User Reviews

Fast food is good. I freely admit to running through fast food drive-thrus (Wendy's, Taco Bell and McDonald's being my top 3) often, sometimes several times a week. And I'm not the only one. I'm also one of the many millions of people in the country who are, uh...not thin. Think there's a connection?

In "Super Size Me", a documentary from talented debut filmmaker Morgan Spurlock that manages to be both entertaining and horrifying, he attempts to draw a parallel between the fast food culture we live in and the rampant (and ever-increasing) rate of obesity in America.

To do this, he launched into a little science experiment. A 33 year-old New Yorker in excellent health, he would eat nothing but McDonald's for an entire month, to gauge the effects on his body. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonald's and whenever they asked him to supersize, he would have to accept.

Before starting, he consulted three doctors, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, and a general practitioner, all of whom said this experiment obviously wouldn't be GOOD for him, but that the damages would be minimal.

Instead, the results were pretty shocking. Spurlock gained almost 30 pounds (over 10 in the first week), saw his cholesterol skyrocket, and experienced frequent nausea, chest pains, mood swings and loss of sex drive.

During this month he also drove around the country, interviewing several different people on the topic (including a "Big Mac enthusiast" who has eaten over 19,000 Big Macs). His research on our fast food culture definitely yields some interesting information, especially when he interviews a group of 1st-graders, and more of them can identify Ronald McDonald than Jesus or George Washington.

"Super Size Me" isn't perfect. It's a little repetitive and has a certain thinness to it (no pun intended!) that prevents it from being one of the truly great comedic documentaries of recent years like "American Movie" or "Bowling For Columbine".

But even if it falls short of greatness, it's an entertaining and thought-provoking film (especially if you're, uh...not thin).

Spurlock is a witty and engaging host (sort of like Michael Moore but not as much of a windbag), and I also liked his girlfriend (a vegan chef!) who looks on his experiment with a mixture of amusement, horror, and dismay. Just like we do.

"Supersize Me" is an original, humorous, disgusting, shocking, and -- overall -- scary film. Spurlock takes us on a whirlwind tour of the downfall of American health through poor nutrition, padding a lot of information with anecdotal footage of his own foray into a McDonald's-only diet.

What amuses me about the negative "reviews" for this film at IMDb is how the majority of the naysayers focus on exactly one thing: Spurlock's 30-day McDonalds binge. Heck, you could pick that much out of the trailer, and write a slanted review based solely on the imperfections of that particular plot device as an overall impact study and call it a day. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out that's what's happening, either. Certainly, anyone who's watched the political BS pour in to commentary for Michael Moore's documentaries knows how it's done.

However, if you actually take the time to watch the film, you'll see something quite different emerge: a pattern of childhood indoctrination, poor nutrition, inadequate exercise, and skyrocketing obesity rates, that's sweeping this nation like a plague. Spurlock's self-afflicted experiment is, as I've mentioned, a continuity device that unifies the broad range of the film within a single case study. In the total scope of what's addressed in this film, it's a relatively small part, and many decry it as unrealistic.

But Spurlock never claimed it was entirely realistic! He says as much in the film: he ate as much McDonalds in a month as *nutritionists* recommend one eat in 8 years or more. However, the problem is, a lot of Americans are eating as much fast food in a year as he ate in a month. What is the net effect going to be after five years? After 10? Spurlock further restricts himself to an AVERAGE amount of walking exercise, typical for our national population. The problems he exhibits after 3 weeks on this diet are NOT unique, they are the ones that people around the country are exhibiting in spades: weight gain, fatty liver, depression, inactivity.

It cannot be overemphasized that this condition is widespread. Those arguing "personal responsibility" have to answer the question of how it is that suddenly, over the last 30 years, so many people have "chosen" a life of sickness and self-destructive addiction over one of health and common sense. The effect of mass-media indoctrination is an obvious factor, and the film addresses it well. Spurlock also takes us behind the scenes at school lunchrooms and gymnasiums around the country, where we find out a little bit of what's been happening to the kids of America. Is the "french fry" truly the only vegetable we can afford to serve to school kids, aside from the dubious catsup? How children could be expected to show "personal responsibility" above and beyond that exhibited by their likely-obese parents in such an environment of brand franchising, 2nd-rate meal "programs", and cutbacks in PE/recess time is a matter that I invite all fast-food apologists at IMDb to explore.

For pure entertainment value, I have to deduct points for an uneven pace (especially near the end) and insufficient exposition from some of the people in the film. Still, "Supersize Me" stands as an indictment of the prepackaged food industry, its marketing hype, and its congressional lobbyists. It also serves as a warning to Americans trapped in demanding low-activity jobs which leave little time for lunch or exercise: don't eat the fries!

8/10

This documentary film by Morgan Spurlock asks the intriguing and topical question: What would happen to a normal 33-year-old man in perfect health who stands six feet two and weighs 185 pounds if he ate nothing but McDonald's fast food for thirty days?

