Hi All!
Since my blog two question is focusing on the societal contributions of obesity, I thought I would post the opening scene of the documentary “Super Size Me”. One of the contributing factors to obesity is the increasing number of fast food restaurants all over the developed world. While these fast food chains provide the consumer convenience, they are also contributing to the expanding waistlines of the population. For those who have not seen the film, it is a documentary which follows Morgan Spurlock who conducts an experiment focusing on the effects that eating large amounts of fast food can have on a person, demonstrating this by eating nothing but McDonalds for one month. This documentary provides numerous perspectives around obesity, attitudes surrounding obesity and the contribution that advertising, media and fast food corporations play. I think it is quite a powerful documentary. It really made me think about the consequences of overindulging in fast food and junk foods in general.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this video clip or if you have seen the whole documentary and would like to discuss anything you found interesting.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
"Super Size Me"
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2 comments:
Hi Jess,
Thanks for commenting on my blog! Looking at yours I can see you have put a lot of work in to research some very interesting issues.
In regard to "Super Size Me", in another subject I did a case study on McDonalds. I discussed "Super Size Me" and the effect that it and legal cases eventually had on their menu ie. healthy choices
In the paper I did slam McDonals but on a personal level I really believed that people need to take some ownership for their own personal health and that of our children.
Australia seems to be turning into a mini-America in many ways - people just seem to be bigger lately.
I can see in Australia that the government and charity organisations are even stepping in on this issue at the grass roots. There are "healthy breakfasts" and education in school on how to eat healthier and exercise.
Is it case that parents and some individuals are just taking the easy way out and not saying no?
We can see in the case of "Super Size Me" that the American culture of bigger is better is not always true!
Rebecca
Hey Jess,
Obesity is an interesting topic, particularly as it is so prevalent in society today. I think obesity is definitely attributed to culture, community, peers and family. I also believe that genetics plays a big part in obesity as well. Obese people can often be treated very badly by society and this can be worrying. There are many stereotypes and prejudices held about obese individuals. It doesn’t help with society constantly promoting fatty foods and a bus stop appearing every hundred metres.
As a fan of cable TV I have noticed a growing number of weight loss reality TV shows are being shown. All of them demonstrate major results that can be achieved through diet and exercise. One common TV program for instance ‘The biggest looser’.
I think this show is good in that it gives the contestants a chance to change their lives by eating the right foods and exercising frequently but it also could encourage unhealthy practices such as rapid weight loss, inspired by the large prize money as the incentive to lose weight. I read in a newspaper article that there have been suggestions of what happens off-camera, such as vomiting and purging by some of the contestants.
I also read that there is the criticism that large scale short term weight loss could result in contestant’s metabolisms slowing down, leading to uncontrollable weight gain in coming years.
Even though there is a range of criticisms to these programs, there is also a valuable role being played by these various weight loss reality TV shows. Most of them provide the public with inspiration and discuss health, diet, cooking & meal preparation, exercise, attitudes, motivation and the role of alternative therapies such as yoga.
Hope that has given you some insight. Your blog is looking fabulous Jess. Keep up the great work.
Jacqui :-)
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