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The Weekly Eater Nadine Kam |
Documentary maker
suggests giving food
some thoughtFOOD trends come and go, and though it's only been within the past 15 years that Americans have started to look at food beyond sustenance to appreciate cuisine as an art form, I sense a growing unease regarding the business of food. The right foods giveth life; the bad stuff taketh life away.
Those who worry about genetically modified food, pesticide-laden produce, and the environmental costs and ethics of meat eating, may have dabbled in organic, raw-foodist culture, and surely were responsible for making a hit of Eric Schlosser's 2001 tome "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal."
That book touched off further alarm about practices of the global fast-food industry, and the latest volley in knocking fast food comes from Morgan Spurlock, whose film, "Super Size Me," is playing at Varsity Theatre.
For those who don't already know the premise, Spurlock -- inspired by the lawsuit of two teen girls who sued the fast-food industry for causing their obesity (they lost) -- went on a quest to determine whether fast food could truly be the culprit.
His plan was to eat his three "squares" a day at McDonald's, trying everything on the menu at least once, and super sizing his order only if staffers asked him if he wanted those gargantuan portions.
In 30 days, he gained 24.5 pounds.
I didn't know whether I could sit through a documentary in which a guy eats his way toward obesity, but it's quick-paced and entertaining, if not all that surprising. The film's message was somewhat wasted in preaching to a choir of mostly thin audience members who gasped at the sight of every wide body as if it were a rare experience.
The film should be of interest to all who dine out, who also care about their health. It starts with statistics about the flabby condition of the typical American whose sole exercise is walking about 2,000 steps (about a mile) a day, mostly from car to home or office or restroom break. One in four of us eats fast food every day.
The film also puts the sizes of soft drinks into perspective. A woman from France says the smallest soft drink cup at an American McDonald's is the equivalent to the largest in France. It's pointed out that a 7-Eleven Big Gulp amounts to a half gallon of soda containing 64 teaspoons of sugar. And where a small order of fries at McDonald's packs 200 calories, the super-size version contains 600.
Before Spurlock starts his "crazy diet" as one physician put it, he is examined by three doctors who describe his health as perfect. After 21 days, he is lethargic, suffering from headaches, high cholesterol levels and showing early stages of liver cirrhosis. All the doctors urge him to stop, but he completes his mission.
On the last day of his McDonalds diet, documentary maker Morgan Spurlock held a celebratory bash. He had gained 24.5 pounds in 30 days; it took him 14 months to lose that weight.
MCDONALD'S is reportedly not thrilled about Spurlock's stunt and continues to roll out salads while phasing out super-size deals.
So, what's next?
Depending on how impressionable you are, I don't expect rapid societal change. While some will walk away with the notion that McDonalds is bad, we should also take personal responsibility for what we eat. While a friend who saw the film swore he'd never eat fast food again (save for Subway), I sat through the film craving some of those fries (even though the sight of pasty white and ever more bloated Spurlock eating was unappetizing).
Luckily, across the street from the theater is The Greek Corner, purveyors of the healthy Mediterranean diet that was the buzz before people went on a low-carb frenzy, and others discovered the longevity aspects of the Okinawan diet.
Restaurants like The Greek Corner can save you from yourself. The little Puck's Alley cafe offers a number of vegetarian plates and sandwiches that won't have you missing meat at all. The mixed vegetable plate ($12.50) is the antidote for a multitude of dietary sins. It features the pureed chickpea, garlic and tahini spread known as hummus; the eggplant dip baba ghannouj; the parsley, tomato and bulghur salad tabouli; chickpea patties called falafel; and spinach pie spanakopita. It's accompanied by more greens -- a garden salad with feta and tzatziki (yogurt sauce), plus sliced cucumbers.
If you must have meat, souvlaki lamb kebab ($10.50) offers a reasonable four-ounce portion, what many dietitians would consider a little more than a day's ration.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, plus noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays.
MORE IMPORTANT than pointing fingers at certain establishments is to think about the what, where, how and why of eating. There are a lot of times we are not hungry but eat for emotional or social reasons. It sounds like an addiction, and some people would say, yes, food is addictive.
When, a day after viewing the film, my daily 3 p.m. chocolate craving kicked in, I considered the consequences then put my change in the office vending machine anyway. But the following day, when I was offered fries by a co-worker, I turned them down. You'll win some and lose some skirmishes, but the main thing is to be cognizant of what it takes to win the battle of the bulge.
See some past restaurant reviews in the Columnists section.
Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com
excellent; very good, exceeds expectations; average; below average.
