Documentary Analysis: Supersize Me

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To get a different perspective regarding nutrition, I turned to the documentary entitled Supersize Me that was released in 2004. This documentary is about a man named Morgan Spurlock who takes on the McDonald’s diet. Morgan, who before this diet was above average on the physically fit scale, and at a normal BMI, had no nutrition training. He received this idea for a documentary while hearing about two teenagers who were suing McDonald’s for their obesity problem, and from there created the idea to experiment with this diet. While on this diet he must follow the following rules, 1. Eat McDonald’s for one month. 2. He must supersize his meal whenever asked to (making his meal bigger than the large option). 3. Try at least one of everything on …show more content…

Since 2004 the obesity rate in America has grown, along with the fast food industry. The obesity rate in 2001 was 61%, in 2010 it increased to higher than 68%. (Collene). According to Center for Science in the public interest, eating out is one-third of the calories in American’s diets (“Menu Labeling”). However, there has been some changes since Supersize Me was released that have changed in order to help the obesity epidemic. In 2010, congress passed a national requiring chain restaurants with twenty or more locations to list calories and other nutrition informations directly on menus and on menu boards (“Menu Labeling”). This has changed since Supersize Me. in that film, Morgan was struggling to find one McDonald’s that even carried the nutritional information for the food. With this information now on display in the restaurant along with it being available online, it helps individuals make informed healthy decisions. Another prevalent change since the film, is that McDonald’s no longer offers the Supersize option. Just six weeks after the film was released McDonald’s went away with it and saved many people’s hearts. Many other steps have recently been taken in order to make people more aware of the dangers of a high calorie, high sodium, and high fat …show more content…

This assignment really opened my eyes up to the idea that we should definitely change up our eating habits, try new things, and make sure to get a wide variety of all food groups, unlike what Morgan Sprulock had to do in his McDonald’s experiment. I would probably name myself as a regular fast food eater, but after watching this documentary, my idea and point of view of fast food has definitely changed, it might be a while until I even return to McDonald’s I will now certainly go out of my way to find healthier options to eat, and now incorporate this into my lifestyle. The academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that “eating at a restaurant doesn’t not have to sabotage a healthy diet.” (Tips for Healthy Dining Out). The American Heart Association also gives “5 ways to navigate Fast Food Menus like a Pro” to keep your health, and heart, in check. It says to Avoid portion distortion, be sauce savvy, say no to “fried”, sip smart, and go in prepared.” (5 ways to navigate fast food menus like a pro). I will definitely consider these tips and things I learned from the documentary and incorporate them into my diet, and