Well, it is not recorded that he shrunk. In fact, Spurlock, forsaking his vegan girlfriend's healthy cuisine, gained about 25 pounds and saw his cholesterol level shoot up to dangerous levels as he huffed and puffed his way three times a day through myriad Big Macs and fillet o' fish sandwiches, milk shakes, sodas, fries and other not-so-delicate items from the menu of the world's largest purveyor of fast food. He had hired three doctors and a registered dietician to check his vital signs and give him a thorough physical exam prior to this experiment in not-so-fine dining. Before the gorging was done all three doctors and the dietician advised him in the most uncertain terms for the sake of his health to stop eating the sugar-laden, fat-smeared, nearly fiber-free "diet." But Spurlock, trooper that he is, amid the McTingles and the McPukes, hung in there until the very end.

I can report that he survived the experience. Whether the viewer will is another matter. If you yourself (God help you) are seriously overweight you might want to pass on this excruciatingly detailed misadventure under the Golden Arches. All that fat slapping against those waddling thighs (Spurlock mercifully fuzzed out the faces of his subjects, allowing us only body shots), all that jiggling flesh under those XXXL garments might be too uncomfortably close to home for some sensitive viewers.

But was this a fair test of the harmful consequences of eating Happy Meals and being super sized? After all, Spurlock eschewed exercise during the experiment, and of course nobody (?) actually eats every meal at McDonald's as Spurlock did. Furthermore he actually doubled his normal caloric intake from about 2500 calories a day to about 5000. Regardless I think we can say that his experience was indicative.

The real question to be asked here (and Spurlock asks it) is whether McDonald's (or as some have dubbed thee) whether McDeath's can be or should be held responsible for the epidemic of obesity that is sweeping the country. Spurlock implies that McDonald's should be held responsible at least for its advertising aimed at children. I agree with this. But I also think that adults ought to know what they are doing. If they choose to chow down at a place that loves to super size and under nourish them, perhaps they themselves should be held responsible for the consequences. However, some people feel that the advertising has been so insidious for so long and the food so addictive to susceptible individuals that McDonald's ought to be taken to court just as the tobacco companies have been.

For more information on the epidemic, its consequences, and what can be done about it, I refer the interested reader to The Hungry Gene: The Science of Fat and the Future of Thin by Ellen Ruppel Shell; Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fastest People in the World by Eric Critser; and Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser appears in one of the bonus features being interviewed by Spurlock. This interview is one of the highlights of the DVD. Schlosser is articulate, candid, and very well-informed.

Spurlock of course is a performer as well as a film maker. His directorial style owes something to that of Michael Moore, and his playful on-camera muggings remind me of Ian Wright of PBS's Globe Trekker series.

See this as an introduction to this most serious threat to the nation's health, especially as it affects children. Morgan Spurlock is to be commended for bringing the reality of the epidemic to the attention of the general public.

By the way, "McTingles" are those highflying, scary feelings you get after rapidly injecting massive amounts of pure sugar and caffeine into your system, usually by gulping your way through a 64-ounce McCola--and to think when I was a kid, Coca-Cola came in six-ounce bottles. How ever did we survive? "McPukes" are self-explanatory.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

Living with his vegan girlfriend, Morgan Spurlock decides to try and eat McDonalds for every meal for a month. At the same time he reduces the amount of exercise and walking to match that of the 'average' American to make for a fair experiment. After an initial bit of sickness he gets to enjoy the food and eats it three times per day. However after a week or two, his doctors begin to notice significant increases in body fat, cholesterol and blood pressure. Interspersed with this are interviews with experts on the nutritional value, marketing and impact of McDonalds and fast food generally.

Several years ago I read the book Fast Food Nation and basically that ended my interest in the main fast food outlets and saw my consumption of processed foods drop quite a bit. I did not become a born again Christian and still eat rubbish food and am no role model for healthy living! However, what I have notice in the press and in the audiences for this film is a rather smug 'look at them' attitude as if this has no impact in Europe and Americans are some sort of freak show and nothing to do with us. This film may focus on McDonalds because it is the world leader in fast food which is high in saturated fats but if all you take from this film is pleasure at seeing McDonalds taking a kicking then you are missing the point. The film was challenging to me and I hope it was to many viewers – but I have not eaten in McDonalds or Burger King since 2001 and a bad bout of food poisoning in early 2003 ended my ability to enjoy KFC. So why did I find it challenging? Well, because like many others, I eat too many saturated fats and, regardless of where they come from (oven foods, ready meals or fast food) I need to cut them down. Spurlock sends this message in a really entertaining way while also having good digs at McDonalds.

