Morgan Spurlock who was known for his quirky documentaries, died this Thursday from complications of cancer. In 2004, he created a gem with Super Size Me, in this documentary, Spurlock conducted an experiment to uncover the truth about the effects of junk food, particularly McDonald’s, on the human body. The film, released in 2004, was a great success and resonated with people, leading to a drop in McDonald’s sales.
What was impressive is that its impact was visible in real-time, shedding light on how this film connected with the audiences. However, despite the documentary’s success, this social experiment completely ruined Spurlock’s body and mind.
How Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me Change the World One Burger At a Time!
Morgan Spurlock‘s groundbreaking documentary shook things up twenty years ago by him committing to a month of nothing but McDonald’s meals, matching the average American’s activity level. He devoured the fast food in hefty doses, documenting the surprising impact on his body and mind, sparking a wave of change.
Super Size Me turned the food world upside down, forcing McDonald’s and other similar fast food brands to rethink their strategies to sell their food.
The repercussions were visible in real-time, with McDonald’s profits taking a nosedive, hitting a three-decade low in the UK. Despite its budget of just $65,000, Super Size Me emerged as a box office juggernaut, grossing an impressive $22 million.
While the documentary’s effect on McDonald’s sales was rather temporary, the fast-food titan soon regained its footing and soared to new heights of prosperity. Nonetheless, Super Size Me delivered a powerful message, challenging viewers to reconsider their dietary choices and encouraging them to adopt a more discerning approach to food consumption.
Super Size Me was more than just a documentary, it was a conversation starter, serving up food for thought for people who never stopped to wonder what impact it has on them. By delving into the dark truths lurking behind seemingly harmless burgers and fries, it challenged viewers to reconsider their relationship with fast food and its potential consequences. In 2017, the director followed up on the immensely successful documentary with its own sequel, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chickens.
How Did Super Size Me Seemingly Ruin Morgan Spurlock’s Body and Mind?
While the 2004 hit film dealt a blow to fast-food chains at the time, Morgan Spurlock faced an even greater battle.
As of May 24, 2024, the director has died of cancer complications only at the age of 53. In a statement released by his family this Thursday (via The Guardian), they shared the heartbreaking news, shedding light on the profound impact of Spurlock’s life and work, it read,
[Morgan Spurlock] passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends in New York from complications of cancer. It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan. Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked with him.
Despite the director’s unfortunate battle with cancer, his health rapidly deteriorated following the documentary. As he meticulously captured every little detail in the film, it was shocking to witness the profound impact of junk food on both body and mind.
By the second day of his experiment, he was vomiting uncontrollably. By the fourth day, he began to feel pulsing sensations in his stomach and on his g*nitals. As he once revealed to The Guardian in 2004,
About seven days in, I started to notice this pressure on my chest, and by day nine, I was getting incredibly depressed, I would eat the food and feel fantastic for about an hour. Then I’d feel depressed again.
Further explaining, the toll it had on his physical health, he revealed,
The biggest thing is my ability to gain weight. Ever since making the movie, I can put on four or five pounds in a weekend so easily. It’s incredible how my body has lost its resiliency. Part of that comes with age, but it also comes with your body having all these additional fat cells that weren’t in your body before.
As you create fat cells to store fat and you lose weight and those fat cells get smaller, they don’t magically vanish. They are still in your body, still swimming around waiting for you to overeat so they can store more fat.
Doctors described his liver as “turning to pâté” due to the extreme dietary experiment. By the month’s end, Spurlock had gained one-tenth of his body weight, and his cholesterol levels had skyrocketed, it was truly insane how deep into the rabbit hole he was.
Super Size Me is available to stream on Prime Video.
