Margaret Falk

HLTH 1020-F17

24 Nov. 2017

Super-Size Me

Synopsis:

Over the years, McDonalds Restaurants have had numerous legal suits that have been

brought against them, saying that they are consciously selling food that is detrimental to human

health. Some court decisions have concluded that the accusers may have a case if they could

prove that eating McDonalds food every day for every meal is a health hazard (Huggo).

Super-Size Me begins with documentarian, Morgan Spurlock who was 32 at the time the

movie was filmedphysically above average as attested by three doctors (a cardiologist, a

gastroenterologist, and a general practitioner) as well as a nutritionist and a personal trainer

(IMDb). He enlisted all three of these professionals to track his health while embarking on a

social month-long experiment to eat a McDiet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single

day. He wanted to prove first hand that McDonalds food can have unwelcome effects on the

body.

The rules of his month-long binge were:

He must fully consume three McDonalds meals per day, he must sample every

item on the McDonalds menu at least once over the course of the thirty days, he
 must only ingest items that are offered on the McDonalds menu. This includes

bottled water. Any and all outside consumption of food is prohibited. He must

SuperSize the meal when asked, but only if he is asked. (Spurlock)

After five days into the diet, Morgan gained almost ten pounds. Accompanying his

weight gain was depression, lethargy, and headaches that were cured by eating a McDonalds

meal. One of his doctors enlightened him and told him that he was beginning to become addicted

to the food (Spurlock).

At day twenty-one of the experiment, Morgan began to experience heart palpitations. He

was worried that he would not be able to complete his full month because of the high-fat, high-

carbohydrate diet. His friends and doctors voiced their concerns. During a consultation with Dr.

Daryl Isaacs, he was advised to stop what he is doing immediately to avoid any serious health

problems (IMDb). But despite the warnings, he decided to continue onward.

Morgan makes it to his mark of thirty days on the McDiet. During the month, he was

asked to SuperSize his meals nine times. He had eaten as many McDonalds meals as most

nutritionists say the ordinary person should eat in eight years (Spurlock). He ate 90 meals, which

is close to 8 years of eating it once of month (IMDb). All of the doctors overseeing Mr. Spurlock

during the month were shocked at the end to see just how much his health had deteriorated. The

cardiologist said that irreversible damage done to his heart could cause a heart attack even if he

lost all the wright gained during the experiment (Spurlock). The bottom line was that throughout

the course of the documentary, Morgan Spurlock proved that eating McDonalds every day can
have extremely negative effects on a persons health, such as risk of heart attack, obesity, which

spawns off a whole other set of problems, depression, anxiety, and many other health risks

(Spurlock)

Modern and Textbook Relevance:

Although SuperSize Me was released to the public in 2004, many of the themes and

problems that it tackles are still, if not more, relevant today, twelve years later. It explores that

fact that the United States is the fattest nation in the world.

In a survey done by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney

Diseases, more than 1 in 3 adults are considered overweight or obese, and about one-third of

children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be overweight or obese (National

Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). And those numbers continue to climb.

Increased access to fast food joints such as McDonalds with over 14,157 locations nationwide

and counting (Statista) are making junk food that can cause irreversible damage readily and

easily available for anyone with a $1 bill. Morgan Spurlocks nutritionist said, that they're [fast

food corporations] a business, no matter what they say, and by selling you unhealthy food, they

make millions, and no company wants to stop doing that (qtd. in Spurlock).

The documentary also explores the nutritional value of the things that Morgan was

consuming every day. His diet which consisted mainly of high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods.

While fat and carbohydrates are essential to good nutrition, they can cause a lot of problems if
not consumed in moderation. Most of the items on McDonalds menu consist of bad carbs called

simple carbohydrates (Collene) because they are:

High in calorie density. (Just a few bites and youve taken in a bunch of calories)

High in refined sugars (whether white sugar, corn syrup, or so-called natural

sugars like honey and added fruit juices)

High in refined grains like white flour

Low in fiber.

High in sodium, saturated fat, and trans-fat (McDonald's.com).