His relaxed style is refreshing and allows the facts to speak for themselves. He clearly doesn't like fast food as a concept but he is no Michael Moore and is only slightly biased. He is certainly a lot more interesting than his vegan girlfriend who is one of those overbearing self-righteous types who look down their nose at anything. His good humour makes the film but it is the documentary rather than the gimmick that kept me watching. The facts on obesity do speak for themselves and they are frightening and all the more so when you actually sit and think about what you eat – sweets, colas, ready meals, crisps, processed foods; whether it is salt, saturated fats or sugar, any of these foods spells trouble if they are not part of a balanced diet. My only fear of this film is that many viewers will look at McDonalds and say 'they are to blame, lets get them' and simply ignore that it is very easy to eat an unhealthy diet – go to any supermarket and you'll find 'easy' food served up quickly but without the things your body needs. I was challenged because I can easily veg out for several days and be too tired to cook decent food and this reminded me why I need to – hopefully many viewers will take that challenge and not just turn from one fatty diet (McDonalds) to another (ready meals).

I personally didn't find the film as funny nor as shocking as many commentators have said it was but it was still consistently entertaining and interesting, true not the most scientific of experiments but that is not the point. True, very few people eat McDonalds every day but many, many people do eat foods high in saturated fats everyday even if they are not all happy meals and, in this way, maybe Spurlock's experiment wasn't so far-fetched and, lets be honest, like their own lobbyist said – McDonalds are part of the problem. That the film has had an impact is undeniable – the super size option has been removed and how many salads did you see in McDonalds this time last year? It may seem unfair and I can understand why McDonalds has been quick to counter it and call it unfair and, in a way it is unfair – why should they carry the whole blame for an overwhelming surge in unhealthy eating, but I suppose that's what you get for being the market leaders!

Overall this was a very entertaining film that mixes its gimmick well with humour but also a good core of a documentary with interesting talking heads who don't rant or rave but simply look to the figures in most cases. However, I would say this; if you only see this film to sneer at those visibly unhealthy or to tear a strip off McDonalds then you are missing the bigger point – it is easy to eat unhealthy, cheap food no matter what brand it is – eating it every day and having a poor diet is a major problem and, if nothing else this should challenge all of us to look at our own habits and not just point and laugh at others.

Morgan Spurlock undoubtedly aspires to follow in the path of Errol Morris, Roger Moore, Joel Sucher and other leading documentarians. A young man with an adoring and beautiful girlfriend, he decided to unmask the evil of fast food and its impact on an increasingly obese America. That Americans eat too much fast food - too much of any kind of food - and eschew exercise is hardly news. But a full-scale documentary examining sloth by the bucket-full focusing on one major commercial phenomenon hasn't been done before.

Spurlock decided to eat at McDonald's and only McDonald's for a full month. That's three meals a day with no other food source. Before launching on what actually was a death-defying trip (literally since for variety he consumed Mickey D's food in Texas, L.A. and a lot of other places) he had a full baseline workup with a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist and an internist who gets more screen time than his medical colleagues-he gravitates between being supportive and alarmist, the latter increasingly the right response to Spurlock's bizarre quest.

Spurlock also has a nutritionist/dietician and a physical trainer to keep tabs on him. The only specialty missing, in retrospective one who might have been useful, was a psychiatrist. His girlfriend, a vegan chef no less, looks forward to the month with a mixture of humor and alarm.

"Supersize Me" has lots of scientific information on the nature of fast food and its impact on an America that eats out more than it dines at home, a change from a past where mom or a wife faithfully prepared most meals. Nutritionists decry the change in our culture, educators point out the impact of fast food in school cafeterias on kids' health, a former Surgeon General gravely decries the menace and the usual person-on-the-street suspects shock viewers by their bumbling inability to define such terms as "calories." A food industry spokesman is blithely unaware that he is being set up to look like an ass. And, of course, there are multiple shots of Spurlock vainly connecting with polite drones at McDonald's HQ seeking an interview which never comes. Does this all sound familiar?

Spurlock's month-long consumption of McDonald's products gets old fast although he and the director try to add some novelty like showing him vomiting after downing a supersized meal. Periodic visits to get his bloods and body checked reveal the insidious impact of a bizarre diet. His puzzled internist tells us several times he's never before seen a liver compromised by a high fat diet.

The problem, though, is that Spurlock is like those laboratory rats who develop arcane tumors after consuming the equivalent of something that no human could ingest in ten lifetimes. His peregrination from one Mc D's to another becomes boring as his health is clearly threatened and he stubbornly refuses medical advice to give it up.

The best part of "Supersize Me" is the well-presented information on schools and fast foods and how a few are resisting the commercial tide that aims junk at kids from kindergarten through high school. Even inmates, we're told, can be well fed at no greater cost than the fat-laden diets these essentially sedentary wards of the state have shoveled at them.

Technically, this is a well-filmed documentary with creative use of multiple images and graphs.

I hope Spurlock has more ideas for documentaries. He's had a lot of time to think about it-an epilogue informs us it took him almost a year to regain his former fitness and health thanks, partially, to his vegan lover's detoxification diet.

Oh, and McDonald's is phasing out supersized meals, a minor withdrawal in a serious public health war.

7/10.

