SupersizeMe - Counterdocumentary

[sadie147]

Though I did enjoy supersize me, I do think this guy was out to get mcD's (unfairly).

We all want someone to blame. As Bowulf said, there are good choices at McDonalds.

I think he could have jsut as easily picked from hundreds of items at the grocery store full of trans fats etc and eaten them daily to the extreme and had the same effect if you ask me. Trans fats, food processing, bad choices, etc are the issue here..not the McDonalds corporation.

Everything in moderation. We make our own food choices.

My 2 cents.

[ttdriver]

All I know is, when I ate junk food I weighed more and felt sick.

Watching Supersize Me clinched my decision to avoid junk food at all costs from here on out. In my opinion, fast food is pseudo food and not healthy as a regular part of my diet. Perhaps some can eat it and still lose, but to me, it has lost its appeal for good.

I also read the book Fast Food Nation which was yet another wake up call. I haven't darkened the door of fast food since.

Betty

[SecSandleford]

I've been hearing abuot supersize me forever and it seems like everyone else has seen it. Where are you guys seeing this ducumentary, and how can i see it too????? I really want to watch it!
-Sec

[not2late]

It may have been over the top, but I think that was his point. A lot of people in this country are getting out of control with their eating habits, and they're NOT trying to prove a point. I work with a woman who buys her kid McDonalds almost every single day. This is not healthy, no matter whose documentary you watch. Without the hard slap in the face that Spurlock delivers, no one is going to get the message.

We've been reading for years that you need to eat right & exercise, but until we experience our own personal ah-ha moment, that message never sinks in.

But why do we need a hard slap in the face to realize that milkshakes, greasy fries, hamburgers containing who-knows-what, etc. aren't "healthy" choices in comparison to whole natural foods without added sugars and over-refinement?

Seriously, I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence, but come on....we should have enough common sense to realize that an apple is healthier than a chocolate chip cookie...

[divaindubai]

I watched Supersize me about two weeks ago. I think it is a really good documentary, even if it was made by a common lay man, it is still an eye opener. Too often in today's society, people are too busy to know what they are eating, and it is just easy to stop through a drive through and pick up a happy meal or supersized meal...

I think we as a so called modern world need to take a look at ourselves, and our families and get out of the rat races that we are in, and take better care of ourselves and our families. We need to get out and exercise more, whether its going for walks as families or playing in the parks. We need to spend more time preparing our meals so that they are healthy for everyone in our families.

Our societies are becoming more overweight and obese, and we ask ourselves why?

[Effie]

But why do we need a hard slap in the face to realize that milkshakes, greasy fries, hamburgers containing who-knows-what, etc. aren't "healthy" choices in comparison to whole natural foods without added sugars and over-refinement?

Seriously, I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence, but come on....we should have enough common sense to realize that an apple is healthier than a chocolate chip cookie...

I agree! I guess I was writing my original quote with a little bit of resentment toward today's society. I wrote in the journals section a while ago about a woman at work who was criticizing the near perfectly balanced lunch of a co-worker. The luncher had a hard boiled egg, whole grain rice cakes, organic yogurt, and half a grapefruit. The woman was criticizing her for "eating like an anorexic" and said that she should have more fried chicken (not in the Atkins kind of way, in the fried chicken & french fries kind of way).

You might think that it's outrageous that people don't have common sense when it comes to eating, but sadly, it's true. Another example of this is everytime I buy produce at the grocery store, the clerk has to ask me what it is so they can look up the code. The last time, I was asked if my green onions were asparagus. I also ran into a teenaged customer in the produce section who was getting lettuce for his mother. He had to ask, "What does lettuce look like?" as he was picking up and manhandling the broccoli, cauliflower, and fresh spinach.

[Yoly1001]

I'm getting into this kind of late, but one thing that really bothers me about McD's is the way that they target children. I hadn't noticed that aspect until I saw the documentary. Just for that alone I loved it. I have vivid memories of playing at McD's when I was a kid, and I had started taking my little girl there too, but after seeing that I made the decision that I wouldn't take her after all. Now we eat at home every day and even though it is much more difficult I cook well balanced meals for my family and myself. We used to eat McDonald's at least 3 times a week and believe me buying groceries is actually cheaper then going through the drive through.

And come on, can anyone really say that they prefer grade D meat.

[divaindubai]

That's true Yoly about the way they target children. All their advertisements are ridiculous, they have slogans like "We bring a smile to your face" or something like that. Sure people can say that my view to McD's is a bit "politically correct" or taking it too far out of proportion. The reality is that these companies exploit in the masses, even their approaches are a danger to the environment. Take Burger King for instance, and you will find out that they are responsible for slashing rain forests in Central/South America to raise cattle for consumption. It is in their best interest to make us all eat there at least once in our lives and to keep coming back. I know when i was back in Canada, I used to eat at McDonalds once a week minimum with the kids, because of working so much and "Oh we'll just stop by McDonalds to grab something for dinner" on the way home from shopping for Milk at the 7-Eleven.

