Super Size Me
The fantastic thing with Netflix is I can catch up on the zillions of movies I always meant to see and never have. Honestly, if it's come out in the past 2-3 years and I haven't seen it on a plane (which is where I tend to watch 99% of the movies I see), then chanes are I haven't seen it -- until it comes to the top of my Netflix queue.
Which is exactly what happened with this movie. I always thought this would be an interesting documentary, and I wasn't let down. Morgan Spurlock not only came up with an astounding powerful experiment but he was also his own guinea pig. This wasn't something he went into lightly. After having the brainstorm to eat nothing but McDonald's (King of all fast-food) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (the very idea turns my stomach), he consulted three doctors plus a dietician and her exercise staff. He saw these professionals three to four times during the course of his month-long "diet." And the results were worse than what the health professionals themselves predicted. And that's what was really scary.
It wasn't just that Spurlock gained 8% additional body fat in one month. It's not just the fact that he gained 20+ pounds in one month. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he was moody, lethargic, and had a decreased sex drive. All of those things- while hugely shocking- are almost to be expected. How can one NOT gain weight, increase over all fat content within their body, and feel the results? What was REALLY stunning was the fact that the doctors, after putting Spurlock through a battery of tests prior to his McDiet, didn't think there would be much effect to this really uber-healthy man. And instead his liver was practically failing him. His cholesterol and blood pressure were through the roof. He doubled his chance of heart failure.
He proved his point. At what cost...who knows. And when I think about the risks he took to prove a point...well, some may call him stupid for it. And maybe he is a little nutty. How many people do you or I know that would take their life in their hands to prove a point? But he was successful in proving it. And kept risks to him and him alone. Better than any lab-controlled experiment, and I'm sure that was one of the points toward complete credibility. But I digress... Though I personally don't know anyone who eats fast-food on a daily basis, there are many people who eat it once, if not more, a day. And this is only part if the obesity problem we have in our country. It was really eye-opening.
I personally don't care for fast-food. If I have it once every six months, it's fine by me. With that said, watching this movie truly sickened me. Giving up 1.5 hours to watch something like this is worth it just for the interesting social commentary this presents. But there is something else there, on several deeper levels. I'm so happy I finally got around to watching this. It seems important that this voice be heard and this message be understood and spread. It's worrisome to think what will happen if it's not.
Which is exactly what happened with this movie. I always thought this would be an interesting documentary, and I wasn't let down. Morgan Spurlock not only came up with an astounding powerful experiment but he was also his own guinea pig. This wasn't something he went into lightly. After having the brainstorm to eat nothing but McDonald's (King of all fast-food) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (the very idea turns my stomach), he consulted three doctors plus a dietician and her exercise staff. He saw these professionals three to four times during the course of his month-long "diet." And the results were worse than what the health professionals themselves predicted. And that's what was really scary.
It wasn't just that Spurlock gained 8% additional body fat in one month. It's not just the fact that he gained 20+ pounds in one month. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he was moody, lethargic, and had a decreased sex drive. All of those things- while hugely shocking- are almost to be expected. How can one NOT gain weight, increase over all fat content within their body, and feel the results? What was REALLY stunning was the fact that the doctors, after putting Spurlock through a battery of tests prior to his McDiet, didn't think there would be much effect to this really uber-healthy man. And instead his liver was practically failing him. His cholesterol and blood pressure were through the roof. He doubled his chance of heart failure.
He proved his point. At what cost...who knows. And when I think about the risks he took to prove a point...well, some may call him stupid for it. And maybe he is a little nutty. How many people do you or I know that would take their life in their hands to prove a point? But he was successful in proving it. And kept risks to him and him alone. Better than any lab-controlled experiment, and I'm sure that was one of the points toward complete credibility. But I digress... Though I personally don't know anyone who eats fast-food on a daily basis, there are many people who eat it once, if not more, a day. And this is only part if the obesity problem we have in our country. It was really eye-opening.
I personally don't care for fast-food. If I have it once every six months, it's fine by me. With that said, watching this movie truly sickened me. Giving up 1.5 hours to watch something like this is worth it just for the interesting social commentary this presents. But there is something else there, on several deeper levels. I'm so happy I finally got around to watching this. It seems important that this voice be heard and this message be understood and spread. It's worrisome to think what will happen if it's not.
1 Comments:
OMG that was such an awesome movie. It really makes you think. I wish it had won an Academy Award. Stuff like that should get the recognition it deserves (unlike a cheesy Nicole Kidman movie).
By
RockerMom, at 6:52 PM
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