Alex Jamieson, a co-star of the award-winning documentary "Super Size Me," said she visited 20 countries throughout the past six months, and every city she visited had the same array of fast food chains.
Starbucks. KFC. Taco Bell.
And, of course, McDonald's.
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing," Jamieson, a 29-year-old holistic health counselor and vegan chef, said Monday in Pruis Hall. "Obesity is becoming a worldwide epidemic, and the All-American way of eating is part of the problem ... We put health behind our time and money. Our priorities are just a little out of wack."
"Super Size Me," which debuted in May, is based on the experiences of Jamieson's boyfriend, 32-year-old independent film-maker Morgan Spurlock, who ate nothing but McDonald's food for an entire month.
"He didn't want to target just (McDonald's), but he focused on them because they are the biggest. They are iconic of fast food," Jamieson said.
She said Spurlock was inspired to make the documentary after he heard about two girls who sued McDonald's for giving them unhealthy food and providing insufficient information about its menu. Spurlock was also inspired by Eric Schlosser's book "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal."
Filming in restaurants across the nation, Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's three times a day for 30 days, trying everything on the menu at least once, always choosing the supersize option if offered and taking the American average of no more than 1,000 steps a day. Jamieson said she was concerned about Spurlock throughout the month-long filming process.
"My experience during the film was one of shear torture and horror at some points, because I was really worried about him," Jamieson said.
Throughout the month, Spurlock put on almost 30 pounds, doubled his cholesterol, increased his body fat from 11 to 18 percent and experienced headaches, mood swings and symptoms of addiction. Spurlock also experienced depression, inability to concentrate and impotence - problems that many people in the United States face on a daily basis, hence the large number of today's well-known prescriptions including Prozac, Viagra and Riddlin, Jamieson said.
"(Spurlock's) body functions began to go down because they adapted to the stresses he put on them," Jamieson said. "That's how it is with a lot of us. We don't feel vibrant, healthy, energetic - but we're making it so that's 'OK.' "
Jamieson said when Spurlock finally quit eating McDonald's, he experienced multiple withdrawal symptoms including headaches that lasted two days, aching, sweating and shivering. She said contrary to popular belief, fast food also became financially demanding over time. Spurlock spent $800 at McDonald's during the month of his filming, she said.
Jamieson said in addition to highlighting his personal experiences throughout "Super Size Me," Spurlock spent much of the the film also emphasizing the techniques fast food companies use to make their way into school lunchrooms and to appeal to young children who enjoy playing in McDonald's playrooms.
Jamieson also said while McDonald's has introduced healthy alternatives to its fried products throughout recent years, fatty foods still remain high priorities for customers. McDonald's sold 150 million salads last year, but that number constituted less than 1 percent of the meals it sells every year, she said. McDonald's feeds 17 billion each year, she said.
Jamieson said while some positive changes have been made to address the growing obesity epidemic, much work remains undone. People in general, especially children and teenagers, need to be taught more about how the food they eat can affect how they feel. Jamieson said examples of healthy alternatives, especially on college campuses, include whole-grain tortilla chips and fresh salsa, organic yogurt, air-popped popcorn and fresh fruit.
She said parents, the government and corporations throughout the nation must work together to promote healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.
"We have to work for changes on the national and global level for everyone to be healthy," Jamieson said. " 'Super Size Me' has really started conversations that need to be started everywhere."
Sophomore Brittany Moser said Jamieson's speech Monday was informative, particularly because she was able to incorporate her personal experiences from Spurlock's filming process. Students were able to walk away with important information about how to improve their eating habits, she said.
"They'll definitely be more aware of their choices, especially on campus," Moser said. "We should be more aware of our lifestyle because it will affect us eventually."
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