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Author Topic: Super Size Me (2004) William Valdes Film Handler Posts: 37 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Sep 2004 posted 08-16-2005 02:46 AM                     Some of you in this forum don't seem to grasp the whole point of this documentary. The message is that we are all responsible for the choices we make, we should eat a proper diet and exercise regualarly. At the same time, corporate GIANTS like McDonalds should serve their patrons better by offering more healthier choices. Corporate fast-food giants like McDonalds will be around forever because no matter what happens, people will always buy their food. It's up to McDonalds to offer some more choices that will give their "Billions Served" a fighting chance of leading a healthier lifestyle with their food. When you are feeding "billions" I'd say you have a moral obligation to give a damn about the health of your patrons rather than dismissing themselves as a business thats just trying to make as much money as possible.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-16-2005 08:33 AM                        I agree that any food service establishment has a moral obligation to not sell food which is known to be truly unsafe. If, for example, it were found that McDonalds' french fries caused cancer when eaten in typical quantities, then I'd agree completely that the company should immediately pull them off the market and reforumlate them as a safe product. I don't agree, however, that the company has any obligation (moral, legal, or otherwise) to serve "healthful" food. They're not a health-food store, nor do they claim to be. No one from McDonalds is claiming that eating their food in large quantities will help people to lose weight or improve one's general health. A single, occasional (say, once per month) meal at McDonalds will not cause substantial health issues for anyone who is in good health. The company is selling "convenience," not "health" or "wholesomeness." Their menu choices reflect this. It would be one thing if McDonalds (et al.) tried to claim that their food had some health benefits or if they tried to hide the fact that much of what they sell is high in saturated fat and has other "bad" attributes. They aren't doing this, however, and anyone with a brain ought to be able to figure out that a full-time diet of McDonalds food is simply not smart. People need to take some personal responsibility for what they put into their bodies and not blame others for providing food choices which may not be appropriate for them. As for the film, I think I'm going to have to agree to disagree with the other posters here. Yes, it has some entertainment value and, yes, it may have some value if it encourages people to reconsider their diet and excercise choices, but there really isn't much scientific basis for most of the claims that Spurlock makes, and the whole thing just seems like an unfair indictment of a single company for providing food which is, for the most part, not very healthy if eaten in large quantities.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-16-2005 05:53 PM                     quote: William Valdes corporate GIANTS like McDonalds should serve their patrons better by offering more healthier choices Wrong! Corporations cannot by themselves cause this level of social change. Corporations by their very mandate, must increase stock holders profit. If people want popcorn when they go to the movies, theatres must serve popcorn. Does the funnel cake guy at the state fair need to make his product healthier? Nope. Does Krispy Kream need to offer a whole wheat doughnut? Not if nobody wants to buy it. I'll bet that no matter how much "healthy food" McDonalds introduces and promotes, people still want to eat a Big Mac, Large Fries and a big ass Coke. You want something healthier, Subway is right down the block, Safeway has a salad bar. Oh, pack a lunch. Education is the only way to make people eat healthier. I like fast food. I grew to weight 300 lbs. I went to Weight Watcher's and learned how to eat healthier. Now I eat fast food about once every two months. Now I weigh 220 lbs.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-16-2005 09:47 PM                     I certainly agree that a big part of the equation is personal responsibility for one's own diet. However, I also believe our culture sends a not so subtle message that people who try to eat healthy are pansies.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-16-2005 09:57 PM                        quote: Bobby Henderson our culture sends a not so subtle message that people who try to eat healthy are pansies Well, anyone who would avoid eating healthy food out of fear of being called a pansy IS a pansy! Really, for someone to blame McDonalds for their obesity is just absurd. Who's in control of your life? You, or McDonalds? I haven't seen the movie because, honestly, I already know that I would be a fool to eat 3 meals a day at McDonalds. I don't need this movie to tell me that. I guess some people do though. Nevertheless, I enjoy the occasional Big Mac as much as anyone.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-16-2005 10:52 PM                     quote: Well, anyone who would avoid eating healthy food out of fear of being called a pansy IS a pansy! I agree. Nevertheless, the message is still being projected. I had to change my diet for health reasons -namely high cholesterol from a typical bachelor's diet that got boosted to very scary levels from steroids to treat chronic bronchitis. Still, some of my coworkers (especially the more blue collar types) jokingly gave me a bunch of crap when I started drinking sugar free sodas and bringing salads for lunch. One guy bites into his Big Mac® and asks, "how's that rabbit food, Bobby?" I flipped the middle finger in response. Now my cholesterol is at a much better level. And most of my coworkers are doing the diet soda thing as well.