'Super Size Me' creator Morgan Spurlock dies aged 53
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has succumbed to cancer at the age of 53, his family said in a statement.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said brother Craig Spurlock. The two worked together on several projects.
“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," he added.
Spurlock, who died on Thursday, is best known for his documentary "Super Size Me," which showed the impact on his body as he ate McDonald's food for every meal over 30 days. The film received an Academy Award nomination and changed the types of food available at drive-thrus across the United States.
"As a result, nutritional information was more readily available post-Super Size Me than it had ever been, salt content was actively lowered among the foodstuffs offered by many fast food behemoths, salads became more prevalent and heavily marketed as menu options, while the federal Food and Drug Administration stepped in to inform the majority of chains their portion sizes needed to be reduced," wrote Far Out Magazine reporter Scott Campbell in February.
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His family noted how Spurlock was able to "fearlessly challenge" the status quo by "utilizing humor and wit to shed light on societal issues."
His other projects included an investigation into the U.S. war in Afghanistan, immigrant labor and the minimum wage, how marketing is used on consumers, trophy hunting, corporate pressures on family farms, the elder care industry and many more.
The family noted how much he valued "the talented people" who joined the teams around his projects.
"A loving and dedicated friend, father, brother and son, Morgan leaves behind two sons – Laken and Kallen; mother Phyllis Spurlock; father Ben (Iris); brothers Craig (Carolyn) and Barry (Buffy); multiple nieces and nephews; and former spouses Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein, the mothers of his children," the family said.
The family asked that donations be made in his name to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in New York City.