Super Size Me is a 2004 documentary film written, produced, directed by, and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock’s film follows a 30-day time period (February to beginning of March 2003) during which he limits himself to only eat McDonald’s food. The film documents this lifestyle’s drastic effects on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry’s corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. During the filming, Spurlock dined at McDonald’s restaurants three times per day, sampling every item on the chain’s menu at least once. He also “super-sized” his meal every time he was asked. Spurlock consumed an average of 20.92 megajoules or 5,000 cal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment. As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24½ lbs. (1¾ stone, 11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, and experienced mood swings, sexual disfunction, and liver damage. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight he gained.
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock became well known to most Americans as a result of his 2003 film Super Size Me, in which he documented his health as he spent 30 days eating only food from the fast-food chain McDonald’s. Spurlock was raised in West Virginia, and attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated with a BFA in film in 1993. He worked steadily as a playwright before he produced Super Size Me, which was critically acclaimed on the festival circuit, and became a surprise commercial success. Following the positive reaction he received for his film, Spurlock created a documentary television series called 30 Days, in which he or other participants would immerse themselves in a given lifestyle for an entire month. Spurlock spent the first episode trying to survive on minimum wage, while other episodes documented situations like clueless hipsters living on an ecological preservation farm, and a border guard living with a family of illegal immigrants.
A great movie if you honestly believe that the iron hand of the state should dictate what people eat, in spite of the fallibility and intentional misdirection of biased research science. This movie is nothing but a condescending piece of paternalistic propaganda. The bullshit of this film is debunked in the less refined but more factual doc "Fat Head", which you can watch for free on hulu.
"I know this is, like, supposed to make me feel bad n' stuff about fast food but it's just making me like seeeriously hungry right now. I want a Big Mac yo'" - actual commentary on this film made by a 16 year old girl in my health class.
I’m years late in watching this but whatever. I knew fast food was not very good for you but I had no idea that it could be that hurtful to your body. Thankfully, I’ve never particularly enjoyed eating… read review
I’m just wandering how much Mc paid him to do this…because it’s not in any way a bad propaganda for corporation. In three weeks after watching the film you dont remember anything more than 10000 times… read review
I showed this documentary to a friend who was a Manager at McDonalds and she was OFFENDED! Wow what a fuckin SLAVE TO THE CORPORATION! THAT SHOWS You how some of the McDicks employees are so brainwashed… read review
