All language subtitles for Super Size Me (Spurlock, Morgan 2004)_WEBRip.720p.x264.AAC_EN

♪ A Pizza Hut
A Pizza Hut ♪

♪ Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut ♪

♪ A Pizza Hut
A Pizza Hut ♪

♪ Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut ♪

♪ McDonalds, McDonalds

♪ Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut ♪

♪ McDonalds, McDonalds

♪ Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut ♪

♪ I like food
I like food ♪

♪ Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut ♪

♪ You like food
You like food ♪

♪ Kentucky Fried Chicken
And a Pizza Hut ♪

Everything's bigger in America,

we've got the biggest cars,

the biggest houses, the biggest companies,

the biggest food,

and, finally, the biggest people.

America has now become
the fattest nation in the world.

Congratulations.

Nearly 100 million Americans
are today, either overweight

or obese.

That's more than 60% of all U.S. adults.

Since 1980,

the total number of overweight
and obese Americans has doubled,

with twice as many overweight children

and three times as many
overweight adolescents.

The fattest state in America? Mississippi.

Where one in four people are obese.

I grew up in West Virginia,

currently the second fattest
state in America.

When I was growing up, my mother
cooked dinner every single day.

Almost all my memories of her
are in the kitchen.

And we never ate out,

only on those few, rare special occasions.

Today, families do it all the time,

and they're paying for it,
not only with their wallets,

but with their waistlines.

Obesity is now second only to smoking

as a major cause of
preventable death in America,

with over 300,000 deaths per year

associated with related illnesses.

In 2002, a few Americans got
fed up with being overweight

and did what we do best.

They sued the bastards.

taking aim at the fast-food companies

and blaming them for
their obesity and illnesses,

a lawsuit was filed in New York
on behalf of two teenage girls,

one who was 14 years old,
4'10", and 170 pounds,

the other, 19 years old,
5'6", and 270 pounds.

The unthinkable
had suddenly become reality.

People were suing the golden
arches for selling them food

that most of us know isn't
good for you to begin with.

Yet each day, one in four Americans

visits a fast-food restaurant.

And this hunger for fast
food isn't just in America.

It's happening on a global basis.

McDonald's alone operates
more than 30,000 joints

in over 100 countries on 6 continents

and feeds more than 46 million
people worldwide every day.

That's more than the
entire population of Spain.

In the United States alone,

McDonald's accounts for 43
percent of the total fast-food market.

They're everywhere...
Walmarts, airports, rest stops,

gas stations, train stations,
shopping malls,

department stores,
amusement parts, even hospitals.

That's right... hospitals.

At least you're close
when the coronary kicks in.

Lawyers for McDonald's
called the suits "frivolous",

stating that the dangers of
its food are universally known

and that these kids can't
show that their weight problems

and health woes were
caused solely by their McDiets.

The judge states, however,

that if lawyers for the teens can show

that McDonald's intends
for people to eat its food

for every meal of every day

and that doing so would be
unreasonably dangerous,

they may be able to state a claim.

Are the food companies solely
to blame for this epidemic?

Where does personal responsibility stop

and corporate responsibility begin?

Is fast food really that bad for you?

I mean, what would happen
if I ate nothing but McDonald's

for 30 days straight?

Would I suddenly be on the fast track

to becoming an obese American?

Would it be unreasonably dangerous?

Let's find out.

I'm ready.

Super-size me.

I knew if I was going to do this,

I would need some serious
medical supervision,

so I enlisted the help of
not one, but three doctors,

a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist,

and a general practitioner.

- You're feeling quite well today, yes?
- Quite well.

In general, any fatigue
or weight loss, weight gain,

- any change in your vision?
- No, no.

No fever, no earache, no cough

no shortness of breath, no chest pain...

...nausea, vomiting, heartburn?

And no hospitalizations for illness?

Do you take any medications of any sort?

I don't. I've just been taking vitamins.

- Okay. Any food allergies or anything?
- No.

There's no heart disease
or diabetes or blood pressure

or cancer in the immediate family?

- My grandfather's had a couple open-heart surgeries.
- Um-hmm.

- One out of four grandparents is dead.
- Yeah.

Good genes. That's the important thing.

- Any alcohol use?
- Now? None.

- You don't smoke?
- I used to, but I don't.

Any drug use at all?

Not for a long time.

- Are you sexually active at present?
- Yes.

- A, a, a girlfriend?
- Yes.

Is there anything we didn't cover?

Is there anything else you need to tell me?

I don't think so.

"Patient is embarking on a
one-month McDonald's binge."

Very good.

You might have something
called white coats...

140 over about 95.

130 over 105.

120 over 80.

- That's what it is?
- Um-hmm.

The other guys are stressing me out.

You're much more relaxed, right?

I tend to do that to my patients. - See.

Swallow, please.

Your reflexes are perfect.

Good. Back out. Normal.

- Say ah.
- Ah...

- Everything looks pretty normal here.
- Good.

We'll skip checking for hernias.

We're gonna do a rectal exam.

I like to be more thorough than that.

And I like doctors to be thorough.

You're gonna go downstairs
and get your bloods drawn.

So, the reason we have you fasting

is the true cholesterol
and glucose number is fasting.

So, if you had, like,
a bacon, egg, and cheese

your cholesterol would be way high,

or if you had orange juice,
your glucose would be high.

Three down.

Your blood tests are excellent.

Okay, your starting off with
a total cholesterol of 168

which is less than 200,
which is really superb

your blood level's fine.

- Your iron level is good as well.
- Um-hmm.

you have no evidence of diabetes.

Your fasting blood sugar is very low.

The other thing that we looked
at were all your electrolytes

in terms of salts in your blood,

your kidney function, your liver function.

They were all perfect.

Your triglycerides, which is
your building blocks of fat...

basically, what you acquire
from eating fat...

is 43, which is low, which is good.

Your general health,
you know... i-i-is outstanding.

Great. - Your urinalysis is, is great.

So, you're starting off terrific.

Um, I think the worst-case scenario

is that you increase your triglycerides

and your cholesterol level,

and if you have any
heart disease in the family,

or... any... underlying heart disease,

you're putting your heart at risk.

Uh, I expect to see an
increase in your triglycerides,

uh, because that won't, can be affected.

- You're at 87 now, and I think that will change.
- Um-hmm.

And I think that's the only
thing that will change.

- Out of everything?
- Out of everything.

I mean, you know, there
might be some minor variations,

but the body is extremely adaptable,

and the kidneys will handle
any extra salt you're taking in,

and your liver will be able
to metabolize additional fats.

Um, as far as you gaining
weight, you probably will.

As far as your cholesterol
going up, it probably will.

Uh, um, as far as you
feeling miserable, may be.

I don't know.

Um, unless you start cheating
and just order the salads.

I also went to a fancy
new York wellness center

to meet a registered dietitian
who would help track my progress.

Okay, let's start with getting
your height and weight.

- Um, I'm 6'2".
- Um-hmm.

I weight about 185.

For your height, this is a healthy weight.

I can tell you that right now.

Um, your BMI, which is the body mass index,

is within normal limits,
which means you're not obese.

You're actually at the correct weight.

So, what I should do is, I should
keep a checklist of the things that I eat

- for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
- Keep a food log.

Your calorie needs are gonna be averaging

about 2,500 calories a day.

As far as fat goes, for 2,500 calories,

you're gonna want about
80 grams of total fat in a day.

The saturated fat, which
is a component of total fat,

you want to have less than 25 grams a day.

Don't try to overindulge too much.

- Yep.
- Good luck, Morgan.

- Thanks.
- Thank you.

Hi, there. I'm Eric Rowley,
our exercise physiologist.

Great.

The official weigh-in...

185 and a half.

We'll go through
the cardiovascular assessment,

and then I'll be able to calculate

how much oxygen your muscles can utilize,

and that's also an indicator

of what type of condition your
cardiovascular system is in.

All right, good work.

I'm gonna use these skin-fold calipers

to estimate your body density.

You're 11% body fat. that's great.

We're gonna measure your flexibility

of your hamstrings, your
hips, and your lower back.

Good, good. very nice.

38 centimeters was your best.

And there's a basic
you know, old-school test

for muscular strength and endurance.

36. Good job.

You're above average above
average fitness for your age group,

definitely, I'd say. So, you're
at a good spot right now.

More than 60% of Americans
get no form of exercise,

so for the next 30 days, neither will I.

But I'll still have to walk.

How much does the average
American walk a day?

Uh, you know, there's reason to believe

we have these pedometers
that we put on people,

step counters.

You could very roughly
estimate at about 2,000 steps,

because 2,000 would make a mile.

