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HLTH 1020
Nutrition Perspectives
In the documentary film Super Size Me, written and directed by Morgan Spurlock, we
follow Spurlock through a 30-day experiment exploring the effects of fast food on his personal
health and well-being. (Spurlock, Super Size Me, 2004) The documentary contains many
excerpts from interviews showcasing a broad range of perspectives on the topic of fast food and
the industry that pushes it. Those interviewed ranged from everyday Americans on the street to a
former United States Surgeon General. The film delves into such topics as the effects of the fast
food industry on American society and our children, the aspect of addiction as it relates to the
types of foods one would normally consume at a fast food establishment, and of course, the
devastating effects that fast food can have on our bodies and our overall health.
and producer. (Spurlock, About, 2016) He does not have a background in nutrition. For the
gastroenterologist, a cardiologist, a registered dietician and a personal trainer to advise him and
I chose this documentary because I feel very strongly that the fast food industry as a
whole is detrimental to our society, especially to our children and contributes to the decline of
our nations overall health. I feel that the majority of fast food is unhealthy, cheaply made,
chemical laden and heavily processed. I would go so far as to say that some of it is not even
from many fast food restaurants, and have found that the levels of sodium, saturated and trans
fats, and added sugars contained in many of the most widely consumed food items from these
establishments are truly appalling. For example, on more than one occasion Mr. Spurlock
consumed a Supersize (42 oz. or 1.25 liter) Coke, and according to nutrition information found
on a Coca-Cola Company website, he was consuming three and a half 12 oz. servings (the
equivalent of 3.5 cans) each containing 39g of sugar. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2017) I did
some simple math and found that this translates to 136.5g or about 2/3 of a cup of sugar in his
beverage alone! According to the textbook, Contemporary Nutrition: A Functional Approach, the
American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars such that the
upper limit of intake for most American women is to no more than 100 calories (25 grams) per
day from added sugars and no more than 150 calories (37.5 grams) per day for most American
At the outset, Mr. Spurlocks team of health professionals deem him to be of above-
average physical fitness for his age range, and his blood work, blood pressure, and physical exam
are all within normal limits. He is 62 tall, 185.5 pounds with a BMI in the normal range and a
The test subject sets some guidelines for himself to follow to maintain consistency over
the course of the 30 days. The rules include that all meals must consist only of food purchased
from McDonald's, meaning if McDonald's does not sell it he cannot eat or drink it. He must eat
at least three meals a day from McDonald's, he must eat all menu items at least once, and he will
only Supersize if asked by the employee. In the film, Mark Fenton, former editor of Walking
magazine, advises him that to be consistent with the majority of Americans, he must not get more
than 5,000 steps per day. These steps must be obtained through activities like walking out to
catch a cab, going up and down the stairs in his apartment building, or walking to McDonald's.
The documentary states that according to the CDC, the number of overweight and obese
individuals in America doubled between 1980 and 2001 and that nearly 100 million Americans at
that time were overweight or obese. Since the documentary in 2004, the rates of overweight and
obese Americans have continued to climb. According to the textbook, 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of
children are overweight or obese and it goes on to say that obesity kills more than 200,000
So, where are we going wrong? In my opinion, a huge part of the issue is that the
availability and convenience of the unhealthier options far surpass the availability of a quick,
healthy bite to eat. I believe that the addition of super low-priced menus that have been
instituted by most fast food establishments only serves to exacerbate and facilitate the growing
issue. I feel that it also exploits the poor and further endangers those already at risk of having an
On day one, Morgan Spurlock is excited to eat McDonalds food and seems to really
enjoy it. Day two he orders a double Quarter Pounder with cheese meal and is asked if he wants
to Supersize it. He again appears happy and excited to be eating the fast food. Five minutes into
his meal, he mentions the volume of food contained in the Supersize meal. Ten minutes in, he
complains of a having stomach ache, gas, the McSweats and of feeling jittery. Fifteen minutes
high levels of saturated and trans fats and sugars and the overweight or obese body conditions
that usually accompany such eating behaviors. One of these risks is type 2 diabetes. The
documentary projected that 1 in 3 children born in 2000 would develop type 2 diabetes in their
lifetime. I was unable to locate statistics in the textbook, but it does say that the overall number
of adults with diabetes is on the rise and that there has been a substantial increase in type 2
diabetes in children and in both cases the increase in those developing type 2 diabetes is
attributed to excess weight and lack of physical activity. (Wardlaw, 2015, p. 149)
After logging just under one week on his new eating plan, Morgan Spurlock heads off to
visit his team of healthcare providers to find out what effect, if any, his experiment has had on
his health. He and the dietician are shocked at the revelation of a body weight of 195 pounds
which translated into an astonishing gain of 5% of his body weight in less than seven days.
On day nine of Mr. Spurlocks endeavor, he begins to feel depressed and again complains
of not feeling well. However, this time his mood drastically improves after ingesting the cheesy,
fatty, sugary, caffeinated foods and drink which would appear to indicate his bodys growing
Watching Morgan Spurlocks experiment unfold only served to reiterate the idea and
solidify my view that, for the most part, fast food is something best avoided. What was truly
unexpected was the time frame in which his health was negatively affected. In only nineteen
days, his blood work values had changed drastically, and his mood and overall wellness had
declined to the point that it prompted the healthcare team to advise him to discontinue his
experiment.
Mr. Spurlock did not heed this warning, and as a result, by the 30-day mark, he had gone
from 185.5 to 210 pounds for a total gain of 24.5 pounds. His body fat percentage had increased
from 11% to 18%, and his cholesterol levels went up by 65 points. He was depressed, did not
feel well overall and had exceptionally high liver values as well as other metabolic disturbances.
By the end of the experiment, the formerly healthy man was referred to by the doctors as sick.
Although the documentary was made in 2004, some thirteen years ago, I feel that the
themes still apply today and essentially, always will. The documentary took eating fast food to
the extreme. However, I do not think that the value of the information contained in the
documentary should be discounted. I watched this documentary for the first time in response to
this assignment, and it definitely had an impact on me. I will continue to steer clear of fast food
whenever possible, and no matter what I am eating I will work to be mindful of portion sizes. I
cannot envision a time where consuming over three and a half times the recommended daily
amount of sugar in one beverage would ever be a good idea. While it is true that with new
knowledge comes the evolution of nutritional recommendations, I do not believe that it is very
likely that, at any point in time, a double cheeseburger, pound of fries and 42 oz. soda will be