***Official SUPER SIZE ME Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Ernest Rister]

Hey, I've got a great idea for a documentary. I'll do nothing for 30 days but eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese three times a day, and instead of water, I'll drink Budweiser. After gaining 30 pounds, I'll blame Kraft and Budweiser for my weight gain, not my own piss-poor choices for food.

After that, maybe I'll make a documentary where I do nothing but smoke crack for 30 days, and then blame the crack dealers when my teeth fall out.

After that, maybe I'll make a documentary where I do nothing but sunbathe naked on my porch for 30 days, and then blame the sun when I'm carried off to the hospital with massive epidermal damage across my body.

YOU are responsible for the choices you make in life. ANYTHING in excess will harm you in one way or another. I don;t know a single living soul who gets their primary source of food from McDonalds on a daily basis. Still, as a person still living in a semi-free society, I'd like to have the CHOICE to go to McDonalds and grab a quick sandwich if I so CHOOSE. I could just as easily blame Television for obesity, maybe we should have legislation banning that, too.

Damn Food Nazis...

 

[Brian W.]

It may be an excuse, but you must admit it's more of an EFFORT to eat well today than it was in the days when men came home to find a nutritious dinner waiting for them that their stay-at-home wife cooked. And, like I said, people did not always have the access to food that they do nowadays.

People eat out more today because they're busier. That's a simple fact.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Isn't it simply affluence? Food is readily available and cheap, in particular sugary/sweet/fatty snacks. In the past, snacks were probably a little more expensive (relatively speaking) so people indulged less.

Around here, stats show the kids in school are getting fatter and fatter. Obviously the country's relative affluence has been a factor in the rising weight and waistline of the average schoolkid. Although better nutrition has also meant a rise in the average height; back when I was in junior college (the equivalent of 11th and 12th grade), I was consistently among the tallest of JC kids (6 ft), and there weren't many of us that tall. Nowadays I see plenty of them that are my height or taller.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

QUOTE
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"I think a bottle of coke was 8 ounces prior to the mid-1960s"
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My girlfriend and I were recently in the US and noticed 6 packs of TWENTY-FOUR OUNCE bottles ot Pepsi and Coke in a grocery store. They were of a size that, psychologically at least, they seemed like they’d be consumed in one sitting, small enough to be portable without making some people aware of just how much pop they’d be ingesting. We don’t have this bottle size in Canada, and I’m not bragging, because our culture has its share of growing waistlines (we, like many other countries, are simply headed where the US already is), but I sincerely hope we never do. A 2 Litre bottle, which is available in both countries, speaks to buyers as being enough for a family, or for a single person to drink over the course of a few days. Interestingly, I’ve noticed some US bottlers(namely Faygo) also have 3 Litre sizes, a virtual “supersize” for a few more cents that, to some people, would simply be taken as an excuse to exercies their choice to drink even more. Again, they don’t have this size in Canada, though I’m not sure about other countries. What we do have up here is a 710 ml bottle for soft drinks, which is equivalent to the American 20 oz. bottle. I still think a basic 12 oz. can should be enough for anyone in one sitting, but a 710 ml is about as big as I’d want to see soft drink portions. It troubles me, however, that companies like Pepsi and Coke saw a need in the US market to add another FOUR full ounces of coloured sugar water to the already above-adequate 20 oz. size.

Even sadder, people at this particular store were grabbing up these bottles at a fair clip because it was on sale that week. Now, I’m sure a great many of them will serve at least two people with that bottle, maybe more, or will get two or three days out of its contents. But I know there will be another segment that treats it like a single-serving drink.

Scary.

I’m all for Ernest’s right to choice, and I certainly don’t want to see the government totally controlling what we eat since they’re partly responsible for how we got the way we are as a society. If the current radio scandal is any indication, the government and the religious right have teamed up to tell people what they can listen to, and TV and movies probably won’t be far behind, depending on how the election goes. Freedom of choice is a great thing for the informed, the politically motivated, the politically represented, the educated, the empowered, but there seems to be a large segment of the American population that has a harder time achieving these things for a variety of reasons.

The book FAT LAND by Eric Critser, interestingly enough, backs up nearly everyone’s points (and other topics) made in the posts above, with attention given to stuff like:

-Working couples.
-More single people.
-Fewer stay at home moms
-Instant access and gratification
-Affluence versus poverty and how it affects choice.
-Television
-Video games
-Sedentary culture
-Less government spending on PE in school.
-Over-reliance by SOME people on fast food for the majority of meals (which speaks to Christ Reynolds point above)
-Unqualified instructors taking over PE education
-Vending machines anf fast food franchises in schools
-“Tween” advertising in the 90’s
-Unempowered, unrepresented and growing immigrant societies.
-Children of first-generation immigrants
-Fast food deliberately placing franchises in ethnic communities.
-Contradictory diets and other diets that, in some cases in the late 90’s, actually argued that it was OK to be fat, turning thinness into something to be ridiculed and/or avoided
-Outdated diet and exercise guidelines rooted in old studies done largely on affluent white males and females that did not accurately reflect the diverse makeup of western society.
-Dietary and exercise guidelines that were systematically “downsized” to seem less demeaning to fat and obese people, essentially trying to make the guidelines fit the people, rather than making the people adapt to the existing guidelines.

The book’s a real eye-opener (though not as witty as Fast Food Nation), and while I don’t doubt Critser, like anyone else, has an agenda, and I wish I could go into more detail on these topics than time will allow, he does at least seem to examine an extraordinary number of factors in why American has reached this state and why so many other countries (including my own) are on their way down the same road. The problem is so deeply rooted in so many sources that it will take a long time to correct itself.

