The scariest thing about Morgan Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” is that it isn’t fiction. It’s a documentary.

Spurlock, a filmmaker who ate nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days, spoke at NIU Tuesday about the downside to fast food. Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” examines the effects of fast food as well as other health-related topics such as school lunch programs, physical education classes and the extremes Americans go through trying to lose weight.

“Supersize Me” sheds light on an issue that almost all of us can relate to, but few of us bother to think about. While many students don’t give their diet a second thought now, it won’t be long before their bad habits catch up with them.

About 60 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. About 40 percent of meals in the United States are eaten outside of the home. Do the math, and it doesn’t take long to realize that fast food is part of the problem.

The statistics presented on Spurlock’s Web site are startling: You would have to walk seven hours straight to burn off the calories in a super-sized Coke, French fry and Big Mac. Even more disturbing is the fact that French fries are the most eaten vegetable in the United States.

Almost every one of us has eaten fast food at some point, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But for those who have developed a three-meals-a-day habit, it’s probably time to rethink that plan. You may be lucky enough to have a metabolism that can handle McDonald’s for breakfast, Burger King for lunch and Wendy’s for dinner now, but just wait until you hit your 30s – it’ll slow down.

We all have busy schedules, but if your health is important to you, you can make time to make changes. Get a copy of the food pyramid; you may be surprised to learn that coffee, alcohol and French fries don’t count as a balanced meal. Utilize campus resources such as the Student Recreation Center to stay in shape.

What you do now affects your health later. And a future that could include diabetes, a stroke or heart disease certainly doesn’t sound very appetizing.