I had a report to do on childhood obesity, and I could use this documentary as one of my resources. May I say that I was glad that I watched this film. It is very terrifying what the fast food industry has done to this country. I'm not trying to bad rap them, they're a business. That's what they do, they try to make money. Do I agree with all the law suits going on with people blaming McDonald's and Burger King for making them fat? No, nobody is shoving the food down their throats. But there are so many people out there that are heavy users of fast food, and this documentary shows what the damaging effects can be of eating fast food. I gave up fast food, and have not had any for over a year now, and my health has boosted up majorly. Watching this film might make you want to stay away from the fast food restaurants, but if not, it'll make you think more about what you are eating.

10/10

When I first heard about Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary "Super Size Me", I was pretty jaded, because common sense would dictate that if one eats fast food, they are going to have weight and health issues. Indeed, this is what happened to Spurlock, however the magnitude of the health deterioration was astounding.

Presented in a sometimes humorous format, "Super Size Me" is an experiment conducted by Spurlock in which he would only eat McDonald's food, three times a day, with the caveats that he would have to eat everything off the menu at least once, and that he would limit his exercise to the amount of exercise the "average" American gets per day. Therefore, if he is nearing his walking limit for the day (measured by a pedometer he wears) he would have to grab a cab or find another way to get from A to B without walking. Predictably, he gains a lot of weight, (though the rapidness of the weight gain is alarming – at first, 10 pounds in one week) but it is his actual health tests that are the most frightening. By the end of the second week, his doctors, who originally approved his experiment (with some reservation, naturally) were practically begging him to stop. Other than the experiment itself, "Super Size Me" is peppered with facts about the fast food industry and various interviews with industry insiders.

I definitely found the film enjoyable, and somewhat informative (though having read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, a lot of the information was old news) but there was something missing that is hard to grasp; perhaps the film needed a little more substance and cold hard facts instead of watching him constantly eat. However, it is my understanding that the supplemental materials on the DVD are extremely informative and even include an interview with Schlosser, so perhaps more insight could be found there. Spurlock is a great presenter, however, because he is just a regular guy who has a great amount of charm and good camera presence. He was entertaining and likable enough to really illicit concern when his health was so obviously starting to become effected. Ironically, his girlfriend (and now wife) is a vegan chef, so it was mildly humorous to watch her preparing a detox menu for him using the most apropos vegetables to clean out his system.

The aim for most documentaries is to present a thesis and then not only prove it, but provide supporting evidence. Though the thesis of "Super Size Me" was kind of a foregone conclusion, Spurlock manages to provide us with supporting evidence that doesn't make the entire film one big "Well, duh!" which is what I kind of expected, going into the film. If you have seen or plan to see this movie and are interested in the subject matter, I would highly recommend reading Schlosser's Fast Food Nation to gain even more insight on the business of fast food. It's a very interesting read and would make a good companion piece to this documentary. 6/10 --Shelly

Greetings again from the darkness. My daughter and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this film since first reading about it months ago. Director (and lab rat) Morgan Spurlock takes on a fast food exclusive diet for 30 days and fills us in on the painful steps and sickening conclusion. Many have attacked Spurlock for picking on McDonalds or for not selecting the healthiest thing possible at every meal. These people are missing the point. He explains in the movie that McDonalds is the selection because they so dominate the fast food scene in the world and especially in Manhattan (where he lives). He also explains his meal selection by showing that most McDonalds orders include burgers and fries. Personally, I wondered more about his numerous milk shakes and parfaits. These seem to be the items that were a bit extreme.

For the most part, Spurlock does an excellent job proving that we eat too much fast food, that it is very harmful to our bodies, and that there is evil at work conditioning kids that fast food is real food. The most frightening part of the story was the school cafeteria segment showing how kids eat when parents are not around and when school administrators pay no attention. This is the crux of our problems. The Georgetown professor compared it to the early candy cigarettes that condition kids that cigarettes create happiness. The same can be said for fast food and its happy meals and playgrounds. I did not agree too much with the doctor's comparison of Spurlock to Nic Cage in "Leaving Las Vegas". Cage's character was trying to commit suicide, while Spurlock was running an experiment and even considered quitting when the doctors were begging him to. Overall, a nice documentary without the total disregard for decency and the truth shown by Michael Moore in most of his films. I believe this should be required viewing for all junior high and high school students, as well as all expecting parents. This could be an educational tool to convince people to put a little more effort into their health.

Super Size Me is a great documentary. Enlightening and informative, it uncovers the fast food industry's conspiracy, that it's not about the people they serve, but its about the money we give them. They manufacture and process foods so that we HAVE to have more. "You just can't eat one chip" isn't just good marketing - they really put stuff in the food, even in our meat, to make it more addictive! The food industry in general is just another self-seeking money making machine, no better than the big companies that outsource their manufacturing to inhumane sweatshops in third world countries. They exploit the poor to feed their gluttonous and materialistic appetites.

