Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominee who made food and American diets his life’s work, famously eating only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53. According to a report in PTI, Morgan Spurlock died in New York from complications of cancer, his family issued a statement.  

Craig Spurlock who has worked with him on several projects said, “It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan. Morgan gave me 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”.

Since he exposed the fast-food and chicken industries, there was an explosion in restaurants stressing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally not much has changed. Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music, blending a Michael Moore-ish camera-in-your-face style with his sense of humour and pathos. “There has been this massive shift and people say to me, So has the food gotten healthier?’ And I say, Well, the marketing sure has”.