In an effort to prove that the fast food industry is responsible for the growing obesity rate in the United States, independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock followed a 30-day diet modification program that consisted only consuming only food from the McDonalds menu.
He wanted to show the world exactly how the fast food industry achieves its main interest of financial gain by continuing to promote unhealthy eating habits. The 2004 Academy Award nominated movie, Super Size Me, concentrated on the current global health and weight epidemic and proved to many that the fast food industry is working hand in hand with obesity to create a bigger world.
Fast Food and Obesity Provide Ground Rules for Documentary Style Film
Spurlock consumed 5000 each day whilst on the 30 day McDonald’s diet plan and during this time he had to eat three meals daily and every item of the menu had to be indulged in at least once during the duration of the plan. The day before the diet commenced Spurlock weighed in at 185 pounds. He was a six feet two inches tall healthy thirty two year old with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 23.2. By the end of the plan he had put on 24.5 pounds and his BMI had reached 27.
Bearing in mind a healthy BMI for someone of Spurlock’s age, height and weight should fall between 19 and 25, it was clear to see that he had gone from the healthy to overweight bracket in a relatively short period of time when following the McDonald’s eating plan. This proved to many people that his claim of the relationship between fast food and obesity was duly substantiated. In fact, during the first five days alone of following the fast food diet he gained nearly ten pounds in weight.
Results of Fast Food And Obesity Experiment
The movie created by Spurlock made a huge impression on the United States and other nations who to this date had supported the McDonald’s fast food industry and although the company denied the movie to be the reason, McDonald’s quickly phased out the supersize option on their menu and added salads as a healthy option for their customers to take.
Many of the healthy eating options consist of fried chicken and the salad dressings to go with them are simply full of fat. As a result, these choices actually contain more calories and grams of fat than the traditional McDonald’s burger and fries. Nonetheless, McDonalds have never actually admitted that fast food and obesity are closely related; just as they have never agreed that their menu items are a direct recipe to obesity.
While McDonalds does provide a fast food fat-filled meal for its customers, they do provide healthy alternatives. However, you cannot force a customer to eat healthy just because the option exists. The McDonalds menu can be modified by personal ordering preferences to be lower in fat; most customers do not make these modifications.
This fact would suggest that training the customer about what they eat should take preference over pointing a finger at big business. Whilst McDonald’s ignores health guidelines and continues to sell the products that made them famous in the first place, Subway has gone all out to promote their healthy options and practices. The responsibility to make the right choice now clearly lies with the consumer.
