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{{Short description|2004 documentary film by Morgan Spurlock}}
{{For|the ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' episode|Supersize Me (Beavis and Butt-Head){{!}}Supersize Me (''Beavis and Butt-Head'')}}
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{{Infobox film
| name           = Super Size Me
| image          = <noinclude>Super Size Me Poster.jpg</noinclude>
| alt            = An image of Morgan Spurlock having his mouth stuffed with French fries. Film accolades are seen in the poster along with the credits and film titles at the bottom.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Morgan Spurlock]]
| producer       = Morgan Spurlock
| writer         = Morgan Spurlock
| starring       = Morgan Spurlock<br />Alexandra Jamieson
| music          = [[Steve Horowitz]]
| cinematography = Scott Ambrozy
| editing        = Julie "Bob" Lombardi
| studio         = The Con
| distributor    = {{ubl|[[Samuel Goldwyn Films]]|[[Roadside Attractions]]}}
| released       = {{Film date|2004|05|07}}
| runtime        = 98 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $65,000<ref>{{cite web |first=Christina |last=Lee |title=Super Size Me |url=http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue9/supersizeme.html |work=The Film Journal |year=2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512124655/http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue9/supersizeme.html |archive-date=May 12, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="the_numbers">{{cite web |website=The Numbers |title=Super Size Me |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2004/SIZEM.php |publisher=Nash Information Services|access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref>
| gross          = $22.2 million<ref name="the_numbers"/>
}}

'''''Super Size Me''''' is a 2004 American [[documentary film]] directed by and starring [[Morgan Spurlock]], an American [[independent film]]maker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he claimed to consume only [[List of McDonald's products|McDonald's food]], although he later disclosed he was also [[Alcohol abuse|abusing alcohol]]. The film documents the drastic change on Spurlock's physical and psychological health and well-being. It also explores the [[fast food]] industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor [[nutrition]] for its own profit and gain. 

The film prompted widespread debate about American eating habits and has since come under scrutiny for the accuracy of its science and the truthfulness of Spurlock's on-camera claims.

Spurlock ate at [[McDonald's]] restaurants three times a day, consuming every item on the chain's menu at least once. Spurlock claimed to have consumed an average of 20.9 [[Joule|megajoules]] or 5,000 [[Food energy|kcal]] (the equivalent of 9.26 [[Big Mac]]s) per day during the experiment. He also walked about 2 [[kilometer]]s (1.5 miles) a day. An intake of around 2,500 kcal within a healthy balanced diet is more generally recommended for a man to maintain his weight.<ref>{{cite web |title=What should my daily intake of calories be? |url=http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1126.aspx?categoryid=51 |website=[[NHS]] |date=June 27, 2018 |access-date=2022-08-28 |archive-date=October 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020214121/http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1126.aspx?categoryid=51 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the end of the experiment the then-32-year-old Spurlock had gained {{convert|24.5|lbs|kg}}, a 13% body mass increase, increased his [[cholesterol]] to 230&nbsp;mg/dL (6.0&nbsp;mmol/L), and experienced [[mood swing]]s, [[sexual dysfunction]], and fat accumulation in his liver.

