Hollywood Takes On...

The satirical 2004 documentary that tested not just the resolve, but the continuing health of its director, Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Portions, made the case that an unwavering diet of fast food (McDonald's in this case, but presumably one can extrapolate...) will compromise your health in a big way sooner than later. The award-winning writer, director and producer, Morgan Spurlock, explored issues regarding food, obesity and overall health by interviewing experts and authorities, and going on a 30-day McDonald's-only...er..."food plan." He followed these rules:

1) Only eating what was available over the counter (including water).

2) Supersizing whenever offered, but never when not offered.

3) Trying every item on the menu at least once.

In the end, he ingested over 5,000 calories a day, gained more than 30 lbs. and did damage to his health in a variety of ways.

Considering the health issues his film exposed against his personal costs, Spurlock says, "It was a great bad idea."

For its part, McDonald's denies that recent decisions to discontinue the Super-sizing of portions and promote other more healthful menu choices had anything to do with the film.

Contrast that with Jared Fogle's two-Subway sandwich/2,000 calorie-a-day food plan, made famous when he revealed losing 245 lbs. in one year (almost 5 lbs. a week) on the Oprah Show. Now, the dieter-turned-celebrity has a commercial deal with the deli-style fast food chain, which is expanding its corporate size by advertising its virtue in lessening customers' corporeal size.

On another note, NBC TV's The Biggest Loser made hay by following the sweat and struggles of 12 co-habiting contestants competing to lose the most weight in a reality show contest format. With the action concentrating on the exercise side of the equation rather than the diet, food presented a ubiquitous temptation that contestants had to gain control over, learning to avoid those with high calories, high fat and high carbohydrate content while choosing smaller portions of those with high protein and nutritional content. Their bodies changed shape before viewers' eyes, as food cravings made way for a physiological craving for fitness. As an unexpected side effect, asthma, allergies and motivational problems disappeared as well, along with the medications required to control them.

Contestants were monitored by nutritionist David Heber, MD, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, professor of medicine, and author of many books on nutrition and health including What Color Is Your Diet? (2001) and The L.A. Shape Diet (Harper Collins 2004); and Robert Huizenga, MD, former Oakland Raiders advisor and author of You're OK, It's Just a Bruise, which inspired the feature film Any Given Sunday.

--Kathryn Robyn