by Nonsequitur

Created on: March 02, 2007   Last Updated: March 27, 2010

The premise is simple but brilliant: A family sues stating that fast food has caused a child's health and obesity problems. The court rules that it cannot be proven whether the child's issues stem from her fast food lifestyle. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock decides to see if he can prove it. Thus for the next 30 days he limits his activity level to that of the average American, tracking the number of steps he takes on a pedometer. He eats nothing unless it comes from the McDonald's menu. And, if the McDonald's employee asks if he wants to super-size, he has to say yes.

From this premise comes a very funny and disturbing look into American obesity and how our diets are truly killing us. In a format more entertaining and at the same time more didactic than the movie Fast Food Nation, Spurlock documents his trials and tribulations, from his varying concern over his cholesterol levels to his increasing difficulty in making it up the stairs everyday.

His romp around the country's fast food joints is incredible. The sheer number of fast food restaurants and the methods they use to draw customers probably had many corporate executives and shareholders concerned that Spurlock was giving away some tricks of the trade, particularly in marketing to children. Spurlock's documentary encompass various voices, with guest speakers ranging from governmental representatives to his vegan girlfriend, who is naturally horrified. The film manages to flip between the various voices with some bias, though the editing is crisp and entertaining enough to allow for the voices to blend. Unlike some documentary artists like Michael Moore, e.g., Spurlock does not appear to have any clear agendas beyond finding out how his experiment will pan out. The results of his 30-day Mac attack are eye-opening even to Spurlock himself. This allows the viewers to be taken along for the ride as observers, hopefully not looking to read between the lines. The results themselves, told in humorous graphic form, are clear enough.

Learn more about this author, Nonsequitur.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.