It took a lot of courage to go through with this experiment, risking your own body for a greater cause. This film will hopefully help change the way the fast food industry thinks and operates, exposing the conspiracy. If nothing else, Super Size Me will inspire you to eat right, exercise, and possibly become a vegan. At the least you'll be motivated to eat better.

Though the film is a bit slow at times, considering the content, it's definitely worth seeing. As a result of watching this movie, I don't want to eat fast food EVER AGAIN!!!! We need more films and books like this one.

Anyone who cares about what goes on in the world should see this film. I highly recommend it.

"Super Size Me" (with "super size" used as a verb, not an adjective) is an obviously agenda-driven and skewed documentary all about its creator and his one month fast food binge designed to prove that McDonalds food is not all that when it comes to health. Indie maker Spurlock spends one month chucking down nothing but Mickey D's chow all around the U.S. while serving up heaping helpings of fat statistics, man-in-the-street interviews, info about his progress from doctors and nutritionists, and repeated attempts to hear from the other side of his war on obesity, the McDonalds corp. If you don't know that eating at McDonald's is not healthy eating, this flick is a must see. Otherwise you might want to give it a look just to see what happens to Spurlock as he pukes up the fast food, packs on the pounds, and, according to him, suffers from a vast array of symptoms. In short, take Fahrenheit 911, substitute Morgan Spurlock for Michael Moore and McDonalds for Bush and Iraq and you have "Super-size Me". Not documentary film making at its best but a fun watch anyway. (B-)

This movie is a documentary for those who hate documentaries. Funny, relatively fast-moving, and a cautionary tale without being preachy. Spurlock is a funny guy and treats his subject with good humour, making us laugh and shake our collective heads over our own poor decision-making. There is no "Ronald is Satan" message here, and no "look how bad Americans are." It is simply a down-to-earth, well paced, insightful and humorous look at how insidiously entrenched The United Corporation of America has become in our institutions and minds, and the consequences therein.

One of my favorite scenes was a peek into a school where the now-famous (and irritating) Jared Fogel (you know...fat guy becomes skinny guy !thanx! to Subway) does a "get fit" speech. Spurlock interviews a mom and her significantly overweight daughter, and the daughter actually laments that of course SHE cannot lose weight like Jared because...and this is priceless...SHE cannot afford to buy/eat two Subway sandwiches a day! So this girl walked away actually believing that the ONLY WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT would be to follow Jared's example, VERY SPECIFICALLY, and eat two Subway brand sandwiches each day. So for her, even the SOLUTION to her problem had a corporate logo! Amazingly, she could not even envision the general message of "eat right/exercise more."

Last year seemed to be a battle between FARENHEIT 9/11 and SUPER SIZE ME for winner of the most controversial documentary award . I know Moore's style , I know Moore's agenda but knew nothing of Morgan Spurlock . Right from the opening scenes of Spurlock's documentary I was impressed by his style , he does engage the audience without resorting to polemical opinion disguised as fact and for that we should be thankful . Spurlock decides to find out why Americans are becoming obese by living on nothing but a menu from a certain fast food chain

So far so good , but is he missing a point I wonder ? American fast food chains are notorious for serving processed food with an incredible high fat high sugar content which probably won't do you any good health wise . But they also serve food in very large portions which is also very good value for money . Think about it for a moment - You go into a fast food chain with a couple of dollars and have a meal high in fat and sugar but the meal itself is relatively cheap . Would you rather spend 50 dollars getting a single meal in an expensive restaurant and leave the table still wanting ? I think most people visit a fast food chain to kill the hunger pangs and still have enough money to pay the bills . Watching Spurlock vomit because he's eaten too much is a kind of back handed compliment to a certain food chain for selling extra large portions

Unlike Moore Spurlock doesn't appear to have an axe to grind and does try to be objective . He makes the point that the high rise in obesity may be down to the fact that many American states don't have a compulsory sports syllabus in schools . Certainly this doesn't help to keep children in good health but he then points out another fact that one of the few states that does have compulsory school sports - Illinois - has the third highest rate for childhood obesity in America . Cause and effect ?

The problem I do have with SUPER SIZE ME is that Spurlock doesn't exactly hammer home one very valid point - Perhaps the only valid point - as to childhood obesity and that's parenting . When you were a child what was your parents attitude to what you eat ? I know what mines was : If you didn't like what was put down in front of you then too bad and I think perhaps in the Western world this attitude has disappeared , parents are far more likely to give into their children's demands nowadays in search for an easier life . If they like chomping on burgers then so be it if it keeps the little ones quiet . Remember what I said about big portions and cost ? It doesn't really matter if the food itself is far from nutritious as long as it's plentiful and affordable which means for a lot of parents on low incomes it's a practical choice . Over here in Britain the government are actually discussing putting a tax on junk food . Would hitting parents in the pocket change their attitude ? Is it morally right for a government to do this anyway ? Why is healthy organic food infinitely more expensive than unhealthy processed muck ? Just a couple of points that aren't addressed

So SUPER SIZE ME is an interesting documentary but a rather flawed one that often works better as entertainment than as a serious film making . It can be informative but doesn't really come up with any answers and blames fast food companies rather than parents for childhood obesity .