And we know that people
that work in office settings,

um, who drive a car to and from work,

who take an elevator up to that office,

may take as little as 2,500 or 3,000 steps

in their entire day.

If you wanted to feel physically
like a lot of Americans do,

then you'd kinda limit yourself
to about 5,000 steps a day.

Us New Yorkers, we walk everywhere.

We walk to work, to the park, to the store.

Most of us don't even own cars.

The average New Yorker will
walk four to five miles a day...

a day!

That's a lot of walking.

I'll also have the blessing of
being close to a food source

almost everywhere I go.

I walk past three golden arches
just on my way to the office,

three in just over a mile.

There are more Mickey D's in Manhattan

than anywhere else in the world.

This tiny little island
is less than 13 miles long

by 2 miles wide, 22.4 square miles,

and packed into that area
are 83 McDonald's,

nearly four per square mile.

There are twice as many Mac Shacks

as there are Burger Kings,

and there are more McDonald's than KFC,

Wendy's, Popeye's, and Taco Bell combined.

That's a lot of burger.

I know he's gonna do it for a month,

but I think after a week,
he's gonna be really irritated.

I think it's gonna affect our relationship.

You are a vegan chef?

Yes, I'm a vegan chef.

Ugh. I just don't know if I can...

...of course I will. I'll sit next to
him while he eats McDonald's.

Of course I will.

I'm just gonna be
rolling my eyes the whole time.

I have a vegetable tart

and a quinoa and roasted veggie salad

artichokes, and a simple green salad,

all beautiful, organic, fresh vegetables

that you're gonna miss so much.

What am I gonna have that's organic?

In the next month? Nothing. -Nothing?

You're only gonna have
genetically modified potatoes

I'm gonna eat as many
vegetables as I can tonight.

There's plenty here for you.

That's really good.

- Thanks.
- Have they improved their cookies

in the last 10 years?

Last time I had them, they
were like little hockey pucks.

I don't know. We'll see.

It's uh, it's the first day,

and uh, I'm on my way to breakfast.

Could I get uh, an egg
McMuffin extra value meal?

Every 8-year-old's dream right now

that I'm getting ready to fulfill.

I got my egg McMuffin.

That's gonna be
the first thing right there.

This McDonald's delivers for free.

All I did today was leave my apartment,

walk down the stairs,
and walk to the McDonald's,

1,272 steps.

So, we got to go to the corner
and we got to get a cab.

The cabs are gonna add up in this thing.

I can tell already.

I got my scorecard,

and in here, I had one egg McMuffin.

I had one sausage biscuit.

Do you eat fast food?

Once in a while.

- Once in a while.
- Yeah? How often?

I'd say probably once every two weeks.

Ah, three, four times a week maybe.

- In France, yes.
- Yeah.

But here, no. I don't like here.

It doesn't sounds very uh... clean.

And what's your favorite place?

Uh, probably Wendy's.

McDo.

Taco Bell.

Taco Bell.

McDonald's is pretty close.

Do you ever have uh, super sized cokes?

- Uh, no, in France...
- No?

uh, the small size here,
it's a bigger size in France.

Even the small size here, I can't drink.

There are rules to what's going
on here in this whole process.

I will only super-size it if they ask me.

I can only eat things that are for
sale over the counter at McDonald's,

water included.

If McDonald's doesn't sell it,
I can't eat it.

I have to have everything on the menu

at least once over the next 30 days,

and I have to have three squares a day...

breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

No excuses.

Oh, I love Big Macs.

See, this is probably
the first time in a long time

that I've seen a big Mac
that looks like the picture,

that actually almost
looks like the picture.

Look at that.

Big Macs never look this good.

You got to come to Chinatown
for the good big Macs.

Mmm.

You've heard about all these people
who are suing these fast-food companies.

Yes, I've heard of them.

I think it's ridiculous,

but it's uh, it's uh, the American
way to sue for everything.

I'd throw the lawsuit out if I was a judge.

And like I was saying, if these
fast-food places can put their signs up,

if I can walk by them
and just totally ignore them

and say, "I'm not hungry.
I don't need this,"

they can do it, too.

We don't have to go there.
We don't have to shop with them.

We can easily go in
McDonald's and grab a salad,

but we choose not to.

Now, if the McDonald's
refused them service,

they'd be in court again saying,
"we were refused service."

So you can't win if you try in this world.

I think there's a lot of focus
on the fast-food companies

because they are mentioned more

than virtually all the other causes

in most of the articles
and books and studies

about why it's a sudden epidemic.

Again, it can't be
the neighborhood restaurant.

We've had neighborhood
restaurants for hundreds of years.

It can't be the foods we eat at home.

We've been eating at home
for hundreds of years.

Something is very different.

I think the figure is we eat out
something like 40% of our meals.

John Banzhaf is currently spearheading

the attacks against the food industry,

advising many of the lawyers who
are currently going through the process.

People say he's crazy,

but that's what they used to say about him

when he first sued the tobacco companies...

until he won.

I think in terms of responsibility,

it's fair to point
the big gun at McDonald's.

McDonald's is one of the biggest

but, more importantly, it is the one which,

far more than all the others,
lures in young children.

They have the playgrounds,
the closed, indoor playgrounds.

Many places, there are
no other playgrounds.

You've got to take your kid there.

So even at two and three and four,

those kids are being lured into there.

McDonald's is very heavy
on birthday parties.

They, of course, pioneered the happy meals,

now the mighty kids' meals also

with those little "gotta have 'em" toys.

So they get the kids in.

And, of course, the whole
clown. McDonald's has the clown.

A lot of those ads
appeal primarily to kids.

There's a cartoon on TV which features him.

So they, more than others,
lure the kids in.

I think all of us are far more
concerned about the kids.

Another man who is worried
about the kids is Samuel Hirsch.

He represents the two girls
who are suing McDonald's,

with much advisement
coming from Professor Banzhaf.

Why are you suing the
fast-food establishment?

You mean motives besides
monetary recompensation?

You mean you want to
hear a noble cause? Is that it?

Um...

I think that fast foods

are a major contributor to this epidemic.

In 2000, Dr. David Satcher

became the first surgeon general

to draw attention to the obesity crisis,

declaring it a national epidemic.

Now, remember,
we're super-sizing everything.

Uh, you go to any place to buy...

Go to any fast food store,

and they're trained to tell
you to buy a bigger size.

For five cents more,
you can get the super size.

Federal government
will define a piece of meat,

three ounces of meat,
as a sensible portion,

and that looks like a deck of cards.

Few people would be able
to find this deck of cards

if they were served a piece of
meat, a steak, in a restaurant.

It would probably be about
four or five times this size.

One typical bagel that one is eating

that looks something like this

is going to comprise
five servings of bread.

When fast food companies first opened,

they generally introduced one size.

For example, one size French fries

when McDonald's first
opened, called "fries."

that size fries is now called "small."

Medium, large, and super size.

That original size is still here.

It's got about 200 calories.

but the super size is gonna
pack in over 600 calories.

When Burger King first opened,

they had a 12-ounce small
and a 16-ounce large.

This 12-ounce is now kiddy.

The 16-ounce is now the small...

the medium, the 32, and the 42

and this is across the board
with all fast-food places.

Cars have introduced larger cup holders

to accommodate those huge
7-eleven double gulps,

which are 64 ounces, a half gallon,

and hold anywhere from 600 to 800 calories,

depending on how much ice you put in.

A half-gallon of soda?

A half-gallon of soda for one person,

48 teaspoons of sugar.

- Hello, may I help you?
- Yeah, could I get the uh...

the double quarter pounder
with cheese meal?

Large or super size?

I think I'm gonna have to go super size.

Look at that. Look at that coke.

That barely fits in there.

Oh, shit!

I've got a... Look at that.

Look at how big that thing is.

Look how big that French fry is.

That thing is, like, four feet tall.

Double quarter pounder with cheese.

More calories than anything.

There it is, a little bit of heaven.

Mmm!

That's a lot of food, man.

I'll tell you what...

You get all that super sized stuff,

that stuff gets super sized, man...

Look at that.

I just put a...

I'm not even halfway done with those fries.

Not even halfway.

This is like a workout.

See, now's the time of the meal

when you start getting the McStomachache.

You start getting the McTummy.

You get the McGurgles in there.

You get the McBrick.

And then you get the McStomachache.

Right now I got, I got
some McGas that's rockin'.

Are you sweating there?

My arms... I feel like I got
some McSweats going on.

My arms got the McTwitches going in here

from all of the sugar that's
going in my body right now.

I'm feeling a little McCrazy.

Just give me a minute.

I'm in pure McDonald's heaven.