There is something wrong here with our societies. Too much mass consuption of refined foods, sugars, etc etc, carbs in general. There is a problem with obesity in the west and other areas of the world. Even the doctors quote this so often, about how obese and overweight our societies have become.

I think the reason that the kid named Jared lost weight just eating Subway, is that the foods in Subway are not as harmful as in McDonalds. You can order a salad with meat if you like and its up to you if you want to put the sauces and toppings of mayo, etc on or not. I dont think they have the chance to add too much illegal foods on Atkins, to their foods...

Just my two cents worth! ensive

[not2late]

I see your points, but I'll never understand why eating natural, minimally processed foods is "eating like an anorexic". I was a vegetarian for about 7 or 8 years, and in that time, I ate minimally processed foods---unlike other vegetarians I knew who ate potato chips, fries, chocolate, and other "non-meat". My problem was that (obviously) eating high amounts of healthy carbs wasn't good for my body.

As for McDonalds, when I was a kid there was plenty of advertizing aimed at us. How many remember the Hamburgular, Grimace, the two police officers (their heads were Big Macs), Captain Hook and the rest of the population in Ronald McDonald land? Regardless, my parents would treat my sisters and me to fast food maybe once or twice a year. And back then, McDonalds didn't offer salads, bottled water or anything like that. IT was burgers, fries, milkshakes, sodas, and those fried apple pies.

Granted I know it's "convenient", I know people hate cooking or don't know how to cook, but it still boggles my mind that people are willing to sacrifice their health for "convenience".

[bnzstar]

I know this topic has gotten rather old, but the reason Spurlock chose McDonalds was not because he was out to get them...it's because of the iconic nature of the restaurant and how much of a common denominator it is among Americans. Getting them may have been secondary.

Actually,the thinnest I have been in my life was when I was eating nothing bust fast food in my teen years and early to mid 20's. I'm just lucky. My mom couldn't believe how low my cholesterol was...she specifically made me get it checked because she was convinced it had to be over the top or that my blood pressure would be high. Neither was the case....not even close.

I only gained weight when my life got more settled, my job more sedentary..the hours longer when I turned 30 and then no more than 12 pounds or so and considering I was 15 pound underweight before.... But that's not the point....what bugs me and what I was thinking about LOOOONG BEFORE "Supersize Me "came out was how IMPOSSIBLE it seems to get SMALL anything anymore.

Anything from most restaurants comes in unhealthy and unreasonable portions...yes I know the average American wants the MOST FOR THEIR MONEY... but frankly, I like having the choice not purchase more food than I need.

When I do have the occasional fast food indulgence, I only get the kids meal because its the ONLY way to get somewhat reasonable portions for an adult if you want a burger and fries without 2000 calories in one sitting....AND then the sales people try everything in their power to get you to buy the LARGEST COKE...THE BIGGEST THING OF FRIES...OR THE BIGGEST BURGER because you'll save a dime...and most people are okay with that. I AM NOT.

Theny there's the two fer deals that encourage you to buy two of something unhealthy for much cheaper than buying one. THAT's what I consider the real conspiracy. That and marketing to children....but that's a whole other post...

But again, I must be in the minority on this because the portions just get bigger and bigger and the buffet restaurants are always packed. I never eat buffet because I cannot possibly eat enough food to justify going, nor would I want to.

Anyone here ever been to a restaurant that charges you for splitting a meal that could feed five people???? In many larger cities at better dining that's the case. THAT TICKS ME OFF FAR MORE THAN MORGAN SPURLOCK.

And he stole that minimum wage thing from a best selling book.

[not2late]

But again, I must be in the minority on this because the portions just get bigger and bigger and the buffet restaurants are always packed. I never eat buffet because I cannot possibly eat enough food to justify going, nor would I want to.

Anyone here ever been to a restaurant that charges you for splitting a meal that could feed five people???? In many larger cities at better dining that's the case. THAT TICKS ME OFF FAR MORE THAN MORGAN SPURLOCK.

Nope, you're not the only one who has noticed the increasing portion sizes. At a couple of moderately priced restaurants I go to once or twice a year, the "green salad" is a 6-7 cup mound of lettuce. That's why partly the reason why my friends and I each get a different cold appetizer, and we all have a "taste" of what the other person has. So that 6 cup mound of salad gets "tasted" by 4 or 5 people at our table.

Regarding entree sizes...I'm a shameless doggy bagger. I figure, I've paid for it so I might as well bring it home and have it for lunch or dinner the next day. A few weeks ago, I was at a local seafood place and ordered the grilled salmon. I'm thinking it's a 4 ounce piece of salmon maximum. Nope this thing was about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide. Needless to say, I had a third of that salmon that night, a third of it for lunch the next day and a third of it for dinner. But I think the largest serving size I was ever served was at K-Paul's in New Orleans. I ordered the roast duck. Silly me, I thought it was going to be a few slices of the duck breast and a few slices of the thigh. Nope. It was half a 4 pound duck. I mean, the duck was even hanging off the sides of the plate.

