When I was a kid, I loved McDonald's. It was a rare treat. I loved the little burgers, the fries, and orange soda. [Which reminds me, once during college I was at McDonald's with my friend Charles, and we noticed a sign that said, "Ask us about our orange drink machines!" and when we got to the counter, Charles said, "So, what's up with the orange drink machines?" and the cashier didn't have a clue what he was talking about.]
I've only been there a handful of times in the last 5 years or so, and now that I'm vegetarian I skip the burgers. But I still think their fries are delicious.
A man named Morgan Spurlock decided to eat nothing but McDonald's, 3 times a day, every day, for a month, to see what happened. He documented the whole thing on film and won honors at Sundance. The movie, Super Size Me, is scheduled for wider release on May 7.
So what happened to Mr. Spurlock? Before he started this diet, he was in great shape. But after a month, he'd gained 25 pounds, added 65 points to his cholesterol, and was throwing up food.
This film sounds fantastic. I'm looking forward to seeing it. But some people took umbrage--Soso Whaley decided this was just corporate-America bashing, and said she's "had it with all the doom and gloom, alarmist, anti-everything attitude of certain individuals and organizations who want to control my life, your life, everyone's life with little regard for individual tastes, freedom of choice and personal responsibility."
What is she talking about? Spurlock wanted to show what extreme behavior would do. He wanted to show people what happens when you ingest nothing but crap for 30 days straight. How exactly is he impinging on Whaley's freedom?
Whaley decided to take matters into her own hands, and "prove him wrong". She decided to also eat at McDonald's exclusively, for one month, and vowed to lose weight. Unlike Spurlock, however, she will be limiting her caloric intake, and eat until she's full.
So far, she says she's lost 5 pounds and feels great. Of course, she was overweight to begin with, and admits she wasn't a healthy eater before starting.
I just don't see what she's trying to prove. I haven't seen the film yet, but I believe Spurlock's point is not that we should outlaw McDonald's--I see it as a demonstration of what can happen to us if we aren't careful with what we eat.
Besides, how seriously can I take someone who uses "poppycock" in an article without irony?