This is gonna be you,
like, after every meal.

Oh!

I'm dying.

Oh, God, that looks so nasty.

It's making me puke.

Ohhh...

You all right?

Yeah.

I believe we live in a toxic-food

and physical-inactivity environment.

That is, we live in an environment

that almost guarantees that we become sick.

Not 100% of people become sick,
but the numbers of people who do

are growing and growing and growing.

I don't believe that "toxic"
is too strong a word, either,

because this... An epidemic of obesity

where 60% of the population is suffering

and record numbers
of children are having this

is a crisis by any standard.

The toxic environment is constant access

to cheap, fat-laden foods.

It's gas stations that sell more
candy and sodas than gas.

It's a nation where there
are more than 3 million

soda vending machines.

That's one for every 97 Americans.

It's a world where people
depend completely on their cars

for transportation

and where walking has become such a chore

that we rely on machines to do it for us.

My stomach feels horrible this morning.

It doesn't feel good at all.

There we go.

I'm getting this really weird
feeling right in my midsection,

basically in my penis right
now, and it's just like this...

It's really freaky.

- That is very odd.
- Yeah.

It could be from the caffeine,

but I'm not, you know, I
couldn't really pinpoint that 100%.

I have a delivery for Mr. Morgan.

$13.39.

$13.39.

I made it over the three-day hump.

You know how when you quit smoking...

I don't know how many of you out there
smoke cigarettes, but you should stop.

I quit smoking.

And there's the, it's the three-day hump.

Three-day... it's the three-day hump

when you quit smoking cigarettes.

If you can make it over those three days

without smoking one cigarette,

if you can make it past
day one, two, three,

if you can make it over
the hump, you're fine.

Same thing with this.
I made it past day three.

I'm all right.

Left unabated, obesity would overtake

smoking as the leading preventable
cause of death in this country.

I was at this meal, and it came up

that one of the people was a smoker,

and somebody else at the table
started hectoring them about it.

"What's the matter with you?
Don't you know how bad it is for you?

It'll do this, that, and the other thing
to you, and you really should stop."

And the smoker, rather
than saying, "Fuck you",

which you know, is mind your own business.

Which, I think, is the appropriate
response, was abashed and defensive.

And he's like "Oh, I tried to
quit," and, "I'm gonna try again,"

and "you're right,
you're right," and so on.

At that same table, there
was a quite large woman,

and I was wondering, what if this guy,

instead of confronting the smoker,

had said to the large woman,

"what's the matter with you, you fat pig?

"don't you know how dangerous
it is to be so overweight?

"Stop eating, for god's sake. And don't you dare
get dessert, and what's the matter with you?"

Uh, same logic.

I'd be hard-pressed to find a distinction

between those two examples.

Okay, so, one is now socially acceptable,

to hector smokers,

but the other one isn't quite yet.

So the question is, at what
point will it become acceptable

to publicly hector fat people

uh, in, in the way that
smokers are publicly hectored?

A secret study by one
of the tobacco companies

had the ominous title, something like,

"brand imprinting
for later actuation in life."

They would buy the little toy cigarettes,

and they'd start play-smoking
them at 4 or 5 or 6.

Wouldn't even notice the pack.

If you asked them what pack
it was, they wouldn't notice it,

but the theory was that
somewhere, it's buried in here,

and then when they get to
the age where they're smoking,

without even realizing it,

they're going for that pack
that they recognize

because it had those nice feelings
for them when they were little kids.

And the same way here,
young, they're satisfied, it's nice,

they remember the warm feelings

of playing and getting the toy,

being with mom and dad.

It's gonna carry through.

That's why when I have kids,

every time I drive
by a fast-food restaurant,

I'm gonna punch my kid in the face

Then we'll never want to come.

One of the most disturbing things uh, to me

is that in the last 20 to 25 years,

we've actually seen a doubling

of overweight and obese
children and adolescents.

And this weight gain has been linked

to countless health problems
later in life, such as...

In fact, if current trends continue

one out of every three
children born in the year 2000

will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

At least 17 million Americans
now have type 2 diabetes,

about one out of every 20 people.

If the diabetes starts
before the age of 15,

you lose somewhere between
17 and 27 years of life-span.

According to the new research,

the direct medical costs associated
with diabetes have doubled.

The direct medical costs have
doubled in the past five years,

from $44 billion in 1997
to $92 billion in 2002.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of
about 20% of the obese children

have elevated abnormal
liver function tests,

and we have now started a study

where we're biopsying these children

to see what their livers actually
look like under the microscope,

and half of them have evidence
of scarring of the liver,

fibrosis of the liver,
the early stages of cirrhosis.

So, when these children
end up being adults,

uh, they're going to end up,

if they don't change their uh,
their eating and exercise habits,

are gonna end up with liver failure uh,

and, well, either transplant or death.

Did you want lettuce and
mayonnaise on all of them?

I think it's very, very hard
for overweight teenagers

because you're always going to see

the thin, pretty, popular girls,

and you can't help but look at them

and think, "I wish I was her,"
or, "I wish I could have that."

And it's depressing.
It makes you feel like crap.

I mean, that's just, that's just how it is,

and, and of course
it's hard being a teenager

because you see all the girls
in the Cosmo girl

are teen people, and they're all beautiful,

and you think, "Aren't I
supposed to look like that?"

And it's just not, it's not realistic.

It's not a realistic way to live.

So, without further ado,
let's welcome Jared Fogle.

My, my good thing was never smoking.

It was never drinking.

Obviously, it wasn't doing drugs.

My big vice was food,

and before I knew it,
I wound up weighing 425 pounds.

I brought in a present for you,

my old pants that are now made
famous in all the subway commercials.

You're welcome.

This is my daughter, Victoria.

She's an eighth-grade honor student,

and you're a real inspiration to the kids.

I really appreciate that.

That's one of the greatest,
I mean, you know, as I said

I started putting my weight on as you
guys know, about third or fourth grade.

And she was real tiny
when she was littler...

Sure. - ...and it's been in our family.

In fact, I had a great-grandfather

that died and was buried in a piano box

years and years ago, so it's a history...

Absolutely.

And so, she's been trying
to maintain her weight.

It's tough. it's always a challenge.

I know, and as you know as a
kid, it's awfully hard these days--

And, and kids are not always kind.

No, not at all. And I know that firsthand.

And it's uh, you know, the problem
is, the world's not gonna change

You have to change.

I guess it's kind of cool to know somebody

or be able to listen to somebody

talk about actually
being where I am right now,

and it's kind of hard

because I can't afford
to go there every single day

and buy a sandwich two times a day,

and that's what he's talking
about, like that's the only solution.

Like, that's what he said worked the best,

but I can't do that.

And I've tried other ways,
and it's kind of hurt my body

from doing other ways
that I've tried to do.

And it's kind of hard
to, like, look at someone

who says, "Hey, I've
done it. So, you can do it."

but it's not that easy.

I'd been sick as a kid.

I grew up eating a lot of ice cream,

more than you can believe.

We had an ice-cream-cone-shaped
swimming pool in our backyard.

We had a commercial freezer with
not only all 31 flavors in it,

but all experimental flavors
that were under development.

And I made myself the official taster.

I had to approve everything, in my mind.

And I loved it. What kid wouldn't?

I mean, I literally
had unlimited ice cream.

I ate ice cream for breakfast.

But I was sick a lot.

And I wasn't very athletic.

You know, I was really ill.

And I didn't feel good.

So I would kind of appease
that by eating more ice cream.

You can see how the vicious
cycle would take place.

One of the triggering factors
for me was my uncle,

Burt Baskin, my dad's partner
and brother-in-law,

co-founder of the company, died
of a heart attack. I think he was 51.

You know, my uncle weighed
about 240 pounds,

heavyset fellow.

And when he died, as a
young man, I asked my dad,

"Do you think there could be a connection

between his fatal heart attack and
the amount of ice cream he'd eat?"

My father said, "No,
his ticker just got tired

and stopped working."

By this time, he had manufactured
and sold more ice cream

than any human being that
had ever lived on this planet.

He didn't want to think that
the product was hurting anybody,

that it had contributed to the death

of his brother-in-law and partner,
and, in many ways, best friend.

I mean, no way.

Ben Cohen, the Ben of "Ben and Jerry's",

a couple years ago, had a
quintuple bypass procedure

at the age of 49.

My uncle, Burt Baskin of Baskin-Robbins,

dies at the age of 51 of a heart attack.

My father, Irv Robbins, the
other founder of the company,

ended up with very serious diabetes.

You can't deny these links.

You just can't.

Yeah, could I get
the two-cheeseburger meal?

Okay, super sized.

Second time.

