis]

I know it's been out for years, but I just got around to watching the movie "Supersize Me".  

If you haven't seen it...it's a 30 day experiment where Morgan Spurlock eating 3 square meals a day (or at lease the best he can) and McDonald's ONLY.

The result is literally disgusting.

If you haven't seen it, please go watch it NOW.  It's up on Hulu.com for free viewing of course.

Discuss

[Electric Warrior]

I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.  

[bblackwood]

Electric Warrior wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:39

I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.

I've never watched it based on this alone.

News flash: overeating = bad for you. Shocking, I know.

[Electric Warrior]

Not only did he overeat, he overate until he had to throw up. Disgusting.

[Daniel Farris]

If you've never seen Spurlock's series "30 Days," it's great.

The premises are things like "30 Days on Minimum Wage" or "Anti-Gay Conservative Christian Lives in SF with Gay Man for 30 Days," or "Minuteman Lives With Family of Illegals in East L.A. for 30 Days."

You get the idea. Also available on Hulu. I enjoyed those far more than Super Size Me. Spurlock is a bright guy.

DF

[Taproot]

bblackwood wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:01

Electric Warrior wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:39 I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.   I've never watched it based on this alone. News flash: overeating = bad for you. Shocking, I know.

But Brad, that implies personal responsibility. Now THAT is shocking.

[grantis]

bblackwood wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 09:01

Electric Warrior wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:39 I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.   I've never watched it based on this alone. News flash: overeating = bad for you. Shocking, I know.

It's not a movie about overeating.  It's a movie about obesity in America and the role the fast food industry is playing.

The 5000 calories a day came from eating "normal" extra value meals, supersized only when he was asked by the cashier.  Nothing else entered his body.  

3 "normal" meals a day according to the USDA (or FDA, can't remember) should only equal about 2000-2500 calories for a man of his height/weight.

McDonald's claims that eating their food can be a part of a healthy diet.  Clearly, eating 3 normal meals of their food per day and nothing else is not a part of a healthy diet.

Should be common-sense, but 60% of Americans are overweight or obese as of the date of the movie, and it's commonplace for most American's to eat fast food on a regular basis.

Medical spending on obesity related health problems in America had DOUBLED from 1997 to 2002.

The point is not overeating, it's what you're eating.  It was a bit eye-opening for me, as I don't often eat A LOT of food, but I do often eat HORRIBLE FOOD, like Morgan Spurlock did.

yuck.

[bblackwood]

I can also drink so much water I die from water intoxication, though few people will say that drinking normal amounts of water is unhealthy.

The point is he became a caricature to make a point, a point that has little meaning if people actually display some of the personal responsibility alluded to above.

(for the record, I've not eaten fast food since 1994)

[TotalSonic]

bblackwood wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 10:01

Electric Warrior wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:39 I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.   I've never watched it based on this alone. News flash: overeating = bad for you. Shocking, I know.

I'd actually give it a chance before just shooting it down.  It goes way deeper than that and is actually done in a pretty entertaining way.  

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[bblackwood]

TotalSonic wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 18:06

I'd actually give it a chance before just shooting it down.  It goes way deeper than that and is actually done in a pretty entertaining way.

Yah, I didn't mean I thought it was worthless, I just have heard enough about it to know the gist.

I was too dismissive towards it above.

[Hallams]

bblackwood wrote on Thu, 18 March 2010 11:30

TotalSonic wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 18:06 I'd actually give it a chance before just shooting it down.  It goes way deeper than that and is actually done in a pretty entertaining way.   Yah, I didn't mean I thought it was worthless, I just have heard enough about it to know the gist. I was too dismissive towards it above.

......gee you can't get away with much can you Brad...ok by me if you shoot from the hip every once in a while.

[Taproot]

I wonder how much buttered popcorn, Jr. Mints, Milk Duds and soda were consumed in theaters when it was out?  

[Electric Warrior]

grantis wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 23:39

bblackwood wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 09:01 Electric Warrior wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:39 I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.   I've never watched it based on this alone. News flash: overeating = bad for you. Shocking, I know. It's not a movie about overeating.  It's a movie about obesity in America and the role the fast food industry is playing. The 5000 calories a day came from eating "normal" extra value meals, supersized only when he was asked by the cashier.  Nothing else entered his body.   3 "normal" meals a day according to the USDA (or FDA, can't remember) should only equal about 2000-2500 calories for a man of his height/weight. McDonald's claims that eating their food can be a part of a healthy diet.  Clearly, eating 3 normal meals of their food per day and nothing else is not a part of a healthy diet. Should be common-sense, but 60% of Americans are overweight or obese as of the date of the movie, and it's commonplace for most American's to eat fast food on a regular basis. Medical spending on obesity related health problems in America had DOUBLED from 1997 to 2002. The point is not overeating, it's what you're eating.  It was a bit eye-opening for me, as I don't often eat A LOT of food, but I do often eat HORRIBLE FOOD, like Morgan Spurlock did. yuck.

It adds up to about 2600 kcal for me with breakfast, a large meal for lunch and a regular meal for dinner. 2200 if I have diet coke instead of regular. Less if I go for a salad instead of fries.

[Tom L]

If you want an eye openner about the food industry in the US, try "Food Inc."

[Jon Hodgson]

Electric Warrior wrote on Thu, 18 March 2010 14:11

It adds up to about 2600 kcal for me with breakfast, a large meal for lunch and a regular meal for dinner. 2200 if I have diet coke instead of regular. Less if I go for a salad instead of fries.

If I remember correctly from the movie, portions in the US are larger, at least the sugar laden drinks are (their regular looked like a uk larage).

Even thinking about three meals a day in McDonalds makes me nauseus, I've often wondered where they get the plastic cows their 100% beef patties seem to be made from.

The sad thing for me is that in placs like Thailand, where you can get delicious healthy food really cheap all over the place, freshly cooked to order, many people think of McDonalds as something special, to aspire to when you're a bit flush.