...Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me: a Comparison Do you like fast food? Do you know how many people have faced the obesity in American? Actually, fast food brings a new condition, which it has designed to taste good. And it’s also inexpensive and convenient. But it reflects American’s culture of obesity and the history behind. Eric Schlosser, in his book Fast Food Nation, takes a hard look at what’s behind the look-like chain eateries that dot the American landscape. A McDonald’s is not just a restaurant serving hamburgers to hungry patrons; it’s the end of along ripple of event that produces the food that millions eats every day. Meanwhile, with the first documentary, Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock used his own body to examine American culture of obesity. This film documents that lifestyle’s drastic effects on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry’s corporate influence. Comparing between Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me, I found the different emphasis in the contents, but they both show the fast food has influenced people deeply and we must find the right way to build the right opinion about the fast food and health. In the Fast Food Nation, we find the Eric Schlosser’s book promises to tell the dark side of all-American meal. It’s covers much of fast food culture and he also discusses how it developed, how taste of food can now be manipulate, federal regulations , health issues, and the spread of fast food abroad. In...
Words: 1246 - Pages: 5
...Fast food restaurants are everywhere in today’s society. They are found in hospitals, attached to fueling stations, in grocery stores, and inside major sports complexes (such as Great American Ball Park). With the many locations of these restaurants, the question must be raised… are fast food restaurants making people fat? That question can be answered with a resounding yes! In 1968, McDonalds was operating 1,000 restaurants (Schlosser 3); Taco Bell was just getting started and Wendy’s opened its first restaurant in 1969 (About Wendy's). According to Pearson Education’s Info Please website, 13.3% of adults were obese in the 1960s (Info Please). Today, 35.5% of people are obese (Flagel et al. 491). That’s an increase of 22.2%. In the 1970s, Americans spent 6 billion on fast food (Schlosser 3). In the year 2000 alone, Americans spent more than 110 billion (Schlosser 3). Today, there are over 50,000 fast food chains in America according to Google Maps. What is obesity and why is it a problem? Tabors Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary defines obesity as “an unhealthy accumulation of body fat” (Tabors Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 1504). Obesity is clinically manifested (diagnosed) when the body mass index is ≥30 kg/m2 (Lewis et al. 2: 1035). Obesity is a problem because not only does it put more strain on the person during physical activity, but it also leads to decreased lung volumes from the heavy abdominal area placing pressure on the diaphragm (Potter et al. 826). ...
Words: 1931 - Pages: 8
...goals throughout their production to make audiences believe that the events depicted actually happened somewhere at sometime. To do this, nonfiction filmmakers use great amounts of tools to help them shape the aesthetics of these films. These tools are what make films such as Super Size Me, so realistic and believable to audiences all around. Some tools used to create realism in the production of this film were: Omniscient voiceover, on-camera interview, textual information on screen, handheld camera, and by having real individuals make up the characters in the film. These aesthetics are used separately and in conjunction to offer and create truth and meaning behind the actions in the film. Omniscient...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...Bigger isn’t better (3/5) In a world where technology has enabled new level of technology, humans have gotten lazier. In Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Supersize Me, he takes a look at one of the symptoms of the cause: fast food. He does this by embarking on a month-long journey in which he can only eat whatever is on the McDonald’s menu. He sets out quite clearly to discredit and smear the fast food industry and tries to elaborate on the facts everyone knows: fast food is bad for you. However, his documentary does not disgrace the fast food industry the way his film the way he wants it to. He damages his case by presenting the audience with so called ‘Big Mac Enthusiast’ Don Gorske. The man has had his claim to fame by doing nearly exactly what Spurlock tries to do himself; eat McDonalds as a staple of his diet. Conversely, the man is not the stereotypical fat American, he seemingly is quite healthy and does not show the rolls...
Words: 548 - Pages: 3
...The director, producer, screenplay, and star of the film, Morgan Spurlock, effectively uses logos to increase the validity and accuracy of the documentary Super Size Me. At the beginning of the film the narrator works to establish why the film is necessary, naming statistics one after another to establish a strong foundation in which to build the documentary. It is pointed out by Spurlock that America had just become the fattest nation in the world, and that 100 million American are overweight or obese; 60% of all U.S. adults. It is then reinforced that one in four Americans eat fast food each day- approximately 80 million every single day. These facts form a basis that not only intrigues the reader but firmly establishes the film’s statistical...
Words: 367 - Pages: 2
...In the documentary super-size me Morgan Spurlock states "We live in toxic environment where we are almost guaranteed to get sick." One of possible cause of our sickness is in part due to what we consume on a daily basis. Since American society has become accustomed to a lifestyle that effected was the way we eat. Which eventually led to Americans becoming accustomed to eating unhealthy fast food. Corporations saw this growing culture and took advantage of this in order to make a profit. Eventually they began to disregard the consumer's health in order to keep making their money. Since fast food corporations weren't educating people about their products, Spurlock's documentary decided to do so. His documentary "Super-size me" was made to show...