The reason for Spurlock's investigation was the increasing spread of [[obesity in the United States|obesity throughout US society]], which the [[Surgeon General of the United States|Surgeon General]] has declared an "epidemic", and the corresponding lawsuit brought against McDonald's on behalf of two overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonald's food (''[[Pelman v. McDonald's Corporation]], 237 F. Supp. 2d 512'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/food/pelman01.htm |title=McFat Litigation I – Pelman v. McDonald's Corp., 237 F.Supp.2d 512 (S.D.N.Y. Jan 22, 2003) |date=January 22, 2003 |website=The Climate Change and Public Health Law Site, Louisiana State University |access-date=December 31, 2012}}</ref> Spurlock argued that, although the lawsuit against McDonald's failed (and subsequently many state legislatures have legislated against product liability actions against producers and distributors of "fast food"), as well as the [[McLibel case]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.againstthegrainnutrition.com/newsandnotes/2008/08/12/supersize-me-and-mclibel-more-movies-that-go-against-the-grain/ |title='Supersize Me' and 'McLibel' – More Movies that Go Against the Grain |last=Smith |first=Melissa Diane |date=August 12, 2008 |website=Against the Grain Nutrition}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/story.html |title=The McLibel Trial Story |website=McSpotlight |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010119025000/http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/story.html |archive-date=January 19, 2001}}</ref> much of the same criticism leveled against the [[tobacco industry|tobacco companies]] applies to fast food franchises whose product is both physiologically addictive and physically harmful.<ref>{{cite book |title=Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings and Seven Steps to End Them Naturally |url=https://archive.org/details/breakingfoodsedu00barn |url-access=registration |last=Barnard |first=Neal |date=June 2003 |location=New York City |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |isbn=978-1-42997-058-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/fast-food-is-addictive-in-same-way-as-drugs-say-scientists-607073.html |date=January 30, 2003 |title=Fast food is addictive in same way as drugs, say scientists |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |location=London, UK |first=Jeremy |last=Laurance |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511080004/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/fast-food-is-addictive-in-same-way-as-drugs-say-scientists-607073.html |archive-date=May 11, 2010}}</ref>

The documentary was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]],<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/301680/Super-Size-Me/details |title=Super Size Me |access-date=November 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216215948/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/301680/Super-Size-Me/details |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2009 |archive-date=February 16, 2009}}</ref> and won [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay|Best Documentary Screenplay]] from the [[Writers Guild of America Awards 2004|Writers Guild of America]].<ref name="wga">{{cite web|title=WGA serves up 1st doc kudo to 'Super'|url=https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/wga-serves-up-1st-doc-kudo-to-super-1117918019/|website=variety.com|publisher=Variety|access-date=2022-08-28|last=Spurlock|first=Helmer|date=15 February 2005}}</ref> A comic book related to the movie has been made with [[Dark Horse Comics]] as the publisher containing stories based on numerous cases of fast food health scares.<ref>{{cite web |last=Slaton |first=Joyce |title=Coming Soon: Super Size Me, the Comic Book |url=http://www.chow.com/media/7944 |website=Chow.com |date=July 23, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-05-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511104419/https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/7944/coming-soon-super-size-me-the-comic-book/}}</ref> 

Spurlock released a sequel, ''[[Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!]]'', in 2017.<ref name=holychicken>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/super-size-me-2-holy-chicken-review-morgan-spurlock-1202557760/ |title=Toronto Film Review: 'Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!' |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |date=September 14, 2017 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref>

==Synopsis==
As the film begins, Spurlock is in above-average physical shape, according to his personal trainer. He is seen by three [[physicians]] ([[cardiologist]] Stephen Siegel, [[gastroenterologist]]/[[hepatology|hepatologist]] Lisa Ganjhu, and [[general practitioner]] Daryl Isaacs), as well as a [[nutritionist]] and a [[personal trainer]]. All of the health professionals predict the "McDiet" will have unwelcome effects on his body, but none expect anything too drastic, as his cardiologist Dr. Stephen Siegel cites the [[human body]] as being "extremely adaptable". Prior to the experiment, Spurlock ate a varied diet but always had [[vegan]] evening meals to accommodate his girlfriend, Alexandra, a vegan chef. At the beginning of the experiment, Spurlock, who stood {{convert|6|ft|2|in|cm}} tall, had a body weight of {{convert|185|lbs|kg}}.

===Experiment===
[[File:McDonald's Super Size products.jpg|thumb|In the experiment, Spurlock must upgrade his portion to Super Size if it is suggested by the cashier.]]
Spurlock made rules for himself governing his eating habits:
* He will fully eat three McDonald's meals daily: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
* He will consume every item on the McDonald's menu at least once over the course of the 30 days (he managed this in nine days).
* He will ingest only items offered on the McDonald's menu, including [[bottled water]]. All outside consumption of food is prohibited.
* He will [[Supersize|Super Size]] the meal if offered (as [[upselling]]), but not by his own request. (He Supersized a total of nine times, five times while in Texas and four times while in New York).
* He will attempt to walk about as much as a typical United States citizen, based on a suggested figure of 5,000 standardized distance steps per day,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.verywellfit.com/how-many-steps-per-day-are-enough-3432827|title=How Many Steps Should You Aim for Each Day?|date=2020-12-09|last=Bumgardner|first=Wendy|publisher=VeryWellFit|access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref><ref name=film>{{cite AV media | people=Mark Fenton (Former ''Walking Magazine'' editor; Morgan Spurlock (director, producer, star)| date=2004 | title=Super Size Me| type=Motion picture}}<!--Figured supplied by Mark Fenton in a scene from the movie--></ref> but he did not closely adhere to this, as he walked more while in [[New York City|New York]] than in [[Houston]].

