Super Size Me vs Fat Head

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kittyinaz
kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
in Chit-Chat
So I watched Fat Head last night. It was a movie trying to disprove Super Size Me. They did a pretty good job at it (showing that Morgan's calories just didn't add up to what he said they were), but I did disagree with some of the stuff they said. They said that people aren't stupid and that everyone knows that McDonald's isn't good for you.

Well I beg to differ because I know PLENTY of people (and argued with many as well) that say that McDonalds is perfectly healthy, and they say most fried foods are as well. He tried to make a point by showing that when the clerk asked him if he "wanted fries with that" that he simply said "No, thank you." and then he looked at the camera and goes "See, it's as easy as that." Well, no it's not, sir. Not for people who are addicted to food. It might be easy for HIM, but it may not be "that easy" for some other people.

Have any of you seen this movie (or both Super Size Me AND this movie [Fat Head]??). I ended up having to turn it off because he started pissing me off by saying that everyone on Earth has that common sense that McDonald's isn't good for you. Well, no, not everyone does.

Opinions??
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  • dspearsb
    dspearsb Posts: 186
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    I haven't seen Fat Head but now plan to check it out. I find it unbelievable that someone would argue that just saying "no" is that easy. You have peeked my curiousity.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    I agree with you. Morgan's plan was extreme, but it proved his point. This other show sounds like somebody who is a little too over competitive, bullheaded, & ignorant.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I haven't seen it, only Super Size Me, but I would probably feel the way you do. The point of Super Size Me was to show that the same health effects Morgan Spurlock developed in a short period of time from eating nothing but McDonald's are likely to develop in people who eat that kind of food frequently. And it was also meant to open our eyes about the state of processed foods in general, as well as the stat of our public school's lunches. Morgan's experiment was done more for shock value than actual proof.
  • dnndavie
    dnndavie Posts: 26 Member
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    I've not seen either but I think you hit on a more important note, rather than he is wrong, there are people who think McD's is healthy, there are more people who are simply addicted to food, even food they know or are told is bad for them. Studies have shown that in some people food ignites the same parts of the brain that are ignited when a drug addict takes a hit. So even if they know fast food is bad, it IS hard for them to say 'No, thanks' when the guy behind the counter asks about fries.
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
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    I actually enjoyed Fat Head, we watched it just the other night. I'm not addicted to food so I guess I'm not a good one to be answering. I can say no to something I know is bad for me and I can also make healthy choices, even when bad ones are staring me in the face.
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
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    I've not seen either but I think you hit on a more important note, rather than he is wrong, there are people who think McD's is healthy, there are more people who are simply addicted to food, even food they know or are told is bad for them. Studies have shown that in some people food ignites the same parts of the brain that are ignited when a drug addict takes a hit. So even if they know fast food is bad, it IS hard for them to say 'No, thanks' when the guy behind the counter asks about fries.

    Wow I didn't know that.
  • hotpickles
    hotpickles Posts: 639 Member
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    I haven't watched Fat Head, but I have seen Super Size Me a couple times now. All Fat Head is essentially going to do is give the green light to all this disgusting food because somehow, now it's okay.

    I'll admit I do eat fast food, but in as little quantities as possible. It makes me feel so terrible. I remember in the movie something about how the fast food gives you that high, then you come crashing down a couple hours later. Couldn't agree more!

    I do think it's a dangerous attitude to have for someone who has a food addiction. Sometimes it has to be an all or nothing deal. You either give every little bit of the food up, or you won't be able to stay away from it.
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
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    I haven't watched Fat Head, but I have seen Super Size Me a couple times now. All Fat Head is essentially going to do is give the green light to all this disgusting food because somehow, now it's okay.

    I'll admit I do eat fast food, but in as little quantities as possible. It makes me feel so terrible. I remember in the movie something about how the fast food gives you that high, then you come crashing down a couple hours later. Couldn't agree more!

    I do think it's a dangerous attitude to have for someone who has a food addiction. Sometimes it has to be an all or nothing deal. You either give every little bit of the food up, or you won't be able to stay away from it.

    I've had to give up every little thing that is bad BECAUSE I can't stay away from it. It's much easier for me to say no than to try and eat just a little. I used to think I could drink JUST one cup of coke, but that led to another that led to another. I had to finally just say no more.
  • AmberMagdalena
    AmberMagdalena Posts: 461 Member
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    I haven't seen it. I personally have never met anyone who thought McDonalds was good for them but more they didn't care that is was bad. I'll have to check it out, It keeps coming up on my netflix instant cue
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    I think its important for people to learn HOW to say no.Its not up to the world to change due to someones addictions.I know a little bit about addiction having been a 17 yr drug user(which by the way is half my life)
    Since I quit there have been several ocassions where I have been in the room while people were geting high and I said no.
    you can never truly overcome an addiction unless you learn to have it infront of you and not give in.
    you have to make the choice to not feed your addiction and are not truly over it if you just hide from it. IMO
    So I dont fault him for saying people just need to say no because i agree with it
  • kittyinaz
    kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
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    I do think it's a dangerous attitude to have for someone who has a food addiction. Sometimes it has to be an all or nothing deal. You either give every little bit of the food up, or you won't be able to stay away from it.

    I've had to give up every little thing that is bad BECAUSE I can't stay away from it. It's much easier for me to say no than to try and eat just a little. I used to think I could drink JUST one cup of coke, but that led to another that led to another. I had to finally just say no more.