I'm not sure if you've noticed this too, but the sizes of dinnerware has increased slightly too. My mom gave me a set of her "everyday" china from the mid-1950s to early 1960s. The coffee cups hold 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup comfortably, the soup bowls hold a little less than 3/4 cup comfortably, the salad plates and dinner plates are about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch smaller in diameter than my contemporary dinner and salad plates. For an experiment I plated the same amount of food on the older dinner plate and on a newer plate. That tiny 1/4 to 1/2 inch difference between the plates was huge in how full or sparse the food appeared on the plates.
And I also have a set of juice glasses from my auntie. The glass holds about 4 ounces if it's filled to the brim.

[Momtofour]

secsandleford--- You can ren the movie at your local movie rental place. I rented it at a Hollywood Video.

[bnzstar]

Not2late:

YES!!! I have noticed the plate and cup size thing. I have cereal bowls passed on to me from my mom when she got married they are normal bowl size (from the 70's)...the ones I just bought in a contemperorary set look like the smallest size mixing bowl that comes with mixers. It's easily three servings of cereal or whatever in that one bowl if you even only filled it half way.

I was in NYC last summer at this fabulous Brazilian place...my girlfriend ordered a bowl of Paella that could have fed a family of four easily, but that restaurant charges 8 dollars if you request a plate to share the dish!!
So I had to reach across the table to share with her. I was not paying 8 bucks for a plate! Same with dessert, make sure you keep your spoon when the waiter clears the table, because requesting a second spoon or
saucer to share will also run you 8 -10 dollars at some places.

Portion sizes was something I really started paying attention to in the last few years...not realizing that buying a mini bag of chips is actually 3 servings of chips....or how many pieces of this or that actually counts as one serving.

I eat out a lot because I'm not big on leftovers and I'm single...but I usually end up taking stuff home because I was taught not to waste food or have "eyes bigger than my stomach".

[not2late]

Not2late:

YES!!! I have noticed the plate and cup size thing. I have cereal bowls passed on to me from my mom when she got married they are normal bowl size (from the 70's)...the ones I just bought in a contemperorary set look like the smallest size mixing bowl that comes with mixers. It's easily three servings of cereal or whatever in that one bowl if you even only filled it half way.

Whew! I thought I was the only one who noticed the increasing size of plates and cups! But it's scary to think that such a little difference, inchwise, makes a HUGE difference visually.

This is follows the visual effects on appetite, but I once had a dinner party and served Cornish game hens to my guests. They were pretty small cute hens, so I didn't bother splitting them and served them whole. Well, I had 2 guests who were so affected visually by the sight of a whole bird (a 4 inch by 2 1/2 inch bird) on their plates that they only could eat 1 of the legs and half of the breast before declaring they were full and couldn't eat another bite!!!! Now these are two men who I've each seen gobble up 1/2 side of ribs, a pint each of coleslaw and potato salad AND still have room for dessert. But one leg from a little Cornish game hen on their plates filled them up. Mind over matter is real.

I was in NYC last summer at this fabulous Brazilian place...my girlfriend ordered a bowl of Paella that could have fed a family of four easily, but that restaurant charges 8 dollars if you request a plate to share the dish!!
So I had to reach across the table to share with her. I was not paying 8 bucks for a plate! Same with dessert, make sure you keep your spoon when the waiter clears the table, because requesting a second spoon or
saucer to share will also run you 8 -10 dollars at some places.

Yeah, some restaurant practices are outrageous.

Portion sizes was something I really started paying attention to in the last few years...not realizing that buying a mini bag of chips is actually 3 servings of chips....or how many pieces of this or that actually counts as one serving.

I'll have to find my issue of Consumer Reports because they had a tiny article about the differences between "mini", "snack" and "medium" sized packages of some snack foods. It's a big scam, imo.

I eat out a lot because I'm not big on leftovers and I'm single...but I usually end up taking stuff home because I was taught not to waste food or have "eyes bigger than my stomach".

I hear ya on that! I have a closet full of those plastic containers restaurants shove your leftovers into. Some restaurants like Ruth's Chris', will give you a bag to carry your leftovers in so I have restaurant baggies in my closet.

I've gotten into the habit of only eating half of the serving on my plate. For example, if I order a steak, I immediately slice it in half (or slice off a third if it's really big), and just eat that portion. Salads are tricky because they get soggy, so I usually share my salad with my dinner-mate.

[CarbCop35]

Do you work for McDonalds or something?

Yeah I'll have the McSalmon please.
There is way more healthy food out there than what's on the McD menu.

Nope, I am just sick of the glorification of so-called experts with mock science.

Enjoy the show -- living at minimum wage is tough and might require two jobs, who knew?

Amen brother!