Super Sized Society

Over the past two years I have seen the movie Super Size Me many times. I first saw it sophomore year of high school in my health class. I’ve seen it numerous times since in other classes as well as on T.V. The movie is just as relevant now as it was then. The movie for me is poignant in multiple levels both personal and societal.

America as a whole is the most overweight country in the world. A land of prosperity where food is always readily available has turned the country into a land of excess. People in the U.S. want everything bigger and faster all the time. However, this process of quick production of large portions comes back to haunt the consumer in the form health problems.

Morgan Spurlock entered his “burger binge” being an above average healthy adult. He ate relatively well and stayed fit. He did many diagnostic tests at the beginning of his of his month of McDonalds so he could compare the before and after chart numbers. Spurlock’s binge sent all his numbers from cholesterol to blood pressure through the roof at an alarming rate. He gained 25 to 30 pounds in one month and was told he was on his way to liver and heart ailments if he didn’t cut out his new found diet. Spurlock’s film shows that America’s consumption of junk food is causing a health downfall that will show itself down the road in forms like “one in three children born in year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their life due to a high fat diet”.

Is McDonalds really the only one to blame for the country’s obesity epidemic? Of course not, the film focused on McDonalds as that was Spurlock’s diet but it also showed other problems around the country. Most of America’s schools serve food that not only lacks nutrition but also falls into the category of just being bad for you. In the movie, kids were consuming lunches of Soda, French fries and cookies. Not only is there nothing healthy in their lunch, it’s downright bad for you.

For me, Super Size Me is a good reminder to stay away from certain foods. I already didn’t fast food before originally viewing the film but seeing it only helped to reinforce a self imposed ban of fast food. The movie also reminds me that when I’m in a hurry to make an attempt at reaching for something healthy. But what can be done to cure America’s lean toward an unhealthy lifestyle? For starters, places like McDonalds don’t need to serve the quantities they serve. “Nobody need 40 oz. of soda and a half pound of fries.” As for the schools, they could start serving healthier options like the alternative school in the film. Also the open option to buy candy and other junk food at lunch should either be limited or removed all together. Super Size me does a wonderful Job of outlining one of America’s growing problems.