Mmm.

Thank you, sir.

Thanks, man.

After five days on the McDonald's diet,

what I did was I ran um, three
days' worth of food analysis.

the needs for you to maintain
weight at the 185

that you were at when
you came in, 186 pounds

um, was approximately 2,500 calories. Okay?

- Okay.
- Right now you're getting almost 5,000 calories a day,

the average being 4,986.

I would love for you
to take a multivitamin.

McDonald's doesn't sell multivitamins.

Well, here's my new advice,

is just kind of minimize the meals.

A nice substitute for the hot
fudge sundae would be the yogurt.

That is true, if you get the snack size,

five ounces.

If you get the regular size
without granola,

it contains nearly as many
calories as a strawberry sundae.

With granola, it has more calories

than the hot fudge or caramel sundae.

And if that doesn't make you
think twice about the parfaits,

then how about this?

Hey, there's a big, nappy hair in it!

That's disgusting. I'm
gonna show you how we do it.

You go like this. We go...

Oh, look, it's long, too! Did you see that!

Oh, that's so gross!

Only the finest at McDonald's.

- Here we are at 190.
- It was 186 last week.

192, 193, 194.

No.

We have to stop everything.
I don't believe it.

Hundred and ninety-five pounds.

Wait. -It can't be. We have to redo this.

- That's zero.
- That thing is zeroed.

Second try.

Eighty-eight, 92, 94.

You've gained, actually,
about 5% of your body weight.

Losing and gaining weight
that fast is not healthy.

Do you eat fast food?

- Yes, I do.
- Yeah?

Unfortunately.

Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.
love it, love it, love It!

Love fast food.

Yeah, how often do you guys eat it?

Every week?

Oh, maybe once or twice a week.

We're gonna go hit up
McDonald's in a little while.

At least two times today

you know we ain't had no meal yet today.

We was just pointing towards McDonald's.

I get the number two, the cheeseburger

um, with the super size coke and fries.

Super-size it up! Make it bacon, 69 cents.

That's what they say. "Make it bacon."

- Make it bacon, baby.
- How often do you think people should eat fast food?

I don't know if they should eat it at all.

I don't know if I should, I don't
know about what they should do.

Oh, that's baloney!

It's baloney!

What they need to do is
25 minutes on that treadmill,

work out a little, do some push-ups.

If you do some push-ups when you eat,

you'll keep your weight down.
See, I keep my weight down.

- I hit them push-ups and everything.
- It's baloney.

Keep myself cool.

Who has time to do that? we have to work.

We have to take care of kids.
We have to clean.

So you exercise, you run after your kids.

These are the first McNuggets I've had

in this whole exciting tour of duty.

Look at that glistening in the sun.

Mmm.

Boy, that is miserable.

I'm not sure what portion of the
chicken that's shaped like that.

I'm guessing this is
the foot n the chicken.

In the lawsuit against them,

McDonald's stated in their own defense

that it's a matter of common knowledge

that any processing that its foods undergo

serve to make them more
harmful than unprocessed foods.

Case in point, McNuggets.

Originally created from old chickens

that could no longer lay eggs,

McNuggets are now made from chickens

with unusually large breasts.

They're stripped from the bone

and ground up into a sort of chicken mash,

which is then combined with all
sorts of stabilizers and preservatives,

pressed into familiar shapes,

breaded, deep-fried, freeze-dried,

and then shipped to a McDonald's near you.

Judge Robert Sweet called them

"a McFrankenstein creation
of various elements

not utilized by the home cook."

So, for the past couple days,

which I haven't shared with everybody,

it's been a new thing, is I've
started to have, like, some chest...

not chest pains, but, like, pressure.

You know, I feel like I
got pressure on my chest.

So, uh, I figure that's
probably not a good thing.

But neither's eating all this, so...

I tell you. I haven't smelled bad yet.

- Yeah, you have.
- No, I haven't.

- You just don't know how bad you smell.
- No.

Look at that fish fillet.

Look at this thing.

Oh, God, that looks nasty, man.

Isn't that horrible?

Obviously, that's been
sitting around all day.

That, the Filet-o-Fish.

Ugh.

Shit!

How can I help you?

Can I get the uh, double quarter
pounder with cheese value meal?

Okay, thank you. $4.86.

I don't feel good today.

Not that I feel sick,

but I just feel really depressed,

and you know, for no reason.

I mean, things are going great.

I've had a good day.

I just feel really...

Yeah.

It's not real hard
eating this food all the time,

just because it tastes good,
it makes you feel good.

I really noticed I'll eat some,

and just a little while later,
I'll be hungry again,

and I'll want more, more, more, more.

I'm pretty bored with their menu.

It only took me nine days.

But it's pretty good otherwise.

Nine days.

How many?

How many's the question.

We always ask how many, and
he holds up how many fingers.

That's it. It's always the, "How many"?

- It's just one, one for now.
- -Just one?

As soon as I got my first car,

this is the first place I came to.

Uh, I bought three Big
Macs, ate them out there.

I enjoyed them so much,

and I came back about 5:00
p.m. at night, bought three more,

ate them out there,

came back around 11:00 p.m.
before they closed,

and ate three more,

so the first day I came here,
I ate nine Big Macs,

and it was like I couldn't get
enough hamburger at that time,

and Big Macs are so good,

so I ate 265 in the first month.

How many do you eat a day, usually?

Usually it's two a day.

Okay, now, last year, I ate 741 last year.

Okay, well, that's more than two a day,

so that means there's days I had three,

but that's because they're getting smaller.

Probably 90% of my, my uh,
solid diet is probably Big Macs.

That parking spot, that's where I
asked her if she wanted to get married.

I mean, this place is
special for a lot of reasons.

I had one whopper in my life...

- Yeah.
- 1984.

A guy gave me 5 bucks to eat a whopper.

Once I won it after I ate the whopper,

took my 5 bucks over to
McDonald's, got some Big Macs.

I always make fun of people at work.

They say, "I'm gaining weight." I say,
"Well, you should try the Gorske diet."

- They don't like that.
- They don't like that.

Man, this is a perfect sandwich, you know.

At least for me, it is.

- Mmm, there it is, bite number 19,000.
- Yep.

The wife says when she's got
to put them in a blender, it ends.

You know, that's what she told me.

Big Mac smoothies.

America's been McDonaldized, you know.

It's been franchised out.

It's like one of those
"Flintstones" cartoons

where they had something
rolling in the background.

You kept seeing the same buildings go
by. It's like K-Mart, Walmart, McDonald's,

K-Mart, Walmart, Wendy's, K-Mart.

And it's like you have no sense
of where you're at anymore.

The way I look at it
is Cezanne was inspired

by the mountain he saw out his window,

and when I look out my window,
I see no mountains.

I just see billboards and advertisements,

so I use that as my inspiration.

The average American child

sees 10,000 food advertisements
per year on television.

Ninety-five percent of those
are for sugared cereals,

soft drinks, fast foods, or candy.

A parent who eats every meal every day

for the whole year with their child

and at every meal gives a very
compelling nutrition message

and can bring in cartoon
characters and Michael Jordan,

so instead of selling McDonald's,

he sells oranges

and Britney spears,
instead of selling Pepsi

will, will sell radishes
or lettuce or something...

that parents will have
1,000 cracks at their child,

compared to 10,000 for the food industry.

So it's not a fair fight.

Now, by the time kids are able to speak,

most of them can say "McDonald's."

I'm gonna show you some pictures,

and I want you to tell me who they are.

Okay.

Who's that?

You don't know?

George Washington.

Yeah, who is he?

He, he was the fourth President.

He freed the slaves.

And he could never tell a lie.

Who's that?

Don't know.

- I don't know.
- You don't know?

No.

I don't know.

George W. Bush?

No. That's a good guess, though.

Who is this?

I don't know.

Goldilocks?

I forgot the name, but I think I know.

Yeah? Where have you seen her?

That picture is on the sign.

- Wendy.
- Nice.

Who's that?

McDonald, Ronald McDonald.

- Who is it?
- McDonald.

What does he do?

He was helping people at the cash register.

He works at McDonald's.

I love their pancakes and sausage.

He brings every, all his
friends to McDonald's

for a happy meal.

- Where have you seen him?
- On television, on the commercials.

He's the character that made McDonald's,

and he does a lot of funny stuff on TV.

Companies spend billions

making sure you know their product.

In 2001, on direct media advertising,

that's radio, television, and print,

McDonald's spent $1.4 billion worldwide.

On direct media advertising,

Pepsi spent more than $1 billion.

To advertise its candy,

Hershey foods spent under a
mere $200 million internationally.