 

[Malcolm R]

Assuming the #1 combo includes a "Big Mac" everywhere, it's the lettuce and onions, obviously!

Both Pepsi and Coke have recently started marketing/selling smaller 8 oz. cans and 12 oz. bottles of their products, as well.

And I agree about the vending machines in schools. We never had them either and weren't allowed to eat/drink in class anyway. You ate at designated meal times and suffered the consequences if you couldn't eat then.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

And the 1/8" pickle slice.

 

[Malcolm R]

Oh, yes. Forgot the pickles.

In honor of President Reagan, I was going to list ketchup too but there is none on the Big Mac. But I guess ketchup along with onions and pickles would be the vegetable in the "Quarter Pounder w/Cheese" combo.

And at least Burger King offers the option of Onion Rings instead of fries...yet another vegetable!

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Hey, get this. Up here in Canada (eh?) Burger King used to offer "Poutine", a decidedly French dish that consisted of french fries smothered in cheese and gravy, to which you could then add ketchup if you wanted the vegetable. The contents always struck me as better suited to the American menu, but at least they found away to wrap their artery-clogging junk in a little patriotism. Nice.

 

[Todd Hochard]

What the hell? Oh no, my perfectly constructed food pyramid is melting. MELTING!!!!!...

Why do films like this always tend to be reviled in the media for taking on the "evil corporation?" Can one not get a message of self-examination from films like this? How do we know that Spurlock's intention wasn't to get the individual to step away from the 3lb fry pack, by examining HOW "The Man" is putting the screws to them? We can figure out Memento and Mulholland Drive, but we can't get this?

Todd

 

[Tony Whalen]

That gave me a good laugh...thanks!

Oh...and I have no interest in seeing this film. I think it's a ridiculous excersize, much like Ernest's above-quoted thoughts. I guess I'm thread-farting.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Well, anyway, can we please talk a bit more about the film Super-Size Me? Or shall we move this thread, retitled, to After Hours?

Scott, and others who've seen it, is the film leavened with humor, a la Michael Moore? I'm terribly fascinated by this.

 

[RobertR]

Sounds like a plan.

Considering that I've eaten at Mcdonald's all of maybe 3 times in the last 15 years, the film would be interesting to me only if it pokes fun at the American lifestyle, instead of being a grim, "corporations are the root of all evil" diatribe.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Maybe if they would add salsa, you could list it in honor of Bill "salsa is a vegetable" Clinton.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

because you're asking for my opinion. Thanks!

:frowning: because your question tells me you haven't read my review of the movie. Wahh!



Yes, the movie is quite humorous and irreverent. This is not some guy on an anti-McDonald's crusade. (Well, maybe a little.)

The main point of the movie is that America is fricking obese, and that we're not doing ourselves any favors by stopping at the Drive-Thru three times a week.

The film is more pro-nutrition and pro-logic than anti-snack food. I suspect that most of you will have a great time with this movie. I sure as hell did!

...and I've eaten at McDonald's like 4 times since I saw the movie.

I've heard that May 14th is when it opens limited. I expect it will ultimately hit one of those "wide limited" releases which sees it at many 'arthouse' theaters all over the country. I'd sure hate to see it open on 400 screens.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Ack, forgot to mention:

I recently did an email interview with the SSM director, Morgan Spurlock. You can check it out here if you're so inclined. One look at the press pic I used should tell you how "serious" this fella is.

 

[Darren Haycock]

Well, I think the his whole 30 day plan was basically in reponse to McDonald's saying that their food was healthy. That kinda set him off on his little quest I guess. Personal responsibility is definitely where it's at. In my opinion, fast food is better as a toxic treat to enjoy once in awhile if you're so inclined. Everyone knows that fast food isn't exactly healthy, so I don't feel the chains themselves are really to blame, especially seeing as you can easily get the Nutrition Facts if you want. Anyone remember KFC doing their whole healthy advertising where they were like "our chicken only has this amount of carbs!" Maybe for Super Size Me 2 he can do a 30 Day KFC plan and put that to the test. I definitely plan on catching this flick.

 

[Noah Gottula]

One thing I never understood is why people care enough about people getting fat that they would write a movie/book about it. I could understand if you are trying to educate them, but I think its safe to say everyone knows what fastfood does to your body.

If they're happy eating McDonald's every single day 3 times a day then who are you to try and make them stop. They know what they are doing to themselves and the consequences they will face later.

 

[Ricardo C]

I'd like to thank whoever mentioned poutine earlier in the thread. I tracked down a recipe online and prepared it here.

God bless Canada, that's all I can say

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

You'd be surprised how many fat people don't see themselves as overweight. Just go to the mall and look at the increasing number of young women in those low-slung hip-hugger jeans with spare tires hanging out that would put mine to shame - and I'm a 34-year-old man who's simply starting to "settle." (whoa! denial alert!). And the sad thing is, there's a defiance in their attitude that both me and my unintentionally slim Asian girlfriend have noticed, one that could say they're shamefully ignorant of just where there headed or they're actually proud of it and think they're sexy! Perhaps if the movie was just seen by a handful of people like that (of any age or gender), and it provokes them to be healthier, then what the hell. The rest of us can just have a good laugh at the expense of the "system."

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

I eat fast food every single day. I have for years now. Sometimes eat it twice a day and I mix up the places I go to. I have weighed the same for nearly 8 years. 165lbs, 6'3". I haven't gone to a macdonalds in over 5 years though. I used to go there everyday as it was the only choice where I lived. After awhile I did start feeling sick. I can't even smell MacD food without feeling queazy.

I hope to catch this flick sometime if it makes its way out here.