Film: Supersize me

Photo: kodoom.com

Why are Americans so fat?
Two words: fast food.

What would happen if you ate nothing but fast food for one month?
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock does just that and goes on the most dangerous journey of his life.



For 30 days he can't eat or drink anything that isn't on McDonald's menu; he must eat three times a day; he must consume everything on the menu at least once and supersize his meal if asked.
Spurlock travels across the country interviewing people who eat fast food and experts on fast food. Spurlock's fast food diet changes him mentally and physically and the film might probably make you think twice about picking up another Big Mac.

Experiment of the Movie

He must fully eat three McDonald's meals per day
He must try every item on the McDonald's menu at least once over the course of the 30 days
He must only eat items on the menu. This includes bottled water. Any and all outside consumption of food is not allowed.
He must eat a McDonald's salad every tenth meal
He must "Super Size" his meal whenever, and only when, the option is offered to him.
He must only walk 5,000 steps per day.
Here are a few facts from the movie's website:

Results

Morgan Spurlock spent about five months in losing 20 pounds and another nine months to return to his original weight.
He discusses at the end about the lack of healthy food among U.S. schools, and the fast food chains are luring the kids away from the healthy food. McDonald's kid-friendly advertising schemes are very successful, and mentions the dark side of the fast food industries. He says, "The bottom line, they're a business, no matter what they say, and by selling you unhealthy food, they make millions, and no company wants to stop doing that."


Facts from the film's website

Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant
In 1972, Americans spent $3 billion a year on fast food - today they spend more than $110 billion
McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day - more than the entire population of Spain
French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America
You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fry and Big Mac
In the U.S., we eat more than 1,000,000 animals an hour
60 % of all Americans are either overweight or obese
Only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain no sugar