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About the film The film is a documentary The film was made in 2004 The film running time is 97 minutes The director, producer, writer and star is Morgan

Spurlock He lives on a diet of nothing but McDonald's food for a

month. He questions American eating habits Spurlock visits several specialists, including a GP, a

nutritionist and a cardiologist. In his notes at the start,the GP records "general health outstanding" During the

course of the film, Spurlock goes on to gain weight After five days there's been a five per cent increase inhis body weight

After 12 days he's gained 17lb (over seven kilos) By 22 days, all the specialists are giving him serious

warnings. Spurlock's health has been seriouslycompromised

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On average nearly one-third of U.S children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food on a dailybasis. Over the course of a year this bad habit is likely to result in the child gaining six extra

pounds every year.

In a research experiment done by Paediatrics, 6,212 children and adolescents ages 4to 19 years old were examined to find out some information about fast food.

30.3% of the total sample have reported to have eaten fast food on a given day Fast-food consumption was prevalent in both males and females, all racial/ethnic

groups, and all regions of the country. Children who ate fast food, compared with those who did not, consumed more total

fat, carbohydrates, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Children who ate fast food alsoate less fibre, milk, fruits, and non-starchy vegetables.

The researchers concluded that consumption of fast food by children seems to havea negative effect on an individual's diet, in ways that could significantly increase the

risk for obesity.

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Fast Food

What is fast food?

Where do you buy fast food?

How often do you eat fast food?

How often do you think you should eat it?

What is your favourite food and drink?

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Fast Food continued How often do you and your family eat a home cooked

meal at the dining table? How often do you and your family eat take-away food at

home? Do you think that some take-away foods are healthier

than others?

How often do you and your family eat at a fast foodrestaurant? Ask your parents these same questions about their

childhood. How have eating habits changed?

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Your eating habits

Who is responsible for what you eat?

How much information do you like to know aboutwhat youre eating?

Food advertisements feature heavily ontelevision, particularly late afternoon. Why

this time? Should there be more control over

advertising of unhealthy food?

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Fast food advertising research

Keep a record of food advertisements on TVbetween 4-6pm over a one-week period.(Product / Target audience / Images / Slogans /Number of times advertisements appear in one

night / Your reaction) After one week, bring your findings to the class

and discuss these questions: Did the advertisements influence you or your friends

to buy the product? Did you compare your own life to the lives shown in

the advertisements?

In what ways could these advertising strategies beused positively?

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McDonalds adverts

Watch each of the following twoMcDonalds adverts and note down your

thoughts on the way it promotes the food.

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Issues raised in the film

The following issues are raised in thefilm. Discuss what you think the film isgoing to show you.

The balance between corporate and personalresponsibility for the food we eat.

The effect of advertising and brand imprinting on

young children. School canteens and the foods they serve

How childrens exercise patterns have changed

since the last generation.

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About Morgan Spurlock

A graduate of the New York UniversitysTisch School of the Arts, Super Size Me isMorgan Spurlocks first feature film. He was

inspired to make the documentary afterwatching a news story about two teenagerssuing McDonalds.

Super Size Me is the first ever reality-based movie where everything begins andends in 30 days. The camera captures thedirectors highs and lows as he sets out on

hisunhealthy diet and demonstrates to theviewers the effects of eating fast food.

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Morgan Spurlock cont...

During his career Spurlock has conceivedand created everything from commercialsto music videos to television shows, andhas worked with MTV, ESPN, NBC, FOX,TNT and VH-1. He is also the founder ofThe Con, the New York based productioncompany behind the film.

Super Size Me cost 37,000 ($65,000)which is a small budget for a film that hadsuch a large impact. The documentary won

over twenty-seven awards and prestigiousaccolades including Best Director,Sundance Film Festival and New DirectorAward, Edinburgh International FilmFestival 2004.

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Key facts from the film (1)...

Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant

In 1972, we spent $3 billion a year on fast food - today wespend more than $110 billion

McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day - morethan the entire population of Spain

French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America

You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off aSuper Sized Coke, fries and Big Mac

In the U.S., we eat more than 1,000,000 animals an hour

60 percent of all Americans are either overweight or obese

One in every three children born in the year 2000 will developdiabetes in their lifetime

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Key facts from the film (2)...

Left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leadingcause of preventable death in America

Obesity has been linked to: Hypertension, Coronary HeartDisease, Adult Onset Diabetes, Stroke, Gall Bladder Disease,Osteoarthritis, Sleep Apnea, Respiratory Problems,

Endometrial, Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancers,Dyslipidemia, steatohepatitis, insulin resistance,breathlessness, Asthma, Hyperuricaemia, reproductivehormone abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome,impaired fertility and lower back pain

The average child sees 10,000 TV advertisements per year

Only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain nosugar

Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald - he was fired forbeing too fat

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Key facts from the film (3)... McDonald's distributes more toys per year than Toys-R-Us

Diabetes will cut 17-27 years off your life

McDonald's: "Any processing our foods undergo make them moredangerous than unprocessed foods"

The World Health Organization has declared obesity a global epidemic

McDonald's calls people who eat a lot of their food "heavy users" McDonald's operates more than 30,000 restaurants in more then 100

countries on 6 continents

Before most children can speak they can recognize McDonald's

Surgeon General David Satcher: "Fast food is a major contributor tothe obesity epidemic"

Nutritionists recommend not eating fast food more than once a month

40 percent of American meals are eaten outside the home

McDonald's represents 43% of total U.S. fast food market

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To do

McDonalds reaction to the film

Language in the film see teachingsupersize me doc

Key concepts analysis