The American film-maker Morgan Spurlock has died at the age of 53. Produced for only £50,000, his Oscar nominated documentary Super Size Me (2004) was a surprise hit, taking over £17 million at the box office. The film remains as shocking and relevant as when it was released. Spurlock filmed himself over a whole month eating nothing but junk food from McDonalds. If he was offered the “supersize” version he had to accept the huge portions. As a result of this experiment, he experienced several serious health issues including dramatic weight gain. The idea that junk food is unhealthy wasn’t a great revelation, but if you eat it on a regular basis then the consequences are disastrous. Moreover, the film highlighted the deadly influence of the US fast food industry and all the dodgy methods used to entice greater consumption. ‘The Happy Meal’ included toys to snare parents and children, and was so successful that McDonalds became the world’s biggest distributor of toys.
Within six weeks of the film’s debut McDonalds discontinued its supersize portions. Unfortunately, this was the high point of the impact of Super Size Me. Twenty years later McDonalds is bigger than ever, and its stock price has increased by nearly one thousand per cent since the film’s release. The junk food giant is even more gigantic and ubiquitous, with almost 42,000 outlets globally. The menu does now include low calorie wraps and salads, but these are an insignificant addition to the primary supply of burgers and fries, and these days everything is available via the swipe of an app, and delivered within minutes.
Paul Freestone
OxVeg 