At the time of its release, Morgan Spurlock's documentary, "Super Size Me", was hailed by the media as a film that pulled back the curtain on the fast-food industry (mainly McDonalds) as the major cause of obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. What the media did not cover was how many people questioned Spurlock's so-called findings, or that stating the obvious can still rake in a lot of money if you point your arrows at the right subject, which in this case is McDonalds.

Here's the premise of Spurlock's documentary. If you eat 5000 calories a day in fast food (or again, McDonalds) for 30 days and do not exercise (or do as little exercise as possible) you will gain weight. Of course, using common sense, one can deduce that if you eat 5000 calories a day of fast food and do not exercise, you'll end up gaining some weight. What Spurlock fails to tell his audience is that if you eat 5000 calories of any food (health food or otherwise) and do not exercise, you will gain weight. The audience, though, wanting to pass of personal responsibility for their decisions, gladly gobble up Spurlock's so-called finding of "if you eat fast food, you'll get fat".

When Spurlock's documentary had gained its notoriety, nutritionalists recreated Spurlock's "test conditions" and found that they could not achieve the same results as Spurlock. These nutritionalists found that although some did gain a small amount of weight, the majority of them simply went about life as normal with no physical change to their health. These nutritionalists also found that there was no "addiction" to fast food as Spurlock claimed happened to him after 30 days of eating fast food. Whereas Spurlock claimed to have some withdrawals when he stopped eating fast food, the nutritionalists simply stopped eating fast food and had no side effects. Unlike Spurlock's doctor claims that Spurlock's fast food diet was "pickling" his liver, the nutritionalist (and others) found no unhealthy reactions to their diet other than slight fatigue from eating too much.

Also, the nutritionalist (and others) who wanted to recreate Spurlock's so-called experiment requested copies of his "food logs" that he stated he kept during his fast food dietary test. They wanted to see how he was able to achieve the 5000 calorie mark. Spurlock refused to release is "food logs" to anyone (including the media), which raised the question of if he was even consuming 5000 calories a day, or what he was actually consuming. This difficulty of obtaining Spurlock's "food logs" is even documented in Tom Naughton's "Fat Head", a documentary which pretty much debunks Spurlock's findings, as well as calls into question Spurlock's motives.

Another important note of information that Spurlock fails to include in his documentary (and fails to tell his doctor) is that during the time of filming "Super Size Me", Spurlock, by his own admission, was a full blown alcoholic. It is safe to assume that his sickness from eating fast food was conditional to the fact that he was slugging booze during the day and night as well (according to Spurlock, he had been drinking since the age of 13). The infamous scene of Spurlock vomiting in the parking lot only after being on his fast food diet for two days wasn't from the fast food, it was from the hangover from the alcohol he guzzled (as well as not prepping for the fast food diet.... Spurlock was a strict vegan prior to the diet).

Is Spurlock's "Super Size Me" a good film. Technically, yes. It is filmed well, and keeps you entertained. But is Spurlock's "Super Size Me" a good documentary. Absolutely not. Not only was Spurlock not forthcoming about what he was actually eating (not releasing food logs), and was not open about his alcoholism, which obviously had an adverse affect on his general health (which skewered his physical exam results), but Spurlock's documentary is condescending to its audience. The message that the film conveys is that people, in general (and especially poor minorities), pretty much have no common sense, cannot make proper decisions or smart life choices, and are to the point in their lives that they need a higher power (the government) to make their choices for them so they can lead healthier lives. In other words, when you watch "Super Size Me", you are being told that you are unable to control yourself, so someone should be monitoring you.

"Super Size Me" fails as a documentary simply because it negates personal responsibility in favor of creating a villain to blame (and profit from). It purposely ignores the importance of taking responsibility for oneself, that individuals are allowed to make choices in determining their health. The film simply blames the fast food industry for everything, and advocates for the government to oversee the industry. Instead of the film honing in on the importance of education, critical thinking, discipline, and taking responsibility to lead a good life, it simply says "You're fat because McDonalds made you fat".

Although "Super Size Me" fails as a documentary, it does succeed as a propaganda film. At the time of the film's popularity, "Super Size Me" was having impressive box office receipts, and the critics praised Spurlock's efforts in "exposing" the fast food industry. Spurlock, realistically unknown prior to the release of his film, was now a celebrity, appearing on talk shows, giving interviews on radio shows, and smiling for photo-ops at film premiers. In response to the film, the fast food industry went through a phase of offering "healthier" options on their menus (which were eventually phased out because no one ever ordered the "healthier" options). Frankly, Spurlock wanted to do a "hit piece" on McDonalds and was successful as doing so, even if he had to distort the facts to do so.

"Super Size Me" is not a noble documentary. Although it did momentarily make the fast-food industry jump through hoops to give an image that they were producing more healthier fast-food (which, in itself, it a contradiction in terms), the documentary is a farce. It is an MTV moment to make Spurlock more popular. People were looking for a demon to point at and blame for their fatness, and Spurlock delivered, even if he had to distort the truth to do so.

