Supersize Me is a documentary film by Morgan Spurlock which underscores the message of the threats of fast food and their consequences for our well-being and health. He got the idea of filming this documentary by two young ladies who were suing McDonald’s for their obesity. However, the judge ruled that there was no verification that their obesity and poor health is an aftereffect of eating from McDonald’s. As an experiment, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a thirty-day diet by only eating from McDonald’s. Spurlock specifically choose McDonald’s as it is the largest chain in the fast food industry and also popular with majority of the world’s population. He will also seek help from three professional physicians which will examine the impact of fast food on his health and well-being. Throughout his McDonald’s journey, the audience will witness the drastic change that fast food has on Morgan Spurlock’s physical health and as well as on his mental health and the fast food industry.
Moreover, Spurlock utilizes a few methods to attract people's attention in the documentary. He represents the information by catching the audience’s attention with the bold, colourful and large fonts so that, the audience will remember the information easily. Besides that, not only is the documentary informative and educational, it is also enjoyable to watch in a way where the audience would be interested. By that, Spurlock uses sarcastic tone in some of the information he presented. For instance, he wryly expressed that “America has the fattest people in the world. Congratulations!”. While saying that, he showed pictures of obese individuals sitting or eating, which is another strategy that he utilizes as he focuses on certain point to uncover certain message. Morgan could have shown pictures of the individuals exercising or walking however, he particularly chose the pictures to suggest that lethargic and are obese due to the undesirable nourishment they had from McDonald’s. Furthermore, Spurlock also included songs to ridicule fast food companies like McDonald’s to make the documentary more amusing.
At the start of the documentary, Spurlock shows a scene of where children were singing to songs about fast food restaurant such as “Pizza Hut”, “Kentucky Fried Chicken” and “McDonald’s” to imply how children acknowledge fast food restaurant. Besides that, this also shows how they are addicted to fast food. The documentary then shows a quote from Ray Kroc founder of McDonald’s that say: "Look after the customer and the business will take care of itself." Spurlock put this quote to show the main intention of the business is customer satisfaction and making profit but not their health or well-being. He provides the fact with the phrase, “Everything in America is big”. Therefore, this implies that houses, food, cars and people are even bigger making it as a threat to McDonald’s. Furthermore, McDonald’s can be seen in every corner of the country. With it located in subway, bus stop, school, gas stations, and ridiculously even in hospitals at which Spurlock sarcastically says, “at least your close when the coronary kicks in!". Then he shows a McDonald’s clown with the devil’s horns as if he’s a devil.
Another technique Spurlock uses is editing in which he uses it throughout the whole documentary to reveal the message in the arrangement for the film. Although it is a documentary, Spurlock did not present everything he film on spot as it was edited to support evidence he provides in the documentary. Besides that, Spurlock also concentrate on including pictures that mock McDonald’s which is shown in between every scene as an approach to psychologically impact on the audience to cause them to hate McDonald’s.
Moreover, Spurlock goes to three professional physicians and a nutritionist to seek for verification to get the audience more interested and concern about the issue. By that, Spurlock uses the four professionals so that, the fact will be presented in a more authoritative point to show his dedications and seriousness for this experiment. Spurlock then went for several tests and examinations in which all the professionals tell him that he is healthy and in great shape. He intentionally focuses on what the physicians say about his health to point out how McDonald’s has ruin his health later in the documentary.
In one of the scene, Spurlock interview a food coordinator from a public school and she said that, “We are selling this type of food so that they will learn how to make the right choice." However, while interviewing this woman, Spurlock realized that this woman is no difference from other. Therefore, he started to speak with a sarcastic tone to point out her stupidity and stubbornness of not revealing the truth which clearly indicates that she didn’t care about the children’s health. Besides that, Spurlock also mention another critical point of how public schools don’t enforce physical education as a mandatory course in which it is relevant to everybody as a person needs to exercise at least three times a week. This indicate that not only fast food restaurant has manipulated children but also public schools which eventually led them to their current state of obesity. On the other hand, not only is the fast food industries fault for the children’s poor health but their parents and the government. As parents would bring their children to fast food restaurant and also public schools feeding children unhealthy food.
In addition, Spurlock also uses rhetorical questions throughout the documentary to connect the audience with the film to make them think about the situation and further demonstrates his point. Spurlock gives plenty of information statically and logically to prove his point and uses them to support his argument at the most appropriate time. He also establishes credibility by interviewing and experimenting with various people including adults, children and physicians. In one of the interview, Spurlock got several children for a small experiment to show them well-known figures such as Jesus and Bush. However, they did not recognize the well-known figures as they pointed it out themselves. This indicate that how McDonald’s has manipulated children which eventually led them to their current state of obesity.
Overall, Morgan Spurlock’s documentary is a persuasive film for people to be aware of how fast food can ruin an individual’s health and mental state. He also warns consumers to avoid being convince by fast food advertisement as over-consumption of fast food can lead to various health related diseases. However, Spurlock points out that the issue can be easily solve by eating healthy, exercise more and being aware of consuming too much food. Moreover, after the release of Supersize Me, the fast food industry has change drastically. With schools in the nation cutting down on fats and sweets, increase of natural healthy options in the market and McDonald’s has eliminate their options of “supersize meal” forever.