In its peak year, the "5 a day"
fruit and vegetable campaign's

total advertising budget in all media

was a lowly $2 million,

100 times less than
just the direct media budget

of one candy company.

Think about the way food is marketed.

T-shirts, coupons, toys for children,

giveaways in fast-food places, place mats,

I mean, just all of the different ways

in which food marketing is ubiquitous.

The most heavily advertised
foods are consumed the most.

No surprise.

Thank you. Come again.

Welcome to McDonald's!

Tomato concentrate, distilled vinegar,

high-fructose corn syrup,

high-fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.

That means sugar.

I'm gonna move over to my salad shaker.

I feel a little sick to my stomach.

This is the best part of the day,

when I get to be fat on the bed
with my quart of coke.

Mm-mm.

People eat out a lot,

and so if there aren't healthy
foods available at restaurants,

and there isn't good nutrition information,

it makes eating out difficult.

McDonald's says nutrition information

for all their products
is available on-line,

but according to the 2000 U.S. census,

more than half of all U.S. homes

still don't have Internet access.

So, what are these people supposed to do?

Go to the stores for nutrition information?

Is that information even there?

I went to find out.

Do you guys have any nutrition fact sheets?

Do you guys have one of those?

The things that fold out
and have nutrition info?

There aren't any over there?

- Or where would they be? Up front?
- Yeah, they should be.

But they got lots of info
about "Dora the explorer live!"

I don't have any in front.

- Let me check in the back, okay?
- That's cool. Thank you.

- Just give me one second. I can't find the booklet.
- Okay.

You can use the one on the wall.

But you don't have ones
you can take with you?

No. - Do you guys have one on the wall?

No sir, they only have like, fliers now.

We had one before.
They don't put it up no more.

- They don't post this any more? Why not?
- I don't know.

Only half the McDonald's in Manhattan

had the nutrition info posted on the wall,

some had the takeaway nutrition charts,

and one in four
had no information whatsoever.

This nice manager brought me
the nutrition wall chart

from the basement.

Thank you... You don't have one that
I could take with me, like a takeaway?

Do you know when you'll have
some of the paper ones again?

No.

John Banzhaf and I looked all
over this McDonald's in Washington

for any nutritional information.

And then we found it.

- Ah-ha!
- Here we go.

Behind here. You'd never see it.

It's right back there.

You can't argue that people should
exercise personal responsibility

and then not give them the
information on which to base it.

I got my chicken group.

There's no chicken group.

- That's my cholesterol group.
- It's protein.

- I got my protein group.
- Carbohydrates.

I got my meat group.

You got meat, meat, sugar, and fat.

I officially had to loosen
my belt the other day from...

I had to go a notch lower.

- One notch?
- One notch.

It's scary.

- I'm an old pro at this now.
- Right.

You'll get sick of this, too, though.

Your girlfriend must be loving you.

She hates me.

- All right, take care.
- Thank you. Bye-bye.

I averaged out all the
calories for the last nine days,

and you're eating... You're still eating

over 200% of what your needs are.

I suggest you cut out all the liquids

that you're drinking from
McDonald's, except for water.

A lot of people who lose
10%, if they're obese,

and they lose 10% of their
body weight, it's it's beneficial.

It can be beneficial in terms of,
you know, blood pressure and so on,

Um, so gaining 10% of your body weight

maybe could be equally non-beneficial.

Here we go. Second weigh-in.

What do you think, Eric? 203?

- About 202, 203, yeah.
- 203?

I think you almost got 10%
of your body weight gained,

so you've pretty much gained 17 pounds

in 12 days.

- You look like it.
- You better slow down.

I'm telling you, don't drink your calories.

I told him no more shakes, no
more coke, no more double burgers.

The staff here's calling you "burger boy."

It's starting to get dangerous now, man.

I'm getting nervous for you.

The one place where the
impact of our fast-food world

has become more and more
evident is in our nation's schools.

Can I get a shot of your lunch right there?

This is where schools turn a blind eye.

The student with the french fries

probably brought a lunch with real food.

The girl with the chips is probably
sharing them with someone else.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Barbara Brown is the field
representative for Sodexo,

one of the countless lowest bidders

that school districts have farmed
outthe feeding of your children to.

Sodexho services more than 400 K-12
school districts nationwide every day,

providing quality food like
little Debbie snack cakes,

Gatorade, and candy bars to your children.

They also operate prisons

and feed thousands of inmates worldwide.

Part of our position is that we're hoping

that through nutrition education,

the students will learn
to make the right food choices

without restricting, uh,
what they can purchase.

At this middle school
in Beckley, West Virginia,

the school lunches don't have
the flair they do in Illinois.

This school does not outsource
their food service,

but they are on the federal
school lunch program,

providing USDA reimbursable
meals to the students,

most of which are reheated,
reconstituted packaged foods.

Some days the amount of
calories in each meal tops 1,000.

So, the USDA sends this food
for you to prepare for kids.

Right. Well, not all of it, now.

You've got sloppy joe
bar-b-que sauce with pork.

From the government.

Whatever happened to cooks
actually cooking?

I don't know what happened.
Too many whiny people.

Yeah?

They don't want to work hard.

It's easy to come in here. This
is the best tool we got right here,

box opener.

- That's your chef's tool, the box cutter.
- That's it.

- Open up a box, serve it, give it to them.
- Yeah.

- Let's look at the things that are cooked.
- Uh, okay.

Here we go Here's a menu.

- Wednesday.
- Mashed potatoes.

Ham. Chili will be homemade.

The chili will be homemade.

And what about the tomato soup?

Uh, Campbell's.

Meatballs?

Comes in-- -Comes in a box. You heat it up.

Out of the course of an entire month,

six out of 36.

- That's right.
- You're only cooking six out of 36 meals?

Appleton Central Alternative High School

is filled with students who have
truancy and behavioral problems.

But they've turned things around.

Not through discipline, but through diet.

We were fortunate to,
uh, kind of stumble across

this healthy program as a
result of, uh, some contact

with Natural Oven and Bakery
of Manitowoc, Wisconsin,

and they believe in low-fat, low-sugar,

non-chemically processed foods

that are free of dyes and preservatives,

uh, full of, uh, whole grains,

a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

We do no beef here at all,

and then it's the method of preparation,

where we don't fry.

A lot of baking and then
just fresh preparation,

as opposed to opening cans or
thawing things out from the box.

We got rid of candy
machines, soda machines,

brought in bottled water,
and it was just a situation

where we saw a major change in the kids.

You know, if you walk through
these halls, and you're here,

these do not look like
at-risk, out-of-control kids.

Their behaviors are better.

Uh, they seem to be more focused.

Uh, teachers will tell you that they
get more out of them in the class.

Keep in mind, this is not a private school.

These are the "trouble kids"
of the public school system

in Appleton, Wisconsin,
that are eating so well.

and it costs about the same

as any other school lunch program.

So my question is,
why isn't everyone doing this?

There's an awful lot of resistance

from the junk food companies that make
huge profits off schools at the present time.

They don't want to get kicked
out of the school system.

They want to be there to
addict the children for life.

The soft drink companies,
especially, boast about

how they're contributing
to America's education,

but what they're doing

is draining money from the community

rather than contributing
money to the community

because the soft drink
companies aren't pumping

those dollars into the machines.

It's the children in the community

who are getting the money
from their parents,

and instead of that money
going directly to education,

the soft drink companies
are taking a cut of it

and walking away rich as a consequence.

We just banned soda in our school district,

and the sugar here shows you
how much sugar a student will drink

in a week of just soda.

Um, forget about
the rest of the food they eat.

And some of these companies
are really opposing the ban

for reasons of that we would lose revenue.

And it's not about money.

It's not about economics.
It's about health.

Ooh.

The McDonald's
Texas home-style burger meal.

That's a, uh, that's a local specialty.

So it's kind of like a big 'n' tasty?

Yes, except the big 'n' tasty
comes with mayonnaise.

Comes with mayo... Oh, then, you know what?

I need the McDonald's Texas
home-style burger meal, please.

- Would you like to super-size it today?
- Oh, yes, I would.

Do a lot of people super-size it? - Yes.

Yeah, say you asked five people.

How many of those five do it?

Actually, I get mostly all of them.

Mostly all of them? So
you're batting about 100%?

I guess.

See that? She's that good.

Deborah's that good.

First meal inside the
restaurant that I went in to get,

and they asked me to super-size it.

We're gonna keep a little tabs,

see how many times they ask me
to super-size it here in Texas,

'cause Texas, out of the top 15
fattest cities in America,

Texas has five.

Here we are, Houston, Texas,
fattest city in America,

getting my first breakfast.

