Morgan Spurlock, ‘Super Size Me’ director and star, has died at 53

[BleedGopher]

Morgan Spurlock, the director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Super Size Me" that showed the effects of him eating McDonald's every day for a month, has died at 53.

Spurlock's family said in a statement to NBC News that Spurlock died in New York on May 23 from complications of cancer.

"It’s was sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” his brother, Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects, said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”

The 2004 documentary "Super Size Me" depicted the physical and mental health effects of Spurlock eating McDonald's for every meal every day for a month. He also instituted a rule in the movie that he had to accept the "super size" option whenever it was offered to him at a McDonald's restaurant.

The film spurred a conversation about the harmful effects of regular fast food consumption. He said he gained almost 25 pounds and alleged he suffered from liver issues and depression by the end of the experiment in the documentary.

McDonald's eliminated its "super size" offering after the film's release.

Spurlock directed nearly 70 documentary film and television series in his career, according to his family. He also worked on films about the U.S. war in Afghanistan, immigrant labor and minimum wage.

Morgan Spurlock, 'Super Size Me' director and star, has died at 53

The 2004 documentary showed the physical and mental health effects of Spurlock eating McDonald's for every meal for a month.

www.today.com

 

[tikited]

Was just talking about how he made one of the biggest companies in the country change the way they do things (to a limit). RIP to a good one.

 

[Bad Gopher]

That was an excellent film...although I'm not sure that his health problem wasn't all that sugared soda. He did interview the one guy who's had a Big Mac for lunch and dinner every day for 20 years and who's thin as a rail...but avoided the fries!

Part of the appeal of the film was his personality. A delightful on-screen persona and wonderful narrator. He's left us too soon. Rest in peace, my man.

 

[forever a gopher]

That was an excellent film...although I'm not sure that his health problem wasn't all that sugared soda. He did interview the one guy who's had a Big Mac for lunch and dinner every day for 20 years and who's thin as a rail...but avoided the fries!

Part of the appeal of the film was his personality. A delightful on-screen persona and wonderful narrator. He's left us too soon. Rest in peace, my man.

This could honestly be a big part of it. I watched this back when it was new, so it's been a while, but wasn't Spurlock a very fit/healthy guy in general? If you're not used to consuming much pop and you start drinking 40+oz a day, that would probably wreck you just by itself.

 

[Iceland12]

This could honestly be a big part of it. I watched this back when it was new, so it's been a while, but wasn't Spurlock a very fit/healthy guy in general? If you're not used to consuming much pop and you start drinking 40+oz a day, that would probably wreck you just by itself.

30+ years as an alcoholic probably was far tougher on his liver than a month of over eating or drinking too much soda.

Spurlock generated controversy when a few years after Super Size Me was released he had this admission:

"Couched within those statements was an admission that he had been "consistently been drinking since the age of 13" and hadn't "been sober for more than a week in 30 years" (via TwitLonger).
Later, critics would point out that the liver results of his "Super Size Me" experiment could have been tainted due to the continued pattern of alcohol abuse."

Read More: https://www.thetakeout.com/1588828/super-size-me-morgan-spurlock-death/