Supersizes Are Not So Super
The popularity of the documentary Super Size Me has raised the debate of fast food and its relationship to obesity to deafening levels. In it, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ate nothing but Big Macs and other McDonald's fare for 30 days which left him more than 20 pounds heavier and a physical wreck. Fast food industry spokespeople charge that the experiment was far from scientific, and they say they are offering a wider variety of healthy food options than ever before. But the fact is that Americans are getting fatter and fatter every year. It is estimated that as many as one in five Americans is obese, a condition that if left unabated, will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death. Even more alarming is that fact that obesity rates for children have doubled over the past 20 years, and overweight children are being diagnosed with obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes and respiratory illnesses that in the past have only afflicted adults.
McDonald's responded to Super Size Me in much the same way it has responded to lawsuits charging that its food caused obesity: it claims it is offering "more choice and variety" so that consumers can make their own decisions. (Although in one sequence Spurlock searches in vain for the very nutritional information McDonald's boasts it offers.) McDonald's says "no one eats McDonald's food three times a day, every day, and no one should,"...We believe, and have always believed, that McDonald's can be eaten as part of a well-balanced diet...What Mr. Spurlock set out to do, which was double his daily calorie intake, deliberately not exercise and over-eat, was totally irresponsible." (Super Size Me website)
People might say that if Spurlock ate 5,000 calories he could have gained that extra weight anywhere. They may also feel that what Americans need is balance between sensible eating and exercise and that staying fit is a matter of personal choice and responsibility. This appeals to the...
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