On February 1, Spurlock started the month with breakfast near his home in [[Manhattan]], where there were an average of four McDonald's locations (and 66,950 residents, with twice as many commuters) per square mile (2.6&nbsp;km²). He aimed to keep the distances he walked in line with the 5,000 steps (approximately {{convert|2|mi|km}}) walked per day by the average American.

The second day brought Spurlock's first (of nine) Super Sized meals, which he ate at the McDonald's on 34th Street and Tenth Avenue. It consisted of a [[Quarter Pounder|Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese]], Super Size French fries, and a 42-ounce [[Coca-Cola]], which took him 22 minutes to eat. He experienced steadily increasing stomach discomfort during the process, and then finally [[vomiting|vomited]] in the McDonald's parking lot.

After five days, Spurlock gained {{convert|9.5|lb|kg}} (from 185.5 to about 195 pounds). It was not long before he found himself experiencing [[depression (mood)|depression]], and he claimed that his bouts of it, along with [[lethargy]] and [[headache]]s, could be relieved by eating a McDonald's meal. His gastroenterologist, Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, described him as being "addicted". At his second weigh-in he had gained another {{convert|8|lb|kg}}, putting his weight at {{convert|203.5|lb|kg}}. By the end of the month he weighed about {{convert|210|lb|kg}}, an increase of about {{convert|24.5|lb|kg}}. Because he only wanted to eat McDonald's food, Spurlock refused to take any medication at all. At one weigh-in, Spurlock had ''lost'' 1&nbsp;lb. from the previous weigh-in, and a [[nutritionist]] hypothesized that he had lost [[muscle mass]], which weighs more than an identical volume of fat. At another weigh-in a nutritionist said Spurlock had gained {{convert|17|lb|kg}} in 12 days.

Spurlock's then-girlfriend, Alexandra Jamieson, attested to the fact that Spurlock lost much of his energy and [[libido|sex drive]] during his experiment. It was not clear at the time whether or not Spurlock would be able to complete the entire month of the high-fat, high-[[carbohydrate]] diet, and his family and friends began to express concern.

On Day 21, Spurlock had heart [[palpitations]] and liver damage. His [[internist]], Dr. Daryl Isaacs, advised him to stop what he was doing immediately to avoid any serious health problems. He compared Spurlock with the protagonist played by [[Nicolas Cage]] in the movie ''[[Leaving Las Vegas]]'', who intentionally drinks himself to death in a matter of weeks. Despite this warning Spurlock decided to continue the experiment.

On March 2, Spurlock reached day 30 and achieved his goal.  His physicians were surprised at the degree of deterioration in Spurlock's health. He noted that he has eaten as many McDonald's meals as most nutritionists say the ordinary person should eat in eight years. (He ate 90 meals, which is close to the number of meals consumed once a month in an eight-year period.)

===Findings===
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2014}}
The documentary's end text states that it took Spurlock five months to lose {{convert|20.1|lb|kg}} and another nine months to lose the last {{convert|4.5|lb|kg}}. His then-girlfriend Alex, now his ex-wife, began supervising his recovery with a [[vegan]] "[[detox diet]]", which became the basis for her book ''The Great American Detox Diet''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jamieson |first=Alex |title=The Great American Detox Diet |website=HowToBeFit.com |url=http://www.howtobefit.com/great-american-detox-diet.htm |access-date=May 15, 2007}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=This source is an intro to the book itself, which does not mention Spurlock or his weight loss|date=January 2023}}

