Super Size Me

Morgan Spurlock directs and stars in this 2004 documentary, in which he sets himself a thirty-day experiment: eating only food from McDonald's, three meals a day, while giving up exercise. Three doctors monitor his health throughout, tracking his weight and blood values as the month goes on. Alongside the personal trial, Spurlock travels across the United States and speaks with physicians, nutritionists, physical education teachers, school cafeteria cooks, advertisers, lawyers and legislators about how fast food fits into American eating habits and rising obesity rates.

The film was Spurlock's first as director, followed later by Freakonomics and One Direction: This Is Us. He also wrote and produced it, and appears on screen as himself. The cast is made up largely of the professionals who supervised or advised him, among them internist Daryl Isaacs, gastroenterologist Lisa Ganjhu, cardiologist Stephen Siegel, nutritionist Bridget Bennett and exercise physiologist Eric Rowley.

Super Size Me was released in 2004 and runs 100 minutes. It drew a comparatively small production budget by theatrical standards yet took in about 29 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a documentary. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from roughly 117,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.7 from far fewer votes; a critics' rating of 7.9 from 168 reviews places it above both audience scores.