A medical review of the documentary Super Size Me
One of the first and most popular food documentaries is the 2004 film Super Size Me by Morgan Spurlock. He has a sequel (of sorts) coming out, so I thought this would be a good time to revisit the original. The documentary holds up very well save one glaring exception – see “most cringe-worthy moment” at the bottom.
Inspired by a lawsuit against McDonald’s filed by lawyers representing two morbidly obese children, Morgan resolves to eat McDonald’s every day or every meal for 30 days. Yes, that is insane, but it also provides the tension that drives the story.
While a food documentary at heart, Super Size Me spends a fair amount of time addressing the health issues. Morgan enlists a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, and an internist among others to monitor him for the month. Amazingly, none of doctors realize just how devastating this will be for his body. They predict an elevation of triglycerides (fatty cholesterol) and mild weight gain. Instead Morgan experiences high blood pressure and high cholesterol (with elevated stroke and heart attack risk), abnormal liver enzymes (caused by fatty liver and worrisome for liver failure), significant weight gain, and high uric acid levels (with risk for gout and kidney stones) along with symptoms of nausea, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and depression. His physicians and his then vegan girlfriend (current ex-wife) beg Morgan to stop the experiment. He doesn’t because, well, he’s making a documentary.
Morgan also makes a good political case throughout the film, showing how McDonald’s attracts children into the cycle of unhealthy eating with the use of cartoons, Happy Meals and toys, playgrounds, birthday parties, and $1.4 billion worth of advertising in 2001 alone. He also shows how the original largest sizes of French fries and soft drinks are now the “small” or “kids” size, psychologically encouraging unhealthy portions of obscene girth.
Medically speaking, this is a case study, not a controlled trial. Since the film’s release, others have claimed to maintain or even lose weight on a fast food diet. This is both plausible and beside the point. Weight is just one of many markers of health. And fast food is just one of many causes of obesity.
Conclusion
Morgan’s attempt to get someone from McDonald’s corporate for an interview fails, but they got his message just the same. Six weeks after the documentary aired, McDonald’s discontinued the Super Size option. Later they put out a line of salads. In true McDonald’s form, many of the salads are higher in calories and sugar than the burgers. Recently I heard that McDonald’s is testing a vegan burger. No, just … please no. That’s like coming out with kosher bacon. No self-respecting vegan puts anything with a McDonald’s wrapper into her mouth.
This documentary is still entertaining and, sadly, still relevant well over a decade later.
Best moment: Morgan vomiting out of his car window after wolfing down a McDonald’s meal. That’s how I feel when I watch anyone eat McDonald’s food (and I have the same reaction when I smell the food).
Most cringe-worthy moment: Jared Fogle, formally of Subway commercials, saying “my big vice was food” (we all know his other one). Under his photo at the end is “continues to inspire millions.” Yeah, no, not so much anymore.
Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and distribution rights were purchased by YouTube Red. The second installment brings the chicken industry and Chick-fil-A into the spotlight. One of the reviews I calls it “less funny and more horrifying” than the original. I look forward to being horrified.
Check out the Super Size Me app, which gives you the access to full nutrition facts for all major chain restaurants in the US and Canada. Super Size Me is available for streaming on Netflix.
About the Author
David Z Hirsch is the author of the medical novel Didn’t Get Frazzled, described as “unflaggingly funny” by Kirkus Reviews and “the best fictional portrayal of med school since ER” by BlueInk Review (starred review).
He also has a YouTube channel featuring educational videos on common medical conditions.
He is a practicing physician in Maryland and writes under a pen name.
Also check out my other reviews:
A medical review of the documentary What the Heath
A medical review of the documentary Forks Over Knives
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