The movie ends with a [[rhetorical question]], "Who do you want to see go first, you or them?" This is accompanied by a cartoon tombstone, which reads "[[Ronald McDonald]] (1954–2012)", which originally appeared in ''[[The Economist]]'' in an article addressing the ethics of marketing to children.<ref name=film/><!--Spurlock, in audio commentary track-->

A short epilogue showed that the salads can contain even more fat and calories than burgers if the customer adds liberal amounts of cheese and dressing before consumption. It also described McDonald's discontinuation of the [[Supersize|Super Size]] option six weeks after the movie's premiere, as well as its recent emphasis on healthier menu items such as salads, and the release of the new "[[Happy Meal#2004 Active Fit Happy Meal|Go Active! Adult Happy Meal]]." McDonald's denied that these changes had anything to do with the film.<ref>{{Cite web|title=McDonald's phasing out Supersize fries, drinks|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4433307|access-date=2022-08-28|date=2004-03-02|website=[[NBC News]]|language=en}}</ref>

==Reception==
''Super Size Me'' premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where Morgan Spurlock won the Grand Jury Prize for directing the film.<ref>{{cite book |title=Don't Eat This Book |url=https://archive.org/details/donteatthisbookf00spur_0 |url-access=registration |last=Spurlock |first=Morgan |date=2005 |location=New York City |publisher=G.P. Putnam Sons |page=[https://archive.org/details/donteatthisbookf00spur_0/page/245 245]|isbn=9780399152603 }}</ref> The film opened in the US on May 7, 2004, and grossed a total of $11,536,423 worldwide, making it the 7th highest-grossing documentary film of all time.<ref name="box office">{{cite web |title=Documentary Movies, 1982–Present |website=Box Office Mojo |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=documentary.htm |access-date=May 15, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705050516/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=documentary.htm}}</ref> It was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]], but lost to the film ''[[Born into Brothels]].'' It did, however, win the award for [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay|Best Documentary Screenplay]] from the [[Writers Guild of America Awards 2004|Writers Guild of America]].<ref name="wga" />

The film holds a 92% rating on the film review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 171 reviews, with an average rating of 7.73/10. The consensus calls the film an "entertaining doc about the adverse effects of eating fast food."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/super_size_me|title=Super Size Me (2004)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 37 critics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/super-size-me|title = Super Size Me|website = [[Metacritic]]|date=2004-05-07|access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref>

''Super Size Me'' received [[At the Movies (1986 TV program)#Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down|two thumbs up]] on ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper]]''. Caroline Westbrook for ''[[BBC News]]'' stated that the hype for the documentary was proper "to a certain extent", because of its serious message, and that, overall, the film's "high comedy factor and over-familiarity of the subject matter render it less powerful than other recent documentaries – but it still makes for enjoyable, thought-provoking viewing."<ref>{{cite web |title=Review: Super Size Me |first=Caroline |last=Westbrook |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3637686.stm |website=[[BBC News]] |date=September 10, 2004 |access-date=May 20, 2012}}</ref> One reviewer said "he's telling us something everyone already knows: Fast food is bad for you."<ref>{{cite news |last=Muller |first=Bill |title=Super Size Me |newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]] |url=https://www.internalizeweightloss.com/ent/movies/articles/supersize|date=2004-05-28 |access-date=April 30, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-date=2019-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825200011/https://www.internalizeweightloss.com/ent/movies/articles/supersize}}</ref>

Robert Davis of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' said the film accomplished some of its goals and addressed an important topic, but, at the same time, sometimes looked more like a publicity stunt than a documentary. He primarily criticized the dramatic and unscientific approach of ''Super Size Me'', saying Spurlock unnecessarily ate more than he had to and ignored his nutritionist's advice. Davis explained he would have been more interested had the documentary been about trying to eat as healthy as possible at McDonald's: "You could choose low-fat options, but it would be impossible to get enough vegetables and fiber, and the low-fat meal would be incredibly bland, the product of a system that has worked to optimize food delivery and consistency and, in doing so, has invented foods so devoid of flavor that they require dressings, oils, beef tallow and goopy coatings to make them more than just textured blobs. The industry has worked hard to convince consumers that these odd, sweet flavors are not only good but also unique, recognizable parts of a brand. Spurlock doesn't attempt to convey this message, presumably because the affects{{sic}} of too few vegetables and too little fiber aren't as dramatic as speedy weight-and-cholesterol gains."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Davis |first=Robert |title=Super Size Me, directed by Morgan Spurlock |date=July 20, 2004 |url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/07/super-size-me.html |magazine=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref>

