The documentary Super Size Me, released in 2004, has been a major talking point among those discussing the effects of fast food on human health. In it, film-maker Morgan Spurlock embarks on a 30 day journey of eating nothing but fast food from a range of major corporations. The film was seen by many as an expose of the industry, but for comedian and former health writer Tom Naughton it represented something different – an opportunity to prove that healthy weight loss is possible even with a diet consisting primarily of burgers and fries.
In order to make his point, Naughton himself set out to prove that he could lose weight eating only fast food, while also providing interviews with doctors, nutritionists and others to reinforce his thesis – that much of what we believe about healthy eating is wrong. Naughton challenged Spurlock’s argument that obesity is caused by home cooking or non-corporate restaurants since they have been around longer than corporate fast food chains. He argued that people still ate unhealthy food at these restaurants, but in smaller doses than what can be found at fast food chains. His generation only ate at non-corporate establishments on special occasions where the amount of unhealthy meals would be far less than when frequenting fast food locations every day.
Naughton’s story provides an interesting insight into how our current understanding of healthy eating may not be entirely accurate and how our dietary habits affect our health. If you’re looking for an entertaining yet educational look at the world of fast food then Super Size Me is definitely worth checking out. With its combination of humourous anecdotes along with well researched facts and opinions from medical professionals this documentary provides a fascinating look into one man’s journey as he attempts to disprove a popular opinion about dieting.
