Review of Super Size Me (2004) by Kenneth H — 16 Mar 2014

I resisted watching this movie for a long time because the answer to its central question - "gee, what happens to your body when you eat nothing but McDonald's for a month?" seemed really obvious, but it really is a lot more than that. It's a very interesting documentary about all the corporate and social aspects of fast food, the discussion of which in many ways overshadowed the actual diet itself. Halfway into the movie, the so-called "McDiet" seemed almost irrelevant.

That said, the McDiet was interesting from a medical point of view, due to the unexpected extent of physical damage Morgan Spurlock's body sustained. Besides, someone had to try it.

The challenge was a little on the extreme side, but given the movie's explanation of how some customers repeatedly visit McDonald's several times a week or even in the same day, it's not too much so. The other thing was that Spurlock might have been too healthy prior to the challenge, making it harder for his body to adjust to the new diet.

One of my favorite parts of the movie came when they were interviewing people on the street and one respondent matter-of-factly proclaimed, in a very Patrick Bateman-esque way, "I usually get the Number Two...".