McDonald's UK responded that the author intentionally consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day and did not exercise, and that the results would have been the same regardless of the source of overeating.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mcdonalds.co.uk/pages/global/supersize.html |title=McDonald's UK position on 'Super Size Me' |date=August 2004 |website=McDonald's UK |access-date=April 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012135323/http://mcdonalds.co.uk/pages/global/supersize.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Counter-claims===
In his reply documentary ''[[Fat Head]]'', Tom Naughton "suggests that Spurlock's calorie and fat counts don't add up" and noted Spurlock's refusal to publish the ''Super Size Me'' food log. The ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' reports: "Unlike Spurlock, Naughton has a page on his Web site that lists every item (including nutritional information) he ate during his fast-food month."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chron.com/life/hoffman/article/Ordering-up-some-food-for-thought-1627633.php |title=Ordering up some food for thought |first=Ken |last=Hoffman |newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=January 15, 2008|access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref>

After eating exclusively at McDonald's for one month, Soso Whaley said, "The first time I did the diet in April 2004, I lost 10 pounds (going from 175 to 165) and lowered my cholesterol from 237 to 197, a drop of 40 points." Of particular note was that she exercised regularly and did not insist on consuming more food than she otherwise would. Despite eating at only McDonald's every day, she maintained her caloric intake at around 2,000 per day.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2005/06/soso-so-good-interview/ |title=Soso, So Good |date=June 23, 2005 |magazine=[[National Review]] |access-date=March 2, 2024}}</ref>

After John Cisna, a high school science teacher, lost 60 pounds while eating exclusively at McDonald's for 180 days, he said, "I'm not pushing McDonald's. I'm not pushing fast food. I'm pushing taking accountability and making the right choice for you individually... As a science teacher, I would never show ''Super Size Me'' because when I watched that, I never saw the educational value in that... I mean, a guy eats uncontrollable amounts of food, stops exercising, and the whole world is surprised he puts on weight? What I'm not proud about is probably 70 to 80 percent of my colleagues across the United States still show ''Super Size Me'' in their health class or their biology class. I don't get it."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/08/meet_the_science_teacher_who_l.html |title=Meet the science teacher who lost 60 pounds eating nothing but McDonald's three meals a day |last=Carlton |first=Bob |date=August 12, 2015 |website=[[al.com]] |access-date=19 November 2018}}</ref>

As a counterpoint, the film features interviews with [[Big Mac]] aficionado and [[world record|record holder]] [[Don Gorske]], who eats multiple Big Macs each day, yet maintains a healthy weight and cholesterol levels, as well as good mental health.

A 2006 study on fast food consumption by healthy individuals inspired by the documentary showed that, while the heavy diet does affect liver enzymes, it did not show the same dangerous effect shown in the documentary. This suggested that the extreme reaction must have had another cause.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Only another 5,500 calories to go ... |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/sep/07/healthandwellbeing.health |last=Blomkvist |first=Mårten |date=2006-09-07 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Fast-food-based hyper-alimentation can induce rapid and profound elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase in healthy subjects |journal=[[Gut (journal)|Gut]] |last=Kechagias |first=Stergios |date=2008-02-14 |volume=57 |issue=2008 May 57(5) |pages=649–654 |doi=10.1136/gut.2007.131797 |pmid=18276725 |pmc=2565580 }}</ref> In 2017, Spurlock – who previously told his doctors he did not drink – admitted to [[alcohol abuse|copious amounts of alcohol consumption]] during the making of the film. Documentary filmmaker [[Phelim McAleer]] questioned whether this may better account for Spurlock's liver issues and other health problems, since it is uncertain whether he changed his alcohol intake during the experiment.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Big Mac Attack, or a False Alarm? |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-big-mac-attack-or-a-false-alarm-1527114255 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date = May 23, 2018|access-date=2024-01-26}}</ref>