The reason that eating refined (simple) carbs is so bad for you is because they have had

most of the nutrients and fiber removed (Wardlaw). According to nutritionist Adda

Bjarnadottir, eating an excess of refined carbs has been linked to drastically increased risk of

many diseases including obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (Bjarnadottir). Adda also

states,

High consumption of refined carbs is linked with insulin resistance and high

blood sugar levels. Refined carbs also increase blood triglyceride levels. This is a

risk factor for both heart disease and type 2 diabetes. One study showed that

people who ate the most refined carbs were two to three times more likely to get

heart disease, compared to those who ate the least. (Bjarnadottir).

The bottom line is that overconsuption of these types of carbs put people at a very high

risk for developing major health problems and that McDonalds food is chalked full of them.
 McDonalds food is also guilty of containing alarming amounts of saturated and trans

fats. Saturated fat is a type of fat that originates mostly from animal sources of food, such as red

meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. This kind of fat increases total blood cholesterol levels

and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can heighten danger of

cardiovascular disease. It possibly will also increase risk of type 2 diabetes.

Trans fat is a kind of fat that comes naturally in some foods in small quantities. But most

trans fats are made from oils during a food processing technique termed partial hydrogenation.

These partially hydrogenated trans fats can raise unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy

high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase risk of cardiovascular disease

(Mayo Clinic).

Personal Learning Experience:

Upon watching the documentry, Super Size Me, I learned that McDonalds food is far

more unhealthy than I had previously suspected. I chose it because I had heard of it in the past

and was intrigued by the opportunity to view it for myself. Of course I knew that it was probably

something that one should not eat on a daily basis and has no particular nutritional value, but I

did not realize exactly how unhealthy it actually was. Watching Mr. Spurlock go through what

he did in the name of science, sort of grossed me out. I could tell that he was miserable for the

thirty days he spent in McHell, and it opened my mind up to what Im actually putting into my

body when I eat things like that.

 I know without a doubt that I do not want the same consequences to befall me as

happened to him. I learned that there is actual evidence that links fast food to real health

complications. Morgan Spurlock now has unrepairable heart damage, liver damage, and cant

seem to lose the remaining 4.5 pounds he gained during his month no matter what he does. Not

to mention that he was literally risking his life by exposing himself to the very real possiblity of

developing heart disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other life threatening

illnesses.

Im going to be more conscious of what I put into my body. I have actually already

started on a ketogenic diet which limits carbohydrates and sugars I consume. It focuses on foods

that are high in protein and high in good fats, and high in vegetable that grow below ground.I

have been on this diet for about a month and I can tell that I feel healthier. My energy levels are

up, my attention span has increased, Im sleeping better, my mood is better, and as a bonus, I

have lost about 12 pounds, and I just feel good.

No McDonalds for me. Im actually kind of repulsed by it right now, and basically all

other fast food chains. Overall, this was a very infomative and worthwhile project that was fun to

research and gain a more extensive knowleged about the subject of nutrition and how it applies

to me, and other people on our day-to-day lives.

 Works Cited

Bjarnadottir, Adda. Why Refined Carbs Are Bad For You. 2016. Web. 22 November 2017.
Huggo. Super Size Me Plot Summary. November 2004. Web. 22 November 2017.
IMDb. Synopsis for Super Size me. November 2004. Web. 22 November 2017.
Mayo Clinic. Dietary fats: Know Which Types to Choose. 2 February 2016. Web. 23 November
2017.
McDonald's.com. McDonald's USA Nutrition Facts for Popular Menu Items. 23 July 2014. Web.
23 November 2017.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Overweight and Obesity
Statistics. October 2012. Web. 23 November 2017.
Statista. Number of McDonald's restaurants in North America from 2012 to 2015, By Country.
2016. Web. 24 November 2017.
Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock. 2004. Documentary.
Wardlaw, Gordon M., Anne M. Smith and Angela L. Collene. Contemporary Nutrition: A
Functional Approach Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.
Textbook.