SHERIFF
01-23-2004, 07:43 PM
Morgan Spurlock, at a healthy 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, wondered what would happen if he ate three meals a day at McDonald's for 30 days. He decided to try it, and the film he produced about the experience, "Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Portions," was just screened at the Sundance Film Festival. James Greenberg of The Hollywood Reporter writes: "The outcome is not a pretty picture, but thanks to Spurlock's oversized and buoyant personality and some pretty nifty filmmaking, the results are as entertaining as they are sobering."
In one month, Spurlock gained a stunning 24 pounds on a food journey that took him to 20 cities as he ate nothing but Egg McMuffins, Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets, french fries, and whatever else caught his fancy on the McDonald's menu. Within days of beginning the odd diet, he started vomiting. Even his doctor was amazed at how quickly his body deteriorated. In addition to gaining a lot of weight very fast, his liver became toxic, his cholesterol soared, he suffered headaches, lost his libido, and even became depressed, notes The Hollywood Reporter.
Why did he do this to himself? He says he got the idea after seeing a news report about two teenagers suing McDonald's because they blamed America's largest fast food chain for their obesity. The Hollywood Reporter does note that the film definitely has a shortcoming: It fails to acknowledge that all obesity is not the result of eating junk food. The film is packed with alarming facts and statistics about a nation that weighs too much and exercises too little, but it's done in a smart and amusing way with animation and fun music. The real value in the film? Reviewer James Greenberg says it's a cautionary tale for kids. Think about what you eat.
In one month, Spurlock gained a stunning 24 pounds on a food journey that took him to 20 cities as he ate nothing but Egg McMuffins, Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets, french fries, and whatever else caught his fancy on the McDonald's menu. Within days of beginning the odd diet, he started vomiting. Even his doctor was amazed at how quickly his body deteriorated. In addition to gaining a lot of weight very fast, his liver became toxic, his cholesterol soared, he suffered headaches, lost his libido, and even became depressed, notes The Hollywood Reporter.
Why did he do this to himself? He says he got the idea after seeing a news report about two teenagers suing McDonald's because they blamed America's largest fast food chain for their obesity. The Hollywood Reporter does note that the film definitely has a shortcoming: It fails to acknowledge that all obesity is not the result of eating junk food. The film is packed with alarming facts and statistics about a nation that weighs too much and exercises too little, but it's done in a smart and amusing way with animation and fun music. The real value in the film? Reviewer James Greenberg says it's a cautionary tale for kids. Think about what you eat.