Hi, can I help you, sir?

When it comes to the topic of obesity,

many people are quick to point the finger

at various foods and food companies,

but the grocery manufacturers of America,

a Washington, D.C.-based lobby group,

whose mission is to advance the interests

of the food, beverage, and
consumer products industry,

are quick to shift the focus away

from the companies they represent

and to remind everyone
that there's more at work here

than just eating poorly.

We believe very strongly in our industry,

and in other industries,
I think you'll find

there's a growing consensus

that the solution lies in good education.

We have to get good information to parents

so that they can teach their children

better exercise and nutrition habits

and so they can lead
the healthy lifestyles.

We don't teach physical
education in schools anymore.

In the U.S., only one state

requires mandatory physical
education for grades K-12.

It's also one of The fattest, Illinois.

Got enough for... You got a heart rate?

Phil Lawler is the phys ed teacher
at Madison Junior High School,

home of the soaring war hawks,

the snack-ridden school
lunches we saw earlier,

and one of the most well-executed

physical education programs in the country.

Supported mostly by fund-raising
and parent involvement,

Lawler has created a
role model for instructors

and school districts nationwide.

When's the last time you heard of a
science class fund-raising to get their labs?

Eventually, society
has to step up to the plate

and say, "This is important.

We should have daily physical education

and equip it properly."

We have to say, "Our greatest strength

is the resource of our young people."

That's our future,

and the way we're treating
our resources right now,

we're running into some
serious problems with that.

I've always said we've never
had healthcare in this country.

we've only had "sick care."

I think daily physical education
is the only place out there

that's really offering a solution.

When I start the music,

you are gonna begin traveling
through general space.

You will go back to your spot,

and I will tell you a body shape.

Watch out for other...

People!

Round!

Good job.

How many days a week do the kids
here at this school get to go to gym?

- Once.
- One day a week.

One day a week. For 45 minutes.

- Is that enough?
- No. Nowhere close.

Not when the surgeon general
recommends that, at minimum,

you need 30 minutes
of physical activity a day

to maintain your weight
and a healthy well-being.

So, once a week is nowhere close.

In 2001, President Bush
announced his presidency

with sweeping education reform.

The "no child left behind" act
would now hold states accountable

for not having students who met
minimum education requirements.

Apparently, we were not only
the fattest nation in the world,

but we were quickly
becoming the stupid est.

It may be sending a very
difficult message for schools.

One of the reasons recess is being cut back

in elementary schools, as I said earlier...

That's being cut out so
they can prepare for the tests.

and something I've said to a
couple of groups, it's interesting.

We could end up with youngsters
who can read, but who are fat.

So we have "fat readers."

The more we put mandates on the school,

to be very myopic in their focus,

we mitigate against
all of these other areas

where they should be
devoting time and energy,

including phys ed, nutrition, health.

These are all the things being cut out.

Who in here can tell me what a calorie is?

Something you should watch.

Something you should
watch. You got that right.

Is it the fat that goes through your, um...

What's a calorie?

Oh, Jesus.

A calorie is an increment of, um...

Ugh.

Um, that's a good question.

Most of us know what a calorie actually is.

I don't know. Oh, wait.

Is a calorie some part
of fat? Like... I don't know.

Uh...

It's something that builds up the fat
in your body. Calories are not good.

It's the amount of...

See, I don't know.

I want to say it's the amount of
calories in a calorie. Don't know.

I never pay no mind to what calories are.

I just eat when I'm hungry, and that's it.

If you can tell me
what a calorie is, go ahead.

A calorie is a measure
of the energy content of food,

and a calorie,
the kind that you usually see

when you see the caloric content
on food labels,

one calorie is the amount of energy

that's needed to raise the
temperature of a liter of water

by one degree centigrade.

Well said.

Could I get a bacon,
egg, and cheese McGriddle?

Hmm.

Smells like a little pancake.

Mmm. Tastes like a little pancake.

Look at that.

I haven't walked a half-mile
a day since we've been h ere.

No wonder everything's bigger in Texas

If you're inside, stay there.

The blizzard of 2003 isn't over yet.

I got my lunch.

I got my dinner.

Never have to leave the house.

I'm not gonna completely become vegan

just because you want me to.

I'm not saying you should
do it because I want you to.

I'm saying you need to think about

what you believe is a system

that it is corrupt and immoral
and wrong and hurtful,

but you're gonna be a part of it.

Where is the disconnect there?

Why don't you make that choice?

Why don't I make the choice
to not eat meat?

Yes.

-Um--
-Because you like it.

-'Cause I like--
-'Cause it tastes good

I like bacon. I love pork chops.

Ham is the greatest thing ever.

I'm sure heroin is awesome.
I'm sure it's great.

Heroine and ham are in
completely different categories.

I'm sorry, but ham and heroin
are not the same thing.

They're not.

They're not.

I could be strung out on
ham for days and be okay.

- You are a little strung out.
- And I am strung out on ham.

It's hard for me to watch
him go through this,

I got to tell you.

I worry about his health.

He's exhausted by the end
of the day, just so tired.

He gets home really late from work...

and he gets all jacked up
on sugar and caffeine,

and then he crashes.

And then, when we do
have sex, I got to tell you,

he's not quite as energetic
as he used to be.

I have to be on top.

Otherwise, he, uh...

You know he gets tired easily.

I think the saturated fats

are starting to impede
the blood flow to his penis,

and he's having a hard time,
you know, getting it up.

He does, totally.

It's still good, but it's
definitely a big difference.

There's definitely a difference.

I can tell.

Ugh.

I feel horrible today.

My headache's coming back again.

It feels like somebody's yanking
on the tendons behind my eyes.

My body officially hates me.

All the vitamins that you see here,

vitamin E, Thiamine,
Riboflavin, Riacin, and so on,

are all under 50% of what you need.

You're getting a lot of carbohydrates,

and I know, clearly, that those
are all refined carbohydrates

because those are coming from the
buns, biscuits, hash browns. Okay?

And the sugar.

let's not forget the most
refined carbohydrate of all,

which is coming from your
milkshakes and your coke.

In fact, there are only seven items

on the McDonald's menu that
contain no sugar whatsoever.

French fries, chicken
McNuggets, hash browns, sausage,

diet coke, coffee and iced tea.

Everything else, even
the salads, contain sugar.

I'm telling you, 202.

- Yay, you lost weight!
- I lost a pound!

Oh, thank God.

Muscle weighs more than fat.

You might have lost some muscle
mass and gained some fat mass.

I lost a pound.
Let's go get something to eat.

I was feeling bad in the car,
feeling like shit, really.

I was feeling really, really
sick and unhappy.

I started eating.

I feel great.

I feel really good now.

I feel so good, it's crazy.

Isn't that right, baby?

Yeah, you're crazy, all right.

One fifty over 90.

The headaches might even be hypertensive
headaches, but they're probably not.

They're probably related
to you know, blood sugar.

You might be in
this hyperinsulinemic state.

One fifty over 110.

Your total cholesterol was 165 before.

Now it's 225.

A liver that's inflamed in
any way or sick in any way

will leak some of its enzymes
out to the blood.

So this is very nonspecific,

but it means the liver is sick,

and the most likely cause
of your liver sickness

is a fatty liver.

Your liver is now like pate.

SGOT was originally 21.

- Now it's...
- One thirty.

And SGPT was originally 20.

Now it's 290, a more than tenfold increase.

Not good, not good, not good.

Anybody would say right now
that you're sick.

If you're fatigued with this,

you'll feel lethargic with this,

you'll feel run-down
with this. If, you know...

If somebody were doing this
to their liver with alcohol,

they could theoretically wipe out
all the liver... Wipe out their liver cells

and, and, and they'd be in liver failure.

Now, I've never heard of
anybody doing this to their liver

with a high-fat diet,
but I guess anything's poss...

I don't know. I can't answer the question.

Never, never been done before.

No one's ever wiped out their
liver with a high-fat diet before.

Wow.

And I won't wipe out my
liver in two more weeks?

I would think it would be unlikely.

I don't want to tell you you wouldn't.

My advice to you is to stop
doing what you're doing,

because it's hurting you.

You're sick, and you're
making yourself sick,

and you can make yourself unsick

by stopping doing what you're doing.

I'm just afraid there will be
something that's totally irreversible.

You know, that there will
be some damage done that...

Yeah. I don't know.

So, do they think that
once you change your habits

that that's going to correct itself?

Yeah, they think that everything
should get back on track

once this is done.

Your liver... I've been doing some reading.

Your liver is very resilient,
and your liver heals itself.

So...

Well, if you need a
portion of my liver, honey,

you can have it.

I'll give up part of my liver for you.

