Luv Doc Recommends: SXSW Film Festival screening of Super Size Me

Chances are that if you’re like a lot of people, you’re reading this while eating. Nothing wrong with a little multitasking. Just remember to hold your sammich away from the paper, or you’ll screw up our pass-along rate. No one wants a paper with a mayonnaise stain on the “Shot in the Dark” section, do they? Besides, you probably shouldn’t be eating mayonnaise at all – for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is your health. Since you’re one of the 2.5 people who read the average Chronicle (yes, we round up), you may be the one who is overweight. Don’t trip. Quite likely you’ve been beating yourself up about it more than you should. Even if you are an overeater, masticating burns calories, so it’s not all bad. The problem is that many high-calorie foods don’t require much chewing at all: milkshakes, butter, ice cream, sour cream, Krispy Kreme … you get the picture. If you could only stand to overeat celery 24-seven you could winnow yourself down to Calista Flockhart size in no time, and you wouldn’t even have to get out of your chair … except for the intermittent trips to the throne. Clearly many Americans have lost a sense of caloric equilibrium. Is it lack of exercise? Willpower? Time? Energy? More than likely it’s a combination (combo for short) – a supersized combo with Biggie fries, a Biggie burger, and a Biggie drink. Increasingly, “supersized” is as much a description of the diner as it is of the dinner. It’s a classic chicken vs. egg conundrum: Are people getting bigger because portions are getting larger, or are portions getting larger because people are getting bigger? At least part of that question may be answered this Saturday at the Paramount as the SXSW Film Festival screens Super Size Me, a documentary by Morgan Spurlock about the cost of America’s obsession with fast food. In making the film, Spurlock traveled to 20 different cities interviewing cooks, legislators, phys ed teachers, and others, asking them to share their opinions and research about America’s obesity epidemic. While on the road, Spurlock performed his own experiment, as well, eating only at McDonald’s for 30 days. Along with the interviews, the film documents Spurlock’s increasing girth and declining health as he makes his way through the entire McDonald’s menu. For his efforts, Spurlock received the Best Director award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and a distribution deal with Roadside Attractions. The film’s release this spring should stir up some trouble in the fast food biz, so you should see it now before the backlash. Just don’t expect Biggie Celery Sticks to make their way onto your fast food menu anytime soon.