I was prompted, after watching the movie, Supersize Me, to pick up the book from the same fella, Morgan Spurlock. There is some crazy awful stuff in there..things you should know, but try to use ignorance to justify eating the crap! The book should be horrifying, entertaining, sickening, and enlightening all at the same time..just like the movie!

The first couple chapters are about taking responsibility for your choices...highlighting, of course, the two biggest killers that we ultimately can control, smoking and diet. The bottom line? We eat too much, we eat stuff that is bad for us, and we are less active. And, if you don't know that, you have some serious denial issues!

Ah, but then it gets really good..this is the stuff I just love to share for those that wonder why I don't eat cows! Are you aware of what happens to road kill, shelter euthanized pets and dead livestock? They feed it to more livestock!! This is the same livestock that gets ground up and fed to people!! The author also introduces the topic that I love the most..what is in the food?! You would not believe the chemicals, pesticides, synthetic materials, trans fats, and fillers that you eat every day. Just read the labels on nearly any processed foods and you'll see exactly what I mean!

Then, he goes into the discussion about parental responsibility and what we do is a strong indicator of what our children will do. So, if you sit around doing nothing and stuff your face, so will your kids! I can't believe the number of kids the author witnessed eating HUGE McDonald's breakfasts before school or the family went to eat dinner there. It was a very rare and special 'treat' in my house if the folks allowed the occasional whopper or pizza. Yes, of course we're promoting the next generation to eat bad! We encourage it. It's cheap and easy. I guess the old saying is true, you get what you pay for! In all fairness, the author discusses media and advertising, and how parents are fighting a very unfair battle to win their own kids over and get them to eat right. But, on the other hand, there are an unfortunate and ungodly number out there that have just given up.

Then he discusses all the latest and greatest in weight loss fads from pills to liquid diets to "fatkins" to ephedra to gastric bypass. He talks to doctors from all areas about the long term effects and shows how they are all either ineffective or poor excuses for what should really be life choices. Of course weight contributes to heart disease, blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, etc, etc, etc, but his point is that we make our own health crisis in the way we treat our diet and activity. The bottom line in the book is that this is typical of how American medicine works...forget prevention of health problems, just wait until they are really serious, then develop a 'procedure' to fix it. Again, it comes down to nutritional counseling and exercise programs, of which many doctors are undertrained in. No wonder we have growing waistlines..no help at home, from the docs, and forget the school lunches. It's a rough road for sure!

Here's one to share too..another horrible thought. Fat cells, once they are there, don't EVER go away (unless you opt for another type of surgery). They just get smaller if you lose weight, but are still there, just waiting to suck up the excess on any given day. Nice..real nice!

The end of the book also has an appendix highlighting all the false information in the fast food chain's nutritonal claims versus those found by independent labs. Jeez, if it wasn't bad enough on the McD's website, it gets even worse! There is also an appendix with the vast number of foods and brands that are owned by Phillip Morris (now known as Altria), the tobacco giant. It is insane! You can't get away from them if you want to.

Well, bottom line of the book..told me a lot I knew, but didn't want to hear...both in terms of what's in the 'fast food' and where our responsibilities are. Tough love, baby, but sometimes, we need it!