Tonight, I finally watched Super Size Me (2004), Morgan Spurlock's documentary about his attempt to eat nothing but McDonald's meals for 30 days. While Spurlock acknowledges that it was never recommended, nor suggested, that consumers eat McDonald's for every meal of every day, this was nevertheless a fascinating experiment.The segments on the teenage girls who were trying to sue McDonald's for becoming obese were truly mind-blowing; their parents are either very opportunist, or their lawyer even more so. Who lets their child become like that?? While I agree that the power of advertising makes some people more vulnerable than others to certain products (just look at the influence of cigarette and alcohol advertising over the years), there comes a time when individuals have the ability to make choices for themselves. This goes for parents, too.
A couple of key words and phrases kept resonating throughout this documentary. The first is: personal responsibility, ie when are people going to start taking some? The other word is: moderation. Our bodies will largely forgive us even the worst of punishments we can inflict upon ourselves for a while (drugs, alcohol, over-exertion, food - or lack thereof) but, eventually, enough is enough. Why don't our brains catch up with this message and stop people before it's too late? Or is it just easier and more convenient to blame others for our woes?
3 comments:
It's a fasinating and eye opening documentary huh?
I have the book sitting on my TBR shelf too.
I enjoy this movie everytime I watch it. I am interested in seeing his most recent documentary too.
Kia ora Café Chick
I was fascinated by the number of litigations against tobacco companies. I don't smoke, though I used to. I don't condone the tobacco companies either.
But the slender arguments that (stupid) people used (successfully) to skim money for their stupidity left me wondering about the justice systems, never mind the smokers!
Same applies to MdDs :-)
Best wishes
from Middle-earth
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