Morgan Spurlock: Britain is a super-size nation
Super Size Me filmmaker Morgan Spurlock says our junk food habits are mega
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| Morgan Spurlock |
Americans and Brits both love greasy, deep-fried things. It’s as if, when you deep-fry something, it automatically becomes more delicious.
But it’s not all negative. People like Jamie Oliver have helped inspire people, and the myth that all British cuisine is crap has now been shattered. It’s not all curry and chip shops. There is a tremendous tradition of great food in the country.
Still, while you Brits would argue that you’re healthier than Americans, I think we are pretty much on a par when it comes to bad eating habits.
But it’s not all negative. People like Jamie Oliver have helped inspire people, and the myth that all British cuisine is crap has now been shattered. It’s not all curry and chip shops. There is a tremendous tradition of great food in the country.
Still, while you Brits would argue that you’re healthier than Americans, I think we are pretty much on a par when it comes to bad eating habits.
Waste not, want not
However, I’ve had pleasant surprises. I wasn’t convinced about black pudding until I went to a factory in Bury and made it myself, mixing up all the bloody magic into sausages, and eating one right off the assembly line. I was never a big fan, but that day I was won over. But there are some foods you eat that I still don’t get – like tripe and haggis.
Brits are a little snobby about other countries’ diets, but the minute you walk outside, you’ll see that you’re really not that far off being a supersize nation. One of the things Jamie and I addressed when he came on my show is the argument of affordability. People often say they can’t afford fresh vegetables and meat, especially if you don’t know to cook.
The bigger problem in our society is that we don’t teach real skills to survive. We grow up in homes where our parents don’t cook and either order takeaway, eat out or buy microwaveable meals rather than teaching children how to prepare something cheaply.
My mum would buy a chicken on a Sunday. We’d eat that for a week, then she’d buy a joint of beef and do the same thing. That ability to make something last is gone because we’ve been taught that food is plentiful. But we’re setting ourselves up to spend a lot of time in hospital later on.
The debate will carry on for decades as people continue to make bad food choices. When you cut corners and try to create a cheaper product, something will be sacrificed and, usually, it’s the quality of the product.
However, I’ve had pleasant surprises. I wasn’t convinced about black pudding until I went to a factory in Bury and made it myself, mixing up all the bloody magic into sausages, and eating one right off the assembly line. I was never a big fan, but that day I was won over. But there are some foods you eat that I still don’t get – like tripe and haggis.
Brits are a little snobby about other countries’ diets, but the minute you walk outside, you’ll see that you’re really not that far off being a supersize nation. One of the things Jamie and I addressed when he came on my show is the argument of affordability. People often say they can’t afford fresh vegetables and meat, especially if you don’t know to cook.
The bigger problem in our society is that we don’t teach real skills to survive. We grow up in homes where our parents don’t cook and either order takeaway, eat out or buy microwaveable meals rather than teaching children how to prepare something cheaply.
My mum would buy a chicken on a Sunday. We’d eat that for a week, then she’d buy a joint of beef and do the same thing. That ability to make something last is gone because we’ve been taught that food is plentiful. But we’re setting ourselves up to spend a lot of time in hospital later on.
The debate will carry on for decades as people continue to make bad food choices. When you cut corners and try to create a cheaper product, something will be sacrificed and, usually, it’s the quality of the product.
How the film ‘Super Size Me’ changed my body forever
During the making of my film ‘Super Size Me’, I gained nearly 2st eating nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 days. I was lethargic, had no energy and started having palpitations. The more you take care of yourself and what you are putting into your body, the better you will feel.
Afterwards, I got my blood pressure and liver function back to normal in eight weeks, but it took about 14 months for me to lose all the weight and keep it off.
Once you gain all that weight, all those fat cells just don’t go away when you get skinny again. They are swimming around your body just waiting for you to overeat, so that any time I eat more calories than my body will burn, I can put on 5 or 6lb quickly – I have to live with that every single day.
During the making of my film ‘Super Size Me’, I gained nearly 2st eating nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 days. I was lethargic, had no energy and started having palpitations. The more you take care of yourself and what you are putting into your body, the better you will feel.
Afterwards, I got my blood pressure and liver function back to normal in eight weeks, but it took about 14 months for me to lose all the weight and keep it off.
Once you gain all that weight, all those fat cells just don’t go away when you get skinny again. They are swimming around your body just waiting for you to overeat, so that any time I eat more calories than my body will burn, I can put on 5 or 6lb quickly – I have to live with that every single day.
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