Super Size Me Essay

SuperSize Me Essay
1) SuperSize Me shows that the food industry is to blame for the obesity epidemic in America. Do you agree? –Agree.
Throughout the film, SuperSize Me shows that the food industry is to blame for the obesity epidemic in America. After watching the film, one would evidently come to terms with the fact that these industries are to blame. Spurlock presents information, outlining that these companies are only out to get your dollar, regardless of how they achieve their profits. As they continue to grow, these fast food industries find new ways to mass produce their food, quickly and cheaply. This in turn, sacrifices the quality of the food, as SuperSize Me emphasizes the cheap and health threatening ingredients they inject into their food though cartoons and other visual aids to help illustrate. Advertising also plays a major role in the companies’ scheme to inculcate their messages in your thinking, so you buy their product the next time you pass their stores. The film also goes on to highlight that the convenience of these stores along with the addictive elements appended to them, will only have a short term effect on the consumer, stating if these “trends” continue for the average obese American, the average obese American may not be around for much longer.
As one of the highlights of the film, SuperSize Me continually brings up the danger of fast foods has on our health. Spurlock shows the audience this each time he goes for his regular check up with his recruited army of doctors. Each time he attends, his heath clearly declines from its point of origin when the only dependent variable changing his body, is the food he consumes. Until the end of his diet, his ‘glorified’ poor health is accentuated through the words of his health experts as a result of the food he had been consuming. From a point of view outlining film technique, Spurlock ‘intimidates’ the audience with a disturbing 20 lbs. (9kg) jar full of fat placed on the table. This was a confronting move he played in order to get his audience thinking about the reality of the danger in fast food when it is placed in front of the individual. Even more so, Spurlock consumed 30lbs. of sugar by the end of his diet. Mostly in the coke, the sugar also accounted for about 10% of the meal, that is, the buns, meat and fries. The poor quality of the food also adds to the problem, in one snippet of the film, Spurlock continues about the “McFrankenstein” elements of meat they compose together to create foods “not utilised by the home cook.” In this case, chicken nuggets were the issue.
SuperSize Me also informs the audience of the use of advertising, and its psychological effects it can have on individuals. Fast food giants have learned that inculcating their messages into consumers’ minds; will get them in their stores and purchasing their products more often. They have seen advertising as an investment rather a waste of money as they spend “1.4 billion dollars on direct media advertising worldwide in 2001” By repetitively bombarding individuals with their brand or logo essentially brainwashes the way they make calculated decisions, next time meal time comes around. This is known as “brand imprinting” and the film focuses on how this infiltrates the minds of children in particular, stating each child will see “at least 10,000 advertisements on fast food alone each year.” Children chanting about the fast food brands at the start of the film is a great example of this; the repetitive chant effectively inundates the mind with constant thought of food. These brands aren’t just a food service; they are a basis of comfort as children conduct in playful games around these brands as if they are a part of their life. Spurlock conducted a small experiment on a handful of children to test this brand imprinting. He showed the kids multiple flash cards, each with an icon or image on it such as Wendy’s, Jesus, etcetera. Each time McDonalds came up, every child was able to identify it. Essentially, the bottom line of brand imprinting is to create a positive experience for the consumer at a young age. By doing so you create a safe haven for the customer experience, and as they become adults free to make their own decisions they are then hooked on the products of the company produces, and continues to purchase them. As the generations progress, this can pose a new problem with obesity having an echo effect on the generations to come.
The convenience of these stores also contains contributing factors to the obesity epidemic. SuperSize Me shows fast food companies have made it too easy for consumers to get their hands on their products through the plethora of ways you can get your food. All too many times the audience is shown Spurlock receiving his food through the drive-thru or home delivery, but in some cases he will get it himself generally when McDonalds is just down the stairs from the sky rise he is in. The availability of these restaurants is also quite remarkable, Spurlock states “McDonalds operates over 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries on six continents” not to mention most of them never close up shop.
On the other hand, some people seem to think that exercising personal responsibility can be the answer to the obesity casualty. This may be possible; however it is short-sighted thinking to overlook the facts about how these food giants have achieved to get to where they are now and continue to do. If we could exercise personal responsibility, then why didn’t we do so when these companies were at their weakest? They are where they are now because they worked around our will power with subtle plans of attack.
SuperSize Me has given clear evidence that these food industries are a problem, and has taken an unfortunate turn to result in the harm of our general wellbeing. We can stop them by demanding change, rather than suing them for our problems we can go to our government and demand guidelines by which these companies has to follow by to serve fresh, healthy food that’s not loaded up with sugar and fat. By eating these foods, “we are part of the problem, but we are also part of the solution.” Wether chose to take action depicts the quality of life we bestow upon ourselves and future generations. “I guess the big question is, who do you want to see go first? You? Or them?”