Words: 1778 - Pages: 8
...Trent Rowser Topic Essay Assignment Obesity in American Adults November 6, 2014 According to the American Diabetes Association, almost two-thirds of American adults are obese or over weight. (Marks, 2004) With the most obvious cause being poor eating habits and lack of physical activity, inactive adults in the US eat on average 500-800 calories more than needed. Given this, these Americans will gain a pound to a pound and a half a week. (Marks, 2004) Obesity is becoming a severe matter in America and it needs to be addressed within reason. Should the government be doing more to challenge the problem or is it up to the individual? First, what is obesity? Obesity is defined on Harvard’s School of Public Health by stating that obesity is being overweight and having too much body fat, most commonly measured by the body mass index (BMI). Being overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25 or higher. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher. BMI uses one person’s height and weight to estimate one person’s “fatness”. (Obesity Prevention Source, 2014). What are the effects of obesity? There are many life altering effects that come along with obesity including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, many types of cancer, as well as strokes. Social and emotional effects of obesity, including discrimination, lower wages, lower quality of life and a likely susceptibility to depression are no less effecting as well. (Obesity Prevention Source, 2014) Next, I would like to put obesity...
Words: 822 - Pages: 4
...Morgan Spurlock and the McDonald’s Effect The basic premise of the movie, “Super Size Me,” by Morgan Spurlock, was to determine the effects of eating McDonald’s food for a period of thirty days to determine other adult’s knowledge of the regular consumption of fast-food and the psychological effects (stress and wellness) it has on an individual’s body. Morgan’s Next Thirty Days Before his study began, Morgan enlisted the aid of three medical physicians on his thirty-day journey of eating McDonald’s: a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, and a general practitioner. The following are his overall health readings: Morgan Spurlock’s Overall Health Readings at Beginning of Study Cardiologist Gastroenterologist General Practitioner Blood Pressure 140/95 120/80 103/105...
Words: 1717 - Pages: 7
... The article “Cheap Food Blamed for America’s Obesity Crisis” was especially eye opening to me. In the article discussion regarding the obesity epidemic I openly blamed that poorer income families find it hard to find fresh, affordably healthy fruits and veggies because of where they live. This article actually disputes this argument, it shows three graphs: women’s ethnicity and their mass index, mens ethnicity and their mass index, and the portion of disposable income spent on food. The article shows information and research done by the CA: Cancer Journal for Clinicians that obesity has inclined for everyone regarding race. This has changed my whole perception of how i conduct my research paper by who it mostly affects. I was going to start with lower income families being the victims when in actuality it is everyone that are being affected by this obesity epidemic regardless of race. Lambert, Craig. "The Way We Eat Now." Harvard Magazine. N.p., 01 May 2004. Web. 10 June 2016. This magazine article written by Lambert starts with the experiment done by Morgan Spurlock who ate all his meals for thirty days at Mcdonalds. Spurlock documents his deteriorating day by day with headaches, cholesterol, blood pressure, and his weight gain of 25 pounds within a month. Spurlock’s information was used for his documentary Super Size Me. Out of all the web articles I have read this one gave me the most facts regarding how big our nation has gotten, and society’s health deterioration. This...
Words: 1020 - Pages: 5
...Negative Impacts of Fast Food America is one the countries that have the most oversize population in the world and every day one of four Americans visits fast food restaurants. Fast food is usually packed with fat, sugar and salt which make it so unhealthy. There are many different reasons people go to fast food restaurants rather than eating at home. People eat at fast food restaurant because it is convenient, cheap, tasty and quick. We no longer live in the good old days when women would stay home to cook, clean, and take care of the kids. Women have invaded the work industry by taking over jobs that in the past only men would have, and now share those jobs with men. Nowadays, most of the women are really busy to go for grocery shopping, come back home, unpack the food, and then cook it; so they prefer to go to fast food restaurant like McDonald’s. Many families are choosing fast food restaurants instead of fancy restaurants in this bad economy situation, because fancy restaurants charge much more money than fast food and people would rather eat at those places with family only on special occasions. However parents know that the fast food doesn’t have good nutrition balance for their children. In addition, some people who don’t have families and they live by themselves visit fast food because of their busy schedule. They are too busy to cook. In conservation with one of the poll on mid March, she says that she works full time and she goes to school part time, so she doesn’t...