    This time around I've noticed that I have a bit more self control. I really think the site has helped me (or maybe just loggiing calories in general). Normally, I was like that as well - "I'll just have this one...ok well there's another in the fridge and I was saving it for tomorrow butttt......"

    It's hard. It is very hard, especially for people who are addicted to food. I was/am not an emotional eater. Food just tastes freaking good!! Even after a month of eating perfectly healthy except for chocolate here and there I still have STRONG urges to go out and buy a big ol' cheesy pizza. And to be honest, I have a fight with myself on whether or not to do it. But then I think "Do I really wanna log these calories?" lol

    The movie is definitely worth watching, and I may watch the rest of it some day, but it was pissing me off so bad lol... I wanted to smack him. I mean he did make many valid points, but also made many stupid ones.
  • wolf23
    wolf23 Posts: 4,176 Member
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    I have not seen "Fat Head" but you have peaked my curiosity. I did see "Super Size Me" some time ago. I remember while watching it, it brought up some valid points that the everyday consumer may not be aware of, such as the sodium and fat content, along with the difference in the size of the products over the years.

    At the same time I thought the movie was pushing his agenda to extreme. Nobody holds a gun to anybody's head and forces them to eat fast food. It is up to the individual to educate themselves and take accountability for their actions and their health.

    Healthy people live with the same fast food restaurants on practically every corner and shop at the same stores as everyone else and I realize that some people are at a disadvantage depending on the circumstances in which they were raised, but there comes a point when one is an adult and looks in the mirror and decides to take accountability. Those who suffer with addictions are at a disadvantage, but with the proper tools and resources (such as this site) they can be successful and take control of their addictions instead of the other way around.
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
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    I haven't seen the movie but where you find one side of a spectrum (Super Size Me) you will always find the other end (Fat Head) trying to disprove the idea. Unfortunately, it's really a political pi**ing match. It's very sad that health has become tangled in the battle between left and right. I could go on and on but this isn't the forum for it.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    im watching it right now and tend to agree with most of what he is saying Mc.Donalds dosent have to change....we do.
  • kittyinaz
    kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
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    im watching it right now and tend to agree with most of what he is saying Mc.Donalds dosent have to change....we do.

    Don't get me wrong, I agree too with that point. The part that pissed me off was that he kept saying that -everyone- knew fast food was unhealthy. I have a daily argument with my boyfriend who says I could eat pizza all day long and its good for m as long as I work out enough to burn the calories. Some people just don't get that not all food is good for you.
  • verdictjr
    verdictjr Posts: 1
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    I suggest that you do watch and finish Fat Head. Why would you be offended by him saying that? Who's responsibility it to choose what we put in our body? It both mine and yours. Most of the film revolves around doctors and other professionals talking about how cholesterol, carbs, (sugars), fat, etc., and explaining how they work in your body. In fact I would suggest you watch both Super Size me and come up with your own opinion.

    At the end of the day no one makes you eat, drink, snort or inject anything. The first step, whether is be food or drugs, is a that you you take responsibility for your own actions. I do speak from experience by the way in all of those excluding shooting up. If we continue to blame advertising or other people then we will always have a problem. At the end of the day all of the fast food places, can and will be available, as they should be. They run a bussines and guess what their priority is to make money. We live in a free market (kinda). I would rather have choices rather then regulations. Thats what makes this great country just that -GREAT! At least so far.
  • semplan
    semplan Posts: 1
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    The simply 'Saying No' part was only a small part of the movie.

    The bigger issue Fathead was trying to get at was we've been fed a lie that Saturated animal Fat is what's bad for us, when it turns out that sugar and to some extent grains are what's fattening. All of the things that were suppose to make us thin (like Snackwells) is worse than what we were eating before. Corn and Crisco are not what the human body was built to run on. It's much better to get animal fat, coconut fat and fruits and vegetables. His point is well backed up. Google: bitter truth about sugar

    It's certainly worth a watch all the way through even if you don't share his belief that people can take care of themselves.
  • mawhite717
    mawhite717 Posts: 202 Member
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    i actually watched fat head yesterday too!! i agree more with the fat head guy than i do morgan spurlock. morgan REALLY took it to the extreme, i thought. all the fat head guy was saying is that you can still eat fast food and still lose weight AS LONG AS YOU KEEP IT UNDER YOUR CALORIES and yes, you do still have to get some exercise in. there were a few things i didnt agree with, but for the most part i agree with him more so than morgan spurlock.
  • Cindy311
    Cindy311 Posts: 780 Member
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    I enjoyed fat head. You can watch either of the mentioned documentaries and points will made that make lots of sense or none at all.
  • rachpiper720
    rachpiper720 Posts: 204
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    "Fathead" was a tremendous eye-opener for me. Had you finished the movie, he actually went into the science of why people crave crap food and the mechanisms of why we get fat from it. It wasn't just to show-up Morgan Spurlock, support fast food, or show that people know that fast food is bad for them. For those of you unwilling to have an open mind and watch it, there is a lot of "science" out there on which our food pyramid and a great portion of weight loss strategies are based. The science is FLAWED.

    Tom Naughton is one of the few people willing to buck the trend and break down the science. I highly suggest for those of you out there really concerned about heart disease, diabetes, weight loss, and high cholesterol to watch this, and then DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Think critically about what is out there and if it makes sense to you.

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