Super Size Me by Morgan Superlock - Essay Example

Research into the Documentary Super Size Me by Morgan Superlocks Yumm'I'm lovin it'.Eha minute! I am not loving Justin Timberlake's epithet for theFrench fries, Humberger, McNuggets and junkie foods of the Big Mac but the deep insight into their effects entailing upon our health well hinted upon by Morgan Superlocks in his trend setter movie Super Size Me. Superlocks stops and stares at how we've grown a super size in the past few decades. For good or bad He shows the Berger Giant McDonald's 'bible' has been a creep on our stomach not for any good result, but sucking: almost through since 1970s. Fast foods and French fries, as the names signify, are easy to prepare in no time: 'a quarter-pounder is cooked in exactly 107 seconds' (Beynon, 1992:180). Given the engagement of today's common man and the life-style being heavily fashionable after the media hype, these menus have gained wide acceptance among the people of all sections over the traditionally more nutritious ones in the US, UK and the whole world alike. Researches into obesity in America and other countries, the samples were largely taken from mostly those countries where the McDonald's craze is well a daily life presence, have shown that the menu is extra-ordinarily rich in fats and cholesterols if they are taken in huge quantity or continuously for a long time. The obsession to the diet has ballooned us into a super size volume like a hybrid tomato, which gets rotten so soon and is on the verge to go flat at the slight pressure. McDonald's foods are rich in taste with refined floor, processed sugar, sodium overload, and saturated fats however their heavy intake has lethal effect. Morgan delineates the life-style addicted to the fast foods in his 98-minute documentary is really a poignant achievement. The stunning fact is presented in a most entertaining and hilarious way delivering at the same time "loads of facts, food for thought, and a heaping serving of laughs" (Mark Robinson, RENO Gazette- Journal). For which he has taken a lot of information on the subject from the nutritionists and heath experts with live interviews from those affected persons. The movie is a well-documented script heavily opulent in varying ideas of a galaxy of nutritionists, educators and media experts about the epidemic of obesity, which speaks volumes on the why-and-how of the countrywide health problem. It's more than ' A Swiftian portrait of America the Rotund' (James Verniere, BOSTON H) for the obsession to the fast foods has bugged the whole world than has been confined to America only. The McDonald's has wide network of franchise retailers with more than 30,000 restaurants serving around 50 million people a day in more than 119 countries. Ray Kroc founded the McDonald's way back in 1954 that worked as a single restaurant till 1955 but soon Kroc thought upon the idea of franchise-system. By 1974 the Brand Mac has already become a name to reckon with from its first Woodwich High Street in South London. Each succeeding generation since then saw the McDonald's hype increase and permeate almost every body's life in a few decades. For such a great hype however the McDonald's cannot be held the sole responsible. The people enjoyed the freedom that the Mac provided with-a release from sheer labour of preparing the foods three-times a day. If the Mac rationalized the trend of serving, the people welcomed with even greater response. The result of eating upon these menus may be the epidemic of obesity but both the server and the served are equally responsible. By the science of healthy nutrition obesity is directly related to the content energy in the consumed foods by an individual, better to put as-Diet-induced thermogenesis (or DIT). By this theory if we examine the McDonald's meat-content rich-in-fats menus we can see if they may have a negative impact on our health and contribute to the DIT. For example, Grilled Chicken Salad contains by 295 calories (kJ) and even if two pieces of this-like menu are taken at a meal thrice a day (six pieces in total) the content calories stand at 1770 kJ which is still lower than the required 1940 kJ for women and 2550 kJ for men as recommended by the Department of Health Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients, UK. But the fact is that the commercialization had been largely of super size pre-Superlocks' frown. Should this mean that Superlocks' labour is not to be realized The answer is simply "No". He has picked up a sensitive topic of our health and has hinted rather on the fact what may be the possible impact if we are heavily depended on the Mac-like menus; more importantly that, we are in an environment where physical activity is lower. Superlocks' movie should be underlined for making fun of the people's daily life-style and a short cut to the daily diet habit. For this Superlocks has gone into a deep study of nutrition rich in fats and cholesterols. That is why he is candid on showing a man whose diet of the whole day is the junkie food with reduced physical activities. The movie has struck the people with stunning findings on daily diet habit. It's affected the people in a greater way howsoever the McDonald's does not agree to this. 'My arteries hardened watching Super Size Me (Jeffrey Bruner, DES MOINREGISTER) and 'I have not touched a Big Mac since' David Thomas of Filmcrticism.com says after watching the movie, are simple and enough to evaluate the effect. Remarkably, has the Mac not been influenced under health freaks, it should have not decided first to phase out the Super Size french fries and soft drinks, and is now giving more weightage to health foods with the introduction of new Salad-menu of entry size with vegetable and fruits loads. The McDonald's new mantra, other than the diet is 'Go Active', 'Eat Smart' and 'Be Active'. Now Dr. Cathy Kapica and Anita Bean are more concentrating on the Happy Meal with emphasis on to keep the customers healthier, free from risks of weight gaining. McDonald's is now an organization by itself. It is 'the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world' (Retzer, 1999:1). It's affected all walks of life-education, work, travel, the family and every other sector. It has a positive side, its rationalization has replaced the bureautic structure of the public life; it has a decentralized monopoly. At the same time it has brought uniformity in dietary around the world with minor variations. But it has a down side as well. It has raised an image of iron cage of rationalization from which franchisees, employers and customers are left with little freedom to think independently and intelligently. The uniformity in foods has made the people monotonous. It has lessened the man-to-man interaction as is seen in the traditional food cooking system, which is a more humanitarian way than the McDonalds. Sources: 1) www.mcdonalds.com 2) www.rottentomatoes.com 3) www.supersizeme-thedebate.co.uk 4) www.slate.msn.com 5) www.journals.elsevierhealth.com References: 1. Gabriel, Y. Working Lives in Catering. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. (1988). 2. Leidner, R. Fast Food, Fast Talk: Service Work an dthe Routinization of Everyday Life. Berkley, Calif. (University if California Press). (1993). 3. Love, J. McDonalds:Behind the Arches. Toronto: Bantom. (1986). 4. Ritzer, G. The McDonalization of Society: An Investigation into the Changoing Character of Contemporary Social Life. Newbury Park, Calf.: Sage. (1993). ------------------ The McDonalization Thesis: Explorations and Extensions. London. Sage. (1998). 5. Stock M, Rothwell N. Obesity and Learners: Basic aspects. Lonon John Libbey. (1982 , p7-10). 6. Tia MM, Castillo, Pi-Sunyer FX. Meal Size and Frequency: Effect on the Thermic Effect of Foods. Am J Chin Nutr. (1991) (54: 783-7). Read More