In his documentary, Spurlock ate three meals a day, tasting everything on the fast-food chain’s menu at least once, and had to accept “supersize” portions when they were offered to him.

He also exercised less to match the average American’s physical activity. By the end of the film, Spurlock claimed that he gained almost two stone and developed depression and liver dysfunction.

“You’ve got to stop,” one doctor warned him during the filming. “Your liver is pâté.”

Made on a budget of just $65,000, it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and provoked a public debate about the fast-food industry.

McDonald’s dropped the “supersize” option from its menus in 2004 – but denied there was a connection with the documentary.

Spurlock leaves behind two sons, Laken and Kallen.

In 2017, Spurlock released a sequel to the documentary, titled Supersize Me 2: Holy Chicken!, in which he opened his own fast-food restaurant.

It was dropped by its streaming platform shortly after its premiere when Spurlock said he had been accused of rape and sexual harassment in a post on social media. He also admitted drinking heavily since the age of 13 and said he had not been sober “for more than a week in 30 years”.

Commentators noted this contradicted his account during Super Size Me and may have accounted for some of his weight gain and liver damage during the filming.