Thanks, mom. Thanks.

There's a drug that is used in
emergency rooms, called Naloxone.

It's used for heroin overdose.

A guy comes in
overdosed on heroin, comatose.

He's gonna die.

You inject him with this drug,

and it blocks the opiate
receptors in the brain.

Heroin doesn't work. He wakes up.

If I give that same drug
to a real chocolate addict,

a person just shoveling it in,

You find the most amazing thing.

They lose much of their
interest in chocolate.

They take a bite, they set it back down.

In other words,
it's not taste and mouth feel.

it's a drug effect of the food
within the brain

that keeps us coming back again and again.

You're saying that your mood
goes up once you start eating.

Yeah. Lately, every time
I eat, I feel 100% better.

Ha! So it seems like you're
starting to get addicted to it now.

McDonald's calls people who eat their food

at least once a week "heavy users."

I'm not kidding.

Seventy-two percent of the people
who eat at McDonald's are heavy users.

They also have another category,

the "super heavy user."

These people eat their food

three, four, five times a week and up.

Twenty-two percent of the
people who eat at McDonald's

are super heavy users.

If you look at the menu
at a fast-food restaurant,

they use all of the addicting components.

They'll take a slab of meat,
cover it with cheese,

cheese, of course, which is
filled with the casomorphins,

uh, the opiates that are found
in the cheese protein.

and then they serve it with a sugary soda,

which has the addictive powers of sugar

with plenty of added caffeine.

Now, you might be a 12-year-old kid.

Your brain is no match
for that combination.

In 2002, McDonald's France

took out a full-page ad
in a French magazine

in which a nutritionist
stated, "There is no reason

to go to McDonald's more than once a week."

McDonald's corporate
headquarters in the U.S. freaked out,

saying that this is only one opinion,

and that the vast majority
of nutrition professionals

say that McDonald's food
can be a part of a healthy diet.

So, we thought we'd randomly call some
nutritionists to see what their opinions were

when it came to eating fast food.

How often do you think that
people should eat fast food?

Ideally, never.

Rare to never.

The less, the better. Zero is the best.

Hopefully, no more often than once a month.

If you were stranded on a deserted island,

or if we get bombed with anthrax,

and that's the only food available,

that's the only time
you should eat fast food.

We called 100 nutritionists all over America,

and the results were not on track

with the "vast majority"
McDonald's talked about.

Only two out of the 100

said you should eat fast food
two times a week or more.

Twenty-eight said once a week
to once or twice a month.

And 45 said you should never eat it.

Ninety-five of them agreed
that it is a major contributor

to the obesity epidemic sweeping America.

- Okay.
- Okay? Okay.

Hi, Morgan, how are you?
Bridget Bennett from Health.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you

that Health is gonna have to close
its doors, effective immediately.

I'm sorry to tell you that over the phone.

We're all sort of surprised,
but we will proceed as before,

just not at the integrated Health center.

Okay, Morgan, thanks,
and I will talk to you soon.

Bye-bye.

Apparently, we don't put much
value on health in America anymore.

In fact, each year,
we spend over $30 billion

on diet products and weight-loss programs,

Two and a half times what
we spend on fitness and health.

There are pills, drinks, bars.

You can lose weight while you
sleep, while you watch TV,

and while eating everything you want,

always pushing the newest way
to stay thin without exercise.

Some people, however, feel
that they have tried everything

and see only one remaining option

as their last hope for health.

I'm diabetic.

Eighty percent of the people don't
have to take insulin anymore after this.

- Mm-hmm.
- Plus, I have hypertension.

Hopefully, correct that, lose my
weight, and lose my high blood pressure.

Yeah.

This is Bruce Howlett.

In a few minutes, his stomach
will be surgically reduced

to the size of a small apple
in a gastric bypass operation.

People with hypertension who are obese,

about 75% of them

will get rid of
their hypertensive medications.

Doctors Adam Naaman and Carl Geisler

will be performing the operation.

Together, they have done more
than 500 gastric bypass surgeries,

and with their tandem technique,

they are setting the industry standard,

completing the procedure
in less than 30 minutes

and sending patients home
the following day.

We have established now
that the only procedure

that really cures diabetes
is obesity surgery.

I went blind for a week.

Just went complete... One day
out of the blue, you went blind?

I went to work, got to work,
drove to work that night,

got to work, couldn't read the charts,

and I had to call my
supervisor, tell her I couldn't work

because I couldn't see what I was doing,

and called my wife,
had to get her to ride to work

to pick me up and take me home.

And then once I stopped
drinking the diet soda waters,

got my sugars back down.

I was fortunate enough,
my eyesight came back.

I didn't do that much damage
to them at that time.

I think it's human nature
to seek a drastic solution

only when you're faced
with a drastic problem.

I drank three or four of those a day.

Three or four...
'Cause this is a half-gallon,

That means you were drinking
probably about two gallons of soda a day.

It wasn't unusual, for a two-week time,

we'd buy 50 two-liters of soda water.

- Fifty two-liters every two weeks.
- Mm-hmm.

And I'd probably end up having
to pick him up a couple extra.

- He drinks more than I do.
- Yeah.

I'll go through about one of those a day.

There's some days I go through
three or four two-liters.

A lot of us don't realize the social stigma

that these people face on a daily basis.

One, two, three.

It's, um...

It's, like, 2:00 a.m. in the
morning on February 21.

I, uh, woke up, couldn't breathe.

I'm having really difficulty breathing.

I'm very hot,

and, uh, um,

felt like I was having heart palpitations.

Um...

Came up and, uh,
walked around the living room.

I was trying to get my breath back.

and, uh... I want to finish,

but I don't want anything
real bad to happen, either.

your EKG is normal.

Deep breath.

And out.

Now, listen, I don't have
a ready explanation

for your chest pain.

Would you at least consider
taking aspirin once a day

now that you're on this ridiculous diet?

Uh, maybe. I'll think about it.

Why would you even think about
it? Why wouldn't you just do it?

This is really... You know...

You saw these numbers, right?

These numbers are absolutely outrageous.

For the first time, we're
seeing uric acid elevated,

so you're giving yourself hyperuricemia,

and the danger of hyperuricemia
is gout, kidney stones.

The results for your liver are obscene

beyond anything I would have thought.

- Yeah.
- Truly.

I mean... You know that movie
"Death in Las Vegas",

Nicolas Cage, that pickled his liver

- during the course of a few weeks in Las Vegas.
- Right.

I would never have thought
you could do the same thing

- with a high-fat diet.
- Yeah.

Uh, my advice to you, as a physician,

is that you've got to stop
pickling your liver.

And you're kicking it while it's down now.

Now it's down,
and you're kicking it further.

I mean, if you were an alcoholic,
I'd say, "You're gonna die.

You keep drinking, you'll die."

If the pain starts to radiate
to your jaw or down your arm,

- that's life-threatening, and immediately so.
- Yeah.

So I need to hear about that,
or you need to call 911.

- Okay.
- All right?

- Hello?
- Hello.

- Hi, sweetheart.
- How are you?

I'm good. I'm worried about you.

Yeah.

I had no idea this was gonna
be such a dangerous experiment.

Yeah.

I don't think anybody did.

The doctor didn't even think
it was gonna be this drastic.

- He's floored by it.
- Yeah.

And, um, he doesn't know what will happen.

He says, "Listen, I have no idea."

But, you know, he said that if I
am feeling bad or feeling anything,

to page him, and he'll admit
me immediately wherever I am.

Oh, sweetheart.

Yeah.

I love you so much, and I
don't want you to be hurt.

Yeah, me either.

Me either.

I'll tell you, if you start to get nauseous

and you start vomiting
and your eyes turn yellow,

you have got to go to the emergency room.

- Okay. Okay.
- No matter where you are.

Uh, if you, you know... Again,
if you're not keeping food down

or you're feeling sick to your stomach,

you know, it looks like your liver functions
are getting worse.

My suggestion would be to stop the diet.

- Okay.
- And go back to eating a lower-fat diet,

rechecking the blood
tests in a couple of weeks.

Nobody needs to be
partisan about this issue.

We need fixes, we need
remedies, and we need support.

How much influence on government legislators

does the food industry have?

The food industry is an enormous
business in the United States.

Therefore, it employs very expensive

and well-paid lobbyists,

and those lobbyists are in
Washington for two purposes.

Number one, to make sure that
no government agency ever says,

"Eat less of the company's products."

Number two,

that the government never passes
legislation that is unfavorable.

And I guess the third one is
to encourage the government

to pass favorable legislation.

The GMA is one of those lobbies.

