Sayer is a biology professor who replicated Spurlock's thirty-day experiment to teach his students about how the documentary medium can be abused to further a political agenda. The difference between Sayer and Spurlock: Sayer didn't deliberately double his daily calorie intake, nor did he stop exercising. He ate three meals per day at McDonalds, diversified what he ate, and was able to keep his calorie count between 2,000 and 3,000. Over 30 days, he lost 17 pounds. His blood pressure dropped. And his cholesterol basically remained the same. He suffered none of the effects Spurlock shows in Super Size Me.
Really. It's all about personal responsibility. Spurlock showed none of it.
The experiment is the most interesting, but not necessarily the most informative, aspect of Super Size Me. Spurlock goes on a one-month McDonald's spree in which he eats three gluttonous meals per day. He plays by a few rules: everything he eats has to be on the McDonald's menu, he must sample every food choice at least once, and he only super sizes when asked by a cashier. Over the course of his study, he gains 25 pounds; experiences an extreme increase in cholesterol; suffers sexual dysfunction, headaches, and nausea; and shows signs of addiction. It's not a pretty picture, and, while the extremity of Spurlock's reactions are in part a result of his excessive indulgence(5000 calories per day), it illustrates a point about the unhealthiness of fast food eating.
Anybody who does that deserve that kind of fate. However, McDonalds does provide nutritional information so that customers can make an informed decision regarding which food to eat if they are trying to manage their dietary intake. Something that Spurlock hardly want to acknowledge. His attitude reflects that in his videos a la Michael Moore when lying and/or disinformation is the way to go to become a star. Will Michael Moore continue to eat at McDonalds?
Pathetic.
Check out the Morgan Spurlock Watch blogsite - a blog devoted to holding Mr. Spurlock accountable for the inaccuracies and factual distortions in his movie, book, and TV show.
UPDATE: More goodies about Morgan Spurlock and his pathetic attempts on filming documentaries where half-truths are hardly the case.
Also, what Netrox failed to note is that you can eat 5k worth of calories a day for 30 days practically at any food establishments from the fast foods to a 5-star French restaurant and still suffer the consequences of bloating oneself up to 25 and feel absolutely miserable! And, oh, the thin man he refers to in the documentary? He never ate 5k worth of McDonalds everyday. And thin doesn't equate being healthy, either. And many fast foods do carry alternate meals consisting of salads, fruits and whole grain! See here, here, here, here at Subway, here, here, KFC, and, of course, the best and worst of fast foods (2002) in America when it comes to vegetables, fruits and grain. My wife absolutely loves Wendy's Mandarin Chicken Salad. So much for "lack" of healthy choices. The choices are growing.
But Americans want tasty food...not tofu. But there's always room for more food imagination and the right mix to appease both types of consumers who choose between healthy foods and regular fast foods.
Where are the fast food resturants that serve dishes that are rich in vegetables and fruits and whole grains? I want them. Bet you cannot find one.- Netrox
I just did. Netrox doesn't look very hard, apparently. Was he swayed and blinded by Spurlock's schlockumentary thinking that corporate America of the fast food industry is not thinking about alternative healthy choices??
Spurlock sends a terrible message to America: "Obesity is not your responsibility. It's the fault of greedy corporations." This is where Netrox is wrong regarding Spurlock's "documentary" as not being biased. It is extremely biased that is literally tilting to one side. "Super Size Me" demonizes fast food to such a high degree.
Bottom line, Spurlock never discussed about personal responsibility when it comes to eating at fast food restuarants and exercising in his, uh, "documentary" and that his eating 5k for 30 days is not typical of what most Americans eat at fast food restaurants.
Not biased? Yeah, right.
No comments:
Post a Comment