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-17-2005 06:18 AM                     David, see the movie...I think you'll get more out of it than you think...the 3-meals a day experiment is taking things to the extreme but the other stuff is quite interesting too. Anyone that thinks this movie is about how it is McDonalds fault (the nation has become much more large) has clearly seen a different movie than I have (twice now). About the only thing that it points the finger at McDonalds is the rather poor record of making its nutrition facts available at the individual stores so the consumer has the ability to know what their intake would be on each item and their public relations person that doesn't return calls.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-18-2005 10:11 PM                     quote: Lyle Romer If you exercise regularly and then suddenly stop exercising AT ALL there are bound to be changes to your metabolism. Lyle, I don't remember them saying that he stopped exercising.... If he did it had to be because he didn't feel good or have much energy level, and on that kind of diet I could easily believe that. Mark  |  IP: Logged William Valdes Film Handler Posts: 37 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Sep 2004 posted 08-19-2005 02:14 AM                     Hey look guys, I'm not trying to say every restaurant HAS to care about the health of their patrons. Every corporation ultimately has stock holders and blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda, but all I'm saying is McDonalds is huge. HUGE!!! And they're not just huge, they're very powerful. Theyre not little funnel cake salesmen. Theyre a worldwide brand. Would it really kill em' to offer some more choices that won't turn us all into fat tubs of lard? Does McDonalds food kill people? Not necessarily. But suppose it did, and people knew about it. Would people still eat there? Some wouldn't, A LOT still would. Ronald McDonald could dance in a commercial with armed terrorists and that still wouldn't stop them from making a big ass profit. I personally became addicted to soda at a young age and it made me gain a lot of weight. I don't blame anyone for it. I managed to lose weight and kick my habits by first switching to Diet coke. A lot of people buy diet cola and can't eat sugar-filled foods because they're diabetic. If Coca Cola can offer us healthier choices of their product and be successful why can't McDonalds? If they actually put some effort into adding healthy new alternatives, I'm sure they could sell enough to justify its existence. Even if stock prices don't shoot up after adding them, in the long run, i'm sure it would pay off. A company that cares about its consumers is just good business all around.  |  IP: Logged Lyle Romer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1400 From: Davie, FL, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 08-19-2005 05:28 AM                     quote: Mark Gulbrandsen I don't remember them saying that he stopped exercising Mark, He absolutely did. It was part of the "experiment." It was towards the beginning of the movie. He even went so far as to start taking cabs everywhere so he wouldn't walk more than the average American. -Lyle  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-19-2005 05:44 AM                     Lyle is correct on that one...he did curb his activity to simulate the average American rather than use his own personal habits that lead him up to the experiment. As I've stated before, that I don't think was proper for this experiment. The only thing he should have changed was his food...from what ever lead to his "normal" fitness to how McDonalds changed it. As to McDonalds responsibility to provide healthier choices because of their size....two things. 1st and most important...what does that have to do with a review of the film? That is a personal position that belongs in Yak or something. 2nd McDonalds has no obligation to provide any food that they don't feel will provide the best profit. Again, if people only wanted to eat health-food, I guarantee you that they would provide it in abundance. As to your other comment about what people would and wouldn't do...McDonalds has changed their menu a bit partly due to the movie (eliminating the "Super Size") and offering more options in the health department...which they wouldn't do if it wasn't in their best interest on the bottom line. You think that if McDonalds looked like a terroist supporter that their business wouldn't go into the tank? Guess again.  |  IP: Logged William Valdes Film Handler Posts: 37 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Sep 2004 posted 08-19-2005 03:51 PM                     I'm just stating my opinion on the point that this film was trying to make. It's pointless for me to keep on arguing about it. Clearly, everyone has their own opinions on this and is entitled to them. If anyone thought my posts were disruptive or deviated from the subject matter, I apologize. All opinions on McDonalds aside, I thought this was a well done documentary. It kept to the facts and kept me entertained at the same time. I think we're starting to see a trend of documentaries that are actually fun to watch. I'd take another documentary like this than another lame remake any day.  |  IP: Logged

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