This week we watched the movie, “Supersize me” again, about a fellow who takes on the experiment of following a diet of only McDonald’s food for thirty days. He does this to see if that kind of diet actually produces people who fit the then-developing trend of being obese. The movie is almost ten years old but it is still very relevant, for as we know that then-developing trend has now become a somewhat established statistic.
I knew you would want to know the statistics, so here they are: (BMI stands for body mass index, indicating the proportion of fat that exists in your body. The term obesity is used when you are 20% or more above the normal weight for your height).
The first thing to mention is that this data is from 2006, and that it of course has variables. I found out that although Canadians do rate better than Americans, our data is mostly “self-reported” and according to the Public Health Agency of Canada the actual rate from 2007 is more like 25%. In fact, they have a measured rate in 2005 of 25%. That seems to indicate we are not exactly off the hook.
Okay, so this illustration is not quite as graphic as watching someone try to consume one double Quarter Pounder after another, but it does seem to make the point, doesn’t it? Even a country like Germany or France, where there are plenty of rich foods (think of all the charcuterie in Germany, and the beer – in France there is cheese and baguettes and wine) and yet they seem to be living much healthier lives. I don’t know that everyone wants to take up a diet of sushi and other Japanese food, but there is something to that, too, don’t you think?? In the movie the fellow also took on the lifestyle of the average obese person, only walking 5,000 steps per day as exercise. He noted that this meant he had to stop walking as much as he used to, and started to take cabs and use his car more. Perhaps that is part of why the Europeans and Japanese are healthier in weight?
Of course you can argue that too much of anything is not good. Ironically enough though, the one person interviewed in the film who had consumed over 19,000 Big Macs in his life was one of the people that looked reasonably healthy and did not have a high cholesterol rate. It’s not just the food. The girls who tried to sue McDonalds for being the cause of making them obese did not win their suit, as they couldn’t prove their case sufficiently (this is one of the reasons for the film – the judges had said if the plaintiffs could prove eating McDonalds food every day was dangerous, that might make their case).
Fast food is not going away, and the hectic lifestyle we lead is not going to stop either. But I have to say, this was a powerful message for me, how much effect it can have to take something totally to heart (this fellow gained 20 pounds in 30 days, and became very unhealthy, just by mimicking the lifestyle of someone who does eat those kinds of foods). The thing that struck me the most was him mentioning the fact that he was moody and depressed. He was eating more than his body needed and yet once he got used to the diet the only time he felt really good was when he was eating. I was so saddened to think how my relationship with food could be turned inside out if I took the route of eating more fast food (or meals similar to fast food in terms of nutrition).
I love food – I am a self-professed gourmand. But I love the flavours and the colours and the smells and the taste… not just that it fills my tummy up. Even too much of your favourite thing is not good, that we all know. And McDonalds is certainly not the only fast food company. Perhaps the old idea of variety is best? Some fresh food, a walk to the market or even the park, playing a bit of Frisbee or catch with your kids? As spring arrives, let’s all get out there and enjoy the world instead of letting ourselves be eaten up.
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