In the end, "Super Size Me" fails at standing the test of time, and it is now looked upon more for entertainment and embarrassment. Spurlock for the most part has step out of the spotlight, and that's for the best.

We had to watch this movie several times at school. Though most of my classmates are too stupid to understand the concept of fast food being unhealthy, this movie is well made and entertaining.

Morgan Spurlock's documentary, "Super Size Me," is an eye-opening look at the world of fast food, and the McDonald's company in particular. Through the use of humor and statistics (some frightening), we discover how the fast food industry has ingrained itself into the American psyche and has contributed to the ever-increasing rate of obesity in our nation. The most shocking aspect of this film was seeing the effect this has on our most valuable asset: today's children.

Until I watched this movie, I did not realize how many public schools have allowed commercial fast food restaurants to infiltrate their school lunch programs. When offered fast food for lunch every single day, accompanied by the vending machines filled with candy, chips and soft drinks, America's children are hard-pressed to find a piece of fresh fruit or a true vegetable on their lunch trays, unless they bring one from home. Parents who send their children to school without a packed lunch need to view this film in order to educate themselves about what their children are REALLY being served at lunchtime. Parents trust that the schools will feed their children well, and that trust is being betrayed on a daily basis. What adult would want to eat lunch at the same fast food restaurant every single day? What adult would think that is healthy? Yet that is exactly what we are doing to the children by allowing the commercial restaurants to provide the school lunches.

At the same time the children's Physical Education courses and recess -- i.e. exercise time -- have been dramatically slashed. Some kids get less than 20 minutes away from their desks each day. By contrast, when I attended grade school in the 1980's, we had P.E. class every day for a full hour plus three recess periods of 20 minutes each (less if we misbehaved). That's 2 full hours of exercise time during the school day! And it was a very important 2 hours; it was time to burn off our naturally abundant childhood energy, to strengthen muscles, to forge friendships with children who don't live near us, to learn the rules of new sports and games, and to build social skills like good sportsmanship, team-building, anger management, and leadership. I pity today's grade schooler who gets no time at all outside of the classroom to pursue these all-important activities.

As any parent knows, a child needs vitamins, minerals, fresh air, and lots and lots of exercise. Because so many of today's children receive none of these, it is no wonder that so many are overweight and prone to illness. Children who grow sluggish and sleepy from their fat-laden, fast food meals are often labeled "lazy" by their parents and teachers. Meanwhile, other children are anxious and restless for exercise, but they are given drugs instead of recess to help them sit still. These children need our help!

Thanks, Morgan. Your movie is both a wake-up call and a call for action.

Kelly Stuart, DietFacts.com Webmaster

I have had an overeating problem my entire life.I have frequented all of the big name fast food joints you can name.I have always known that this was not the healthiest food in the world,but something over the years has always kept me going back.When I rented this film,I pretty much knew what to expect going in.Something told me that this man was going to really drive the point home about how unhealthy this food really is.Really,I was hoping to be scared into going on a permanent diet.It worked,at least for the most part.I watched this film about two months ago,and I have been on a diet since.I won't lie and say that I haven't been to a fast food place since.I have.I get in a hurry sometimes and don't have time to grab anything that's healthy.Part of the reason these places exist is because they know we often get in a hurry and have little choice but to get something that's made quickly. For the most part though,I have eaten a lot healthier since viewing this,and I have shed pounds and am feeling much better,though there is a long way to go.This movie frightened me as well as any horror flick has over the years.Who would have thought a documentary could do that?I did object though to the scene where the film's maker,Morgan Spurlock,lost his lunch out of his car window.I don't believe it was necessary to see this.Otherwise,it was a true eye opener.It won't be going in my personal video collection though.Once is enough.

I never thought I'd see a documentary as unsettling as this based on fast food products. It's so suspenseful at one point that I actually asked myself whether this really was a mere documentary or a dramatic film.

As crazy as it may sound, director Spurlock underwent a one month long "therapy", consisting of a McDonaldesque menu - at all times of the day. It may sound mesmerizing for some, but, in the end, the results are frightening.

The issue of being fat is a modern tale in America. When people are too well off and lack one or another essential trait of a normal human being strange things start happening. What's so delightful in a very grotesque sort of way is that Spurlock doesn't only sacrifice himself on the altar of junk food in order for the public to admire some devastating effects on the human body, but he does it with style. Structured on chapters and similar in the making with Moore's "Bowling for Columbine", Spurlock's film is still enjoyable and pretty to the point. It's serious when it has to be, amusing when it can and extremely captivating. All in all, one hell of a "documentarian" ride.

