Supersize Me

The documentary "Supersize Me," by Morgan Spurloc, a somewhat controversial filmmaker, focuses on obesity in America. Morgan leaves his healthy lifestyle behind, and embarks on a 30 day journey eating nothing but McDonald's. This was inspired by a lawsuit in which two girls that ate nothing but fast food sued McDonald's for their obesity and health issues, claiming that McDonald's was to be held responsible for their weight gain. Spurloc states that the two girls willingly ate at the fast food establishments, and that it was their lifestyle choice to eat that food. We can see Morgans health declining after only a few days into his experiment. He has thrown up, and complained of chest pains. One thing this documentary is criticized for is "fat shaming." I don't believe the clips and images of obese people are designed to shame them. If you're filming a documentary about obesity, you will OBVIOUSLY include clips of obese individuals. Yes, it is understandable that some people have a genetic predisposition towards being heavier, or some people have illnesses that promote weight gain, but the fact that obese people are filmed is not an example of "fat shaming," it is merely a depiction of the reality that the documentary exposes. If you were to film a documentary about drug users, there would most likely be scenes of people doing drugs. Just because a documentary is a bit aggressive and controversial, it does not steer away from the facts that it produces.