==Impact==
Six weeks after the film's debut, McDonald's discontinued its supersize portions, although they claimed the decision had nothing to do with the film itself.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sensible Politics: The Visual Culture of Nongovernmental Politics|last=McLagan|first=Meg|chapter=Imagining Impact: Documentary Film and the Production of Political Effects|editor-last1=McLagan|editor-first1=Meg|editor-last2=McKee|editor-first2=Yates|publisher=Zone Books|page=304}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, McDonald's publicized a website which included a response to and criticisms of the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.supersizeme-thedebate.co.uk/ |title=Super Size Me - The Debate |website=McDonald's UK |access-date=February 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202013552/http://www.supersizeme-thedebate.co.uk/ |archive-date=February 2, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In theaters in the UK, the company placed a brief ad in the film's trailers, pointing to the URL and stating, "See what we disagree with. See what we agree with."

Internationally, ''Super Size Me'' was a major success in the box office of Australia.<ref name="Cengage Learning Australia">{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ksS-mYb7kbAC&q=super%2520size%2520me&pg=PA67 |chapter=Super Size Me: A comparative analysis of responses to crisis by McDonald's' America and McDonald's Australia |title=Public Relations Issues and Crisis Management |publisher=Cengage Learning Australia |date=January 1, 2005 |pages=67–78 |isbn=0170122700}}</ref>  McDonald's in Australia responded with an advertising campaign that included three elements: two advertisements for TV and one produced to be shown in movie theaters.<ref name="Cengage Learning Australia"/>

The film was the inspiration for the [[BBC]] television series ''[[The Supersizers...]]'' in which the presenters dine on historical meals and take medical tests to ascertain the impact on their health.<ref>{{cite web|last=Roberts |first=Rachel |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/interview-sue-perkins-and-giles-coren-gluttons-punishment-2460351|title=Interview: Sue Perkins and Giles Coren – Gluttons for punishment|newspaper=The Scotsman |date=June 10, 2009|access-date=2022-08-28}}</ref>

The film was also the inspiration for the 2007 documentary film ''[[Super High Me]]'', directed by Michael Blieden. The film follows [[Doug Benson]], a comedian and cannabis enthusiast, as he becomes the subject to a multitude of tests designed to measure the physical and mental impacts of, first, not smoking cannabis for 30 days, and then smoking non-stop for 30 days. The poster for the movie was modeled after one of the promotional posters from ''Super Size Me''.

The premise of the 2011 documentary ''[[Forks Over Knives]]'' was to create the "reverse" of ''Super Size Me'', where the film's director "goes on this diet and gets better, instead of getting fatter and sicker".<ref name=reverse>{{cite news|last1=|first1=|title=An Oral History of Forks Over Knives, the Film That's Been Changing Lives for a Decade|url=https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/oral-history-forks-over-knives-documentary-film/|work=Forks Over Knives|date=6 May 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Film|Food}}
* [[Criticism of fast food]]
* [[National Weight Control Registry]]
* ''[[New York State Restaurant Association v. New York City Board of Health]]''
* [[John F. Banzhaf III#Obesity|John Banzhaf]]
* [[Fast Food Nation]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0390521|Super Size Me}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|super_size_me|Super Size Me}}
* {{Mojo title|supersizeme|Super Size Me}}

{{Morgan Spurlock}}
{{Satellite Award Best Documentary Film}}
{{McDonald's}}
{{Food industry criticism}}
{{Authority control}}
<noinclude>
[[Category:2004 films]]
[[Category:2004 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2004 documentary films]]
[[Category:2004 independent films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:American business films]]
[[Category:American documentary films]]
[[Category:American films with live action and animation]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:Autobiographical documentary films]]
[[Category:Criticism of fast food]]
[[Category:Documentary films about business]]
[[Category:Documentary films about consumerism]]
[[Category:Documentary films about food and drink]]
[[Category:Documentary films about McDonald's]]
[[Category:Documentary films about obesity]]
[[Category:English-language documentary films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Morgan Spurlock]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Illinois]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Films shot in Texas]]
[[Category:Films shot in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Films shot in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Roadside Attractions films]]
[[Category:Samuel Goldwyn Films films]]
[[Category:Satellite Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Sundance Film Festival award–winning films]]
</noinclude>