You're going to see us do what we do best,

and that is market appropriately,

uh, uh, finance, uh, education programs,

as we're doing in a great abundance,

getting good information out to
parents so we can solve the problem.

That's what we do in the food industry.

We are... We think that is a
responsible, important role to play.

We are not police. We are not regulators.

We provide a safe,
affordable abundance of food

like the world has never seen.

The food industry and the broadcasters

are extremely powerful lobbies,

and... they out-gun us.

The industry has stepped up to the plate.

We're going to do more. we want to do more.

We recognize we have a role to play.

We're part of the solution.

We're part of the problem,

and we also are part of the solution.

Did everyone hear what he just said?

"We're part of the problem."

The lobbyist for Coke, Heinz,
Smucker's, Kellogg's, Nestle,

Kraft, Hershey's, Sara Lee,
Cadbury, General Mills,

Seagram, Welch's, Wise,
Anheuser-Busch, Birds Eye,

Lance, Campbell's, Carvel, Mars,

Ocean Spray, Hormel, Dannon, and Pepsi

said, "We're part of the problem."

I think we're making some headway.

Good afternoon. Media Line.

Yeah, I wanted to speak to somebody

about scheduling an interview
with Jim Cantalupo.

I can take the information

and have somebody get back to you.

Good morning. Media Line.

Uh, good morning. I wanted to speak to
someone about scheduling an interview.

I can take the information and
have somebody get back to you.

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the united states of America,

for which it stands, one nation,
under God, indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.

- One more time.
- Yeah, what did you do?

I said it. What were you doing?

I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the united states
of America, one nation...

And to the republic for which it stands.

You got me all freaked out!

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the united states of America,

and to the republic, for which it stands,

one nation, under God, indivisible,

and justice for all.

Liberty. Where's the liberty?

- The liberty. Say it.
- I'm so sorry.

Do you want us to keep walking?

What's the Big Mac slogan?

You know, "Two all-beef patties..."

"Special sauce, lettuce, cheese,
pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun."

Yeah, you know that. You know that!

That is a shame! That is a shame!

Welcome to McDonald's.
We're glad you're here.

Hi, can I help you?

Could I get a large vanilla shake, please?

I'm sorry, sir. We don't
have any shakes right now.

- No shakes?
- No.

When will you have shakes, do you think?

Guess that's a never.

At the end of this month,

I'll have eaten as much McDonald's

as most nutritionists say you're
supposed to eat in eight years.

Media Line. This is Sheila.

Sheila, it's Morgan Spurlock calling.

I'm trying to reach Lisa Howard.

Okay, Morgan, I will let her know.

Hi, this is Lisa Howard. I'm not
able to take your call right now.

If you'll leave a message, I'll get back...

Hey, Lisa. Morgan Spurlock calling.

I wanted to follow up
on the e-mail I sent you...

...close to the end of the day, I
didn't know when she was taking off.

Sure. I'll put another message on her desk.

Lisa Howard.

Hi, Lisa. Morgan Spurlock calling.

- Hi. How are you?
- I'm good. How are you?

- I'm okay.
- Good. So you got my e-mail.

- Yes, I got your e-mail.
- Okay.

And I'm circulating it around.

Okay.

I don't have an answer for you.

Any idea when you think you might?

Probably in the next day or two.

Oh, man!

Walking up the stairs has gotten...

It's starting to get really difficult.

By the time I get to the top,
it's really pathetic.

Oh, man!

I've got Morgan's
detox diet all ready to go.

the biggest thing is taking the crap out

and putting good stuff in.

I'm really focusing on nutrient-dense food,

organic, seasonal, fresh food,

making sure that I'm getting as
much... As many cleansing vegetables

into his diet as possible.

Now, after you read what he eats everyday,

and the nutritional information,
'cause I go through it all...

Yeah!

- We're sharing a portion.
- We're splittin'.

- Extra calories.
- Extra calories.

I love you dearly, but you are
a demented man. You're sick.

- Bye-bye.
- See you tomorrow?

Bye!

I can't believe that
tomorrow I'm gonna get up

and not have to go eat McDonald's.

That's it.

Unbelievable.

Whoo-hoo!

Okay.

It just keeps getting bigger.

Wow.

Oh, yeah.

- Oh, boy.
- Two hundred and ten pounds.

I'm gonna say 210, right on the money.

We went from 185.5 to 194...

a week later to 203, then down to 202,

and now eight pounds
during the last week for 210.

I think we know
the damage that can be done.

Lisa Howard, it's Morgan Spurlock calling.

I don't know how many times
we've called her now,

but this has got to be the 15th time.

Lisa Howard, Morgan Spurlock
calling from New York.

Uh, please call me when you get this

and let's talk about what's possible.

You'll not talk to anybody,

and you'll like it that way.

After six months of deliberation,

Judge Robert Sweet dismissed
the lawsuit against McDonald's.

The big reason?

The two girls failed to show

that eating McDonald's food
was what caused their injuries.

Interesting.

In only 30 days of eating
nothing but McDonald's,

I gained 24 and half pounds,
my liver turned to fat,

and my cholesterol shot up 65 points.

My body-fat percentage
went from 11% to 18%,

still below the national average

of 22% for men and 30% for women.

I nearly doubled my risk
of coronary heart disease,

making myself twice as likely
to have heart failure.

I felt depressed and
exhausted most of the time.

My moods swung on a dime,
and my sex life was nonexistent.

I craved this food more
and more when I ate it

and got massive headaches when I didn't.

And in my final blood test,

many of my body functions
showed signs of improvement,

but the doctors were less than optimistic.

I would very, very much doubt

that these numbers will return to normal.

Although it did drop, it was a small drop.

If you kept on the diet,
you'd definitely...

Um, I know that you'd probably
develop coronary artery disease.

...inflammation and hardening of the liver.

Should people eat fast food?

Uh, no.

You know, the answer's no.

It certainly needs to be very restricted

and balanced with, overall, a healthy diet

and, overall, a lot of exercise.

And there's no reason whatsoever

why fast food has to be so disgusting.

Uh, the food...
Fast food can be nutritious.

It's a cheap form of food,

and it does keep you full for a while,

so you get your money's worth.

But unfortunately, you cause
some major harm to your heart,

your liver, your blood.

I wouldn't suggest you continue
the diet for a year to check this out.

I don't think it's appropriate or healthy,

especially with what
showed up with your liver.

- For a year?
- Right.

- So I shouldn't eat this food for a year?
- No, I don't think so.

You know, we see people
who, like, go on an alcohol binge,

and their numbers go up like crazy,

but to go on, you know, a Mac attack...

and they've got numbers to show
that your, it attacks your liver, too.

I would never... Honestly, I
wouldn't have even thought about this.

But it makes sense.

Now that we have the data,
it definitely makes sense.

Still, the impact of this initial lawsuit

is being seen far and wide.

School districts in New York,
Texas, and San Francisco

have banned sugary soft drinks in schools,

and all-natural, healthy options
are popping up everywhere.

McDonald's joined right in,

sponsoring events that showed
how health-conscious they'd become

and creating a new line of premium salads.

At the same time, however,
they also masterminded

one of their fattest sandwiches to date,

the McGriddle, a pancake-wrapped creation

that won my heart in Texas

but can pack as much fat as a Big Mac

and have more sugar than a
pack of McDonaldland cookies.

in fact, their new premium
ranch chicken salad with dressing

delivers more calories than a Big Mac

and 51 grams of fat,

79% of your daily fat intake.

Over the course of my McDiet,

I consumed 30 pounds
of sugar from their food.

That's a pound a day.

On top of that, I also
took in 12 pounds of fat.

Now, I know what you're saying.

You're saying, "Nobody's supposed
to eat this food three times a day.

No wonder all this stuff happened to you."

But the scary part is,

there are people
who eat this food regularly.

Some people even eat it every day.

So while my experiment
may have been a little extreme,

it's not that crazy.

But here is a crazy idea,

why not do away
with your super size options?

Who needs 42 ounces of coke,
a half-pound of fries?

And why not give me a choice

besides French fries or French fries?

That would be a great start.

But why should these companies
want to change?

Their loyalty isn't to you.
It's to the stockholders.

The bottom line, they're a business,

no matter what they say.

And by getting you to
supersize, they make millions,

and no company wants to stop doing that.

If this ever-growing paradigm
is going to shift,

it's up to you.

But if you decide to keep
living this way, go ahead.

Over time, you may find
yourself getting as sick as I did,

and you may wind up here...

or here.

I guess the big question is,

who do you want to
see go first, you or them?

Right now, you have
the urge to eat something.

When it's through,
if you still want to eat,

then you're probably really hungry.

Think about what I'm saying.