I'll never be able to THANK Morgan for this documentary! It has changed my life. From the last second on the DVD, I went in to my kitchen, threw out all the crap and tore up any coupons I had for ANY fast food restaurant. I went back to Bally's to work out and FEEL GREAT! Not sure why it took this movie to inspire me, but after YEARS of abuse, I finally decided this was my body, and I was REQUIRED to take care of it. I have had my sisters and brothers rent it and show it to their families. The kids who are relatively young (12, 6, 5) are avid lovers of "Happy Meals". Even at their young ages, they told me they will never eat at McDonald's EVER AGAIN! It is truly incredible. THANK YOU MORGAN! Hats off to you for your efforts.

The value of this documentary is the way it actually changes your way to look at fast food. It did not follow one important guideline for a fully trustworthy documentary, i.e. to be objective at all times, but at least it tries to. To me, the film is more of a commercial (against fast food) than a documentary.

The documentary tries to achieve much of the trustworthiness through Morgan's anxiousness, showing how he enthusiastically digs into the meals with great desire. He loses some of his enthusiasm as the days goes by, but continues with a determination that seems to stem from abstinence. Morgan's energetic appetite together with him actually being a funny and charming guy, keeps the film going.

My eagerness for fast food (and especially McDonald's) was more affected by this film, than from reading "Fast Food Nation" (although the book had other good aspects to it).

The film should be a good choice for anyone considering cutting down on fast food.

It got a 6 from me, mainly because of it's good intentions and Morgan's enthusiasm.

Excepting an obsolete form of Chinese boat, the word "junk" is generally applied to only three things: heroin, rubbish ... and fast food.

Determined to get under the sagging skin of America's dysfunctional eating habits by existing on a McDonald's-only diet for one entire month, Morgan Spurlock deftly shows how closely these three are related.

Eating three squares a day from the chain's menu and going super size whenever he's invited to do so, it's a long and painful odyssey as he throws up his first lunch and surfs downhill on a tide of grease from there.

Even with regular medicals, it's not long before the processed fats, sugar and salt are turning his liver to paté, piling on the flab, killing his libido and leaving him depressed, lethargic and fighting off headaches relieved only by the next fix of junk food.

In fairness to the Golden Arches, Spurlock guns for America's eating habits and the fast food industry as a whole, but there's little doubting McDonald's is among the worst offenders – the way it ruthlessly markets itself at children is perfectly captured with a montage of Ronald McDonald capering with the kids to Curtis Mayfield's Pusher Man.

In a gluttonous First World intent on filling its boots with unhealthy, unethical garbage, Spurlock's is an intelligent, perceptive and often droll plea for sense and moderation – not to mention essential viewing for parents and anyone else who thinks the siren song of fast food is just a bit of harmless fun.

Well it was a fun movie to watch but i don't think it's very realistic and its observed to think that Americans are victims of corporate America. Its an easy movie to make and it was surely just meant to make money, think about it, every body wants to loose weight and this is the perfect way to make people think that they are victims and make them think that they can blame someone else for their problem. And i don't think its very wise thing to show this film in school neither(witch alertly they've been doing in Canada), not because of the swearing, because there is another side to this problem and by showing kids this flick they will easily think that this is the honest truth. I work in a drug rehab clinic in Iceland, and when Morgan spur lock came to a talk show in Iceland and promote his movie he came to the clinic where i work and was talking about drugs, apparently he was a previous drug addict. After the seminar i meet and was talking to him about the movie and its affect on McDonald's workers and all the jobs that honest working people will loose if McDonalds where to go out of business, and i assumed there will be well over 200.000 jobs lost, thats the entire population of Iceland for god's sake, all the farmers,managers and just workers at McDonalds. And i wasn't impressed by him at all, just a small man in a small world. sorry if i spelled anything wrong there.

Spoilers herein.

I'm not sure I have a good handle on the difference between documentaries and performance art. It is blurred enough whenever Michael Moore or Ken Burns take control. Here, the situation is even more confusing. I think that is the intent and why this little thing has appeal.

The documentary half of this Frankenstein concerns the international epidemic of obesity that is overwhelming the industrialized world. The numbers and images are memorable enough to form the basis of an essay.

The complexity of this half evaporates when it is reduced to a matter of blame, as is always the case (the reduction to blame and the unworthiness of the result). Pictures of chunky kids notwithstanding, there are some interesting fundamental problems here revolving around whether we are capable as a society of making decisions; whether 'freedom' doesn't, even can't work.

But the other half of this is performance art. A professional actor binges on McFood and tells us (as effectively as Chris Guest might) about getting the McTingles and the McPukes. His doctors raise the alarm. Will he abandon the project, his mother begs. His girlfriend testifies that she can tell that McErections aren't as good.

All this is amusing enough to occupy your time, I suppose, if you don't have much of a life. The problem is that the latter half masquerades as the first. Unhappily, we cannot tell the difference, and the reason is the real scandal: political 'education' (and talk radio) has taught us that anecdote and metaphor are reasonable substitute for the real thing.

So one leaves the theater feeling that just like McDonalds brands its product with a clown, so has this film branded the case against McDonalds with a clown. Same same.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.