Super Size Me!

[Cordy]

I recently watched the film “Super Size Me”. I know there have been other threads on this topic, but I am just curious if you have watched it, and if you have, has it in any way affected your eating habits?

Edit: Whoops, I meant to post this in the women's forum, but I guess food choice is actually quite an important part of marriage, so I am glad I made the mistake.

 

[Andry]

It would seem absurd to me, for people in my generation (note my age), who pretty much grew up with MacDonalds since its inception, to actually be surprised at the effects of eating nothing but fast food.

I do remember in my family though that eating at MacDonalds was a 'treat' not to be consumed on a daily basis. So when we were kids, we ate there probably a couple of times a month. It would be safe to say that more people today eat at fast food restaurants (and unfortunately their kids too) as part of their regular diet than say 25 years ago.

 

[Oblivious]

I haven't seen it and don't see the point to spending the $$$ to rent it to find out something I already know.

 

[Cordy]

Do you already know the affects? I am not trying to sounds offensive, but I am wondering how you know the results if you have not yet scene the film. The three doctors in the film with years in practice and almost a decade of schooling where shocked by the results.

I agree, if you want to go to fast food restaurants, it should be sparingly, but how sparingly is sparingly? Most dieticians say it should be NEVER - not the few times a month is Ok, that I and many other people thought.

Another interesting thing about the film is that it is much more than simply about MacDonalds, it is about the American diet in general. In the group we watched the film with, several people didn’t think they ate “fast food” daily, but that their meals where rather healthy. By the end of the film, they expressed that they had be previously misinformed. I don’t know, I have read a few recipe threads etc. on the forum, and the food that several people claim to consume daily can be just as bad as McDonald’s food. I just think that we, myself included, actually often know less than we think we do in this area.

My husband and I try to eat a rather healthy diet, but the film has still alerted us to things we can work on.

 

[Jenna]

I watched the movie with my sister. When Michael came home and saw us watching it, he just rolled his eyes and walked on by. I thought that it was a good movie, though I think that it would have been more accurate to have it done by a guy who wasn't originally a vegan. Really, you're probably going to be sick if you never eat animal products, and then eat tons of fast food. Still, I really liked all of the other informative information in the movie.

Did it change any of our eating habits? No. *shakes head* I still eat crud one minute and beautiful green veggies the next. Michael continues to eat as though he isn't aware that heart problems are the number one cause of death in his family. *shrugs* I guess that sometimes we can just be stupid, even when knowing how bad something is for us.

 

[Oblivious]

Do you already know the affects? I am not trying to sounds offensive, but I am wondering how you know the results if you have not yet scene the film. The three doctors in the film with years in practice and almost a decade of schooling where shocked by the results.

My point was I already know that McDonalds is not a healthy food choice. That's all I need to know. I don't need specifics.

 

[fluffy_rainbow]

I have not seen the video; however, I have long-since been an advocate of trying to abstain from eating fast food as often as possible. Not only is there a high risk of obesity and heart disease, but also potentially fatal food poisoning. Since I'm a vegetarian I don't dine out often anyway.

 

[Andy Broadley]

I must admit, he's done well for himself this McDonald guy. I remember when he just had a farm

 

[Oblivious]

I must admit, he's done well for himself this McDonald guy. I remember when he just had a farm

Well, he finally got smart and found a use for all those cows. The rest is "McHistory".

 

[Cordy]

I thought that it was a good movie, though I think that it would have been more accurate to have it done by a guy who wasn't originally a vegan. Really, you're probably going to be sick if you never eat animal products, and then eat tons of fast food.

Hey Jenna,
According to the film, Morgan, the guy who ate McDonald's for a week, was not a vegan - his girlfriend was. There is actually a scene where she is trying to convince him to give up meat (after the McDonalds bit), and he refused because he said he enjoys eating it too much. He did take on a vegan diet for a very short period after the McDonald's diet, simply to detox his system (I think it was 3 weeks or something), but he returned to the meat eating diet right after that.

 

[SkyeBlue8]

Not all choices at fast food places are bad, look at Wendy's, the chile, some potatoes, and side salads are quite healthy. A jr. hamburger is fine as well. Obviously a triple w/bacon and cheese should be eaten very rarely...
But Burger King has also adopted these same healthier options to please the health-consious. As far as McDonald's is concerned, I know that the yogurt parfait is probably the healthiest thing on the menu.
When I hear the name McDonald's I think "nasty and fat!" It's just not the best choice out there...

 

[Cordy]

See that’s the thing. We often think that we are fine, because we eat “healthy” choices, but I think we are often misinformed. The film says that the fat and sugar etc. on the salad makes it just as bad as a big mac. The parfait has the equivalent calories as a hot fudge Sunday (if I remember correctly). It is those kinds of things my husband and I are trying to be more conscious of. Just because something looks healthy doesn’t mean it is. In actuality is can be worse for us.

I just thought someone else out there might have watched the film and just thought carefully about taking care of ourselves and our spouses.

 

[SkyeBlue8]

Looking at calorie counts from books it's pretty much official that chilli and the side salad at wendy's is a good choice (w/lite dressing of course). I have one of those calorie counters for fast food.
Also I didn't say all salads are good...those fancy salads they have ARE worse than the burgers.
And the parfait is far better than anything at McDonald's I'd say..low fat yogurt with fruit, calcium and protein, and some granola on top. Nothing bad there! Unless your on that silly Atkins diet. If sugar made people fat I woulda been obese a long time ago! =p
Going strictly by calories and fat those foods are def the best.

 

[newestwed]

I didn't think the movie was very good. At the end, doctors saw that his colesteral was starting to turn around. I would have liked it to have been explored more. One of the doctors early in the movie had suggested that your body could adjust to a high fat diet. I am not saying that fast food is good. I agree with what has been said, why watch a movie about something we already know.

I also don't think the movie fully explored all the factors that have lead to the obesity problem. My fiance and I agree that in part the reason why people are turning to fast food is the break down of the family. With more and more children growing up in households with one parent, parents are turning to fast food because they are short on time. I know that parents would like to have healty fast alternatives that are inexpensive. I think that the movie would have been much better if it had addressed the family issues.

 

[desi]

Good movie. My family liked it alot.