[lackadaisy]

I finally watched it -- it's free on Hulu now. Wow.

Let me acknowledge first that even though I haven't stepped foot in a McDonalds for years (I don't actually remember the last time), I still fondly remember their "Chicken" McNuggets with "Duck" sauce. Or I did, until I saw the part of the movie that explained what exactly went into them.

Favorite take-away: there are NO excuses; what you eat today goes into your blood tomorrow. It's not just about the calories; crappy food filled with empty carbs and saturated fats will make you unhealthy, unhappy, and markedly different in all aspects (including, uh, intimacy). It messes with your mind so that you become addicted, and that's what makes dieting so hard at first -- not the deprivation, but the withdrawal.

The lesson about addiction helped me remember how I've fallen off the wagon before: as with drugs/smoking, if you mess up and have it again once, no problem... maybe. If you have it three times, you're probably addicted again. So: NO "cheat" or "off-plan" weeks in my future. One meal, one day, no problem -- but it has to be in moderation, or I'll start craving crap all over again.

What did you guys think of Supersize Me?

[krampus]

I thought it was about one step above Michael Moore agenda-laden garbage, though entertaining and clever at times. It wasn't a "typical" or representative experiment because average people in America do not typically eat vegan/organic diets like Morgan and his fiancee. What really upset me about it was that when it came out, people treated it like it was something new and revolutionary. How did we get to the point where the general populace is so ignorant about food?

I suppose every hundred years or so people need to be reminded that not all food comes from equal origins. "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair exposed filth and corruption in slaughterhouses; "Super Size Me" was a gratuitously disgusting look at Mickey D's and the fast/processed food industry.

[beerdrinker]

I enjoyed Supersize Me at first, then I saw Fat Head. It's also on Hulu right now. Check it out if you have the chance.

[smashlers]

Ooh aounds good, I am in. right now. Insomnia!!!

[ArcticFrogs]

I ate McDonalds as I watched "Super-size Me". Not in an awkward attempt to be clever - just the way it worked out.

I'll admit, it was interesting to see what would happen to the human body (typical diet prior or not) with nothing but fast food for 30 days, but I find it hard to believe that anyone really learned anything (maybe data, I'm speaking conceptually) that they didn't subconsciously know. I would be equally interested in what happens to a human body if only exposed to a certain color of light for x amt of time, or what it's really like to be in whatever situation (he later had a television show along these lines, didn't he? maybe still? *shrugs*)...

The real problem lies in that he wasn't doing it for the sake of science or even just odd curiosity: he was out with an agenda, trying to make a statement that didn't need to be made. The entire thing screams: Hey, look at me! I can do something obviously f*cking moronic on camera for a month, and you people will pay to watch me do it! So, McDonald's gets their name stomped for no genuine new/innovative/previously unknown reason, no one learns much of anything, and a guy gets paid.

*shrugs* Whatever. As krampus said, it was a shoddy attempt at Michael Moore-ism. At least Moore puts a little time into his editing...

Also, check out Penn and Teller's Bullsh!t series...they did an interesting episode on fast food, as well...

[Northern Belle]

I haven't seen it, but I think I will have a look just out of curiosity (I'm glad I didn't pay to see it based on some of the comments here!). It is true, though. While you can lose weight just by counting calories (it really is just about calories in/calories out), you have to watch what you eat, not just how much, to truly be healthy. My dad has always been slim, but he ate the most unhealthy foods imaginable and he's had a few heart attacks and a massive stroke last year.

It doesn't look like McDonald's is any worse off, though! People all around the world still devour it.

[luposlipaphobia87]

I thought Supersize Me was an interesting concept. It brought more attention to the unhealthiness of fast food. I think sometimes nutrition is pushed out of mind. It's a lot easier to enjoy that burger when you aren't thinking what goes into it. Morgan Spurlock can be inflammatory, but he has done some interesting shows besides that. You do have to fact check him though.

We watched a documentary in my undergrad he did about trying to live on minimum wage in America, very interesting.

I prefer the book "Fast Food Nation" over Superize Me anyway.

[LindsB]

it obviously had minimal effects on Americans and their feelings towards McD's. Drive past anyone during breakfast, lunch, dinner times and the drive thru line wraps around the building...

[ade903]

His show is called 30 Days. It's on instant stream on Netflix (2 or 3 seasons I think). Just FYI.