Super Size Me (DVD, 2004)

In today’s fast-paced world, fast food has gone from being an occasional dining option to a staple in the diets of the majority.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that obesity has become a nationwide epidemic, second only to tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in America.
In the midst of putting on all the extra pounds, America’s self-responsibility has been abandoned in favor of the more fashionable (and much easier) act of putting the blame on someone else.
The peak of this insanity occurred in 2002, when two obese teenagers sued McDonald’s, claiming they were responsible for their atrocious physical state.
Despite common knowledge that fast food shouldn’t be part of a regular diet, it would seem there were still some who weren’t aware of this and thought Big Macs and super-sized fries were the cornerstone of any nutritional regimen.
Morgan Spurlock uses the pair of lawsuits as the basis for his groundbreaking documentary, "Super-Size Me," in which he sets out on a 30-day, all-McDonald’s diet, with the intentions of discovering the extent of damage it can cause.
Although one wouldn’t figure an all-McDonald’s diet would entail too many boundaries, Spurlock does incorporate a handful of rules.
These rules include having to eat three meals a day at McDonald’s during the 30-day timeframe (the suggested amount one should consume in eight years), only eating items from their menu, only super-sizing the meal when asked, and getting no exercise (since the average fast food patron gets none).
By the end of the month-long experiment, he’s not only put on 25 pounds, but battled headaches, depression, chest pains and the much-dreaded loss of sex drive, to boot.
One of the aforementioned doctors informs him that he’s done damage to his liver in the same sense an alcoholic damages theirs with booze.
Spurlock wisely avoids making his experiment the sole attraction of the documentary by also taking a look at other issues that tie in with it like nutrition, addiction and obesity.
These portions drop factual tidbits that will not only inform the audience, but surprise them, as well (a bagel contains a whopping five servings of bread, for instance).
A trip to several public schools across America also serves as an eye-opener for how out of control student diet has become, thanks greatly to the emergence of junk food.
"Super-Size Me" may benefit from being informative, but its entertainment value is just as strong.
Spurlock’s natural charm and sense of humor will have you learning and laughing simultaneously.
The documentary also makes the wise decision of not being entirely anti-fast food.
While it informs you of the dangers of fast food, it also stresses the importance of self-responsibility.
The DVD presents the documentary in its original aspect ratio and features a decent audio commentary, in addition to several deleted scenes and interviews.
As nice as the bonus material is, the meat of this offering (no pun intended) is the documentary itself and definitely worth the purchase.
After watching it, you suddenly won’t feel so bad about the three fast food meals you sacrificed in order to pay for it.