Morgan Spurlock, the moviemaker whose claim to fame is that he ate his way to obesity at McDonald's, seems to have padded his ego in addition to his midsection. In an interview with The Today Show's Katie Couric, Mr. Spurlock said, in part "I think that this film had a tremendous impact on their decision to eliminate supersized portions." Leaving egos aside for a moment, Mr. Spurlock is basically exhibiting his ignorance of the world of food service. Any change, whether in portion size or in menu choices, takes months of planning and figuring of costs and procedures. There's an inventory of supplies paper goods, cups, etc. that have to be considered and dealt with, in addition to changing standing orders for various foodstuffs. So no, Mr. Spurlock, you probably did not have a tremendous impact on their decision, but you're certainly helping advertise it for them. (For more on Mr. Spurlock and his foray into gluttony, see my TechCentralStation.com column about the film.)
Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D., is Director of Nutrition at the American Council on Science and Health.