Words: 2604 - Pages: 11
...Documentary Review Super-Size Me I. Summarize the documentary “Super Size Me”. Give a detailed description of the coverage of the documentary, and state briefly the “take away” message it gives. “Super-Size Me” is a an experiment created by Morgan Spurlock where he sets out an investigation to understand and prove how quickly and harmful fast food could be on a person’s body, health, and wellbeing. The primary concept revolves around eating nothing but McDonald’s food for a period of 30 days for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This meant that any food not on the McDonald’s menu was not allowed to be consumed during this process. As Morgan Spurlock was lying around at home watching the news, he came across a report on two teenage girls whose parents had sued McDonalds, blaming MacDonald’s for their girl’s obesity problem. This news impulses him to pursue an investigation and experience hands on the cause and effect that resulted from eating McDonald’s food. In the documentary, Spurlock begins as a very healthy person. In fact, his health was above average. He weighed about 185lbs and his body fat was less than below average at an (11%). His cholesterol was under 200 which for his height, (6 feet and 2 inches) he was considered a healthy individual. In preparation to begin, Spurlock informs three doctors from three different specialties to embark with him in his journey of 30 days. It consisted of a cardiologist, gastroenterologists, and a general practitioner...
Words: 3662 - Pages: 15
...New McDonald’s chief left with tricky task By Alan Rappeport in New York When Jim Skinner took over as chief executive of McDonald’s almost eight yeas ago, the hamburger chain was in its darkest moment. The company’s chief executive, Jim Cantalupo, died of a heart attack after just 16 months in the job in April 2004. Seven months later his successor, Charlie Bell, resigned after being diagnosed with cancer, leaving the post to Mr Skinner, who was billed the “accidental CEO”. McDonald’s was also hit by negative publicity. The documentary Super Size Me was playing in cinemas, showing the world through film-maker Morgan Spurlock’s diet the dire effects of subsisting on McDonald’s. “Everything was going wrong for McDonald’s,” says Steve West, analyst at ITG Investment Research. “The restaurants were disgusting and the food was horrible. The best thing that happened to McDonald’s was Super Size Me.” McDonald’s announced on Wednesday that Mr Skinner would retire this summer, ending a 41-year career that he began as a trainee restaurant manager in Carpentersville, Illinois. The 67- year-old will be replaced by Don Thompson, who has been chief operating officer since 2010. Mr Skinner, an architect of the company’s “plan to win” strategy that has become a playbook for the fast-food industry, leaves with the reputation as a turnround artist and leaves his successor with the challenging task of maintaining the company’s momentum. Last year, McDonald’s...
Words: 751 - Pages: 4
...https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/zero-budget-filmmakers-checklist/ Watching the World Turn Through a Lens is Exactly What We Need Right Now Focusing solely on moving images (aka video) rather than still photographs (I know, video is just a series of photographs), I will show you that movies, television and online videos are more than just a form of entertainment and an after-work pass-time. DOCUMENTARIES Obviously documentaries are thought to be the most “educational” form of video production. During elementary school we would all get excited when we found out we would be watching a movie in class rather than doing work, but after watching Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (pollution/climate change) and Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size...
Words: 1828 - Pages: 8
...training costs and add to overall costs of McDonald’s. Many employees do not take the job seriously, or only do it for a short period of time and this can lead to lower performance operations of McDonald’s. Besides, high employee turnover can harm McDonald’s ability to retain customer and provide high-quality customer service. Customers might feel more convenient and comfortable talking to the same employees and customer service representative over time. Negative Publicity Negative publicity is the adverse publicity that McDonald’s face due to particular reason, which may lead to potentially disastrous consequences. Documentaries such as 2004’s documentary “Super Size Me”, documented Morgan Spurlock’s rapidly deteriorating health as he ate only McDonald’s for a 30-day period, every item on the chain’s menu at least once. Morgan Spurlock gained 11.1 kilograms, a 13% body mass increase and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver. As a result, many health conscious consumers do not even consider having a meal at McDonald’s. Negative publicity has tarnished the reputation of McDonald’s among its customers. Needless to say, it...
Words: 676 - Pages: 3
...reader, the director and the viewer, the composer and the listener. It draws a path between them, the path that makes us visualize the pleasure we get, or the path that gives us ideas about what to expect. And even going deeper, there are sub-genres, super-genres, and indeed what is technique, style, mode, formula or thematic grouping to one may be treated as a genre by another (Bordwell 147). We make decisions based on genre, whether we realize it every time we make these decisions or not. I believe in some cases, we are made to believe in a certain way based on our past experiences. For example, listening to a classical music in the evening while it’s raining outside, or reading a novel on a Sunday morning; watching a black-and-white movie and assume it is likely to be a romantic movie, or it is likely to be an action movie if Jason Statham is the main character. We naturally connect the collected ideas and past experiences with the knowledge we accumulate throughout our lives, and then we put them together with the visual or verbal data presented; and that makes us come to a conclusion, a personal decision and personal ideas: Would this interest me? How serious could I take this? Does this look like a credible information to me? Not...
Words: 1157 - Pages: 5
