People losing weight eating McDonald's only?

[Dangerous A 0]

An interesting article from ABC news about some people who are contradicting what Morgan Spurlock was saying about McDonald's and fast food in general...

 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1030920

 

 

RALEIGH, N.C. Aug 11, 2005 — Inspired by the documentary "Super Size Me," Merab Morgan decided to give a fast-food-only diet a try. The construction worker and mother of two ate only at McDonald's for 90 days and dropped 37 pounds in the process.

 

It was a vastly different outcome than what happened in the documentary to filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who put on 30 pounds and saw his health deteriorate after 5,000 calories a day of nothing but McDonald's food.

 

Morgan, from Raleigh, thought the documentary had unfairly targeted the world's largest restaurant company, implying that the obese were victims of a careless corporate giant. People are responsible for what they eat, she said, not restaurants. The problem with a McDonald's-only diet isn't what's on the menu, but the choices made from it, she said.

 

 

"I thought it's two birds with one stone to lose weight and to prove a point for the little fat people," Morgan said. "Just because they accidentally put an apple pie in my bag instead of my apple dippers doesn't mean I'm going to say, 'Oh, I can eat the apple pie.'"

 

Spurlock, who turned his surprise-hit movie into a TV show on the FX network, isn't talking about Morgan or the many other McDieters who have criticized his film and found success losing weight by eating healthy foods off the McDonald's menu, said his publicist, David Magdael.

 

One person went so far as to make her own independent film about dieting at McDonald's. "Me and Mickey D" follows Soso Whaley, of Kensington, N.H., as she spends three 30-day periods on the diet. She dropped from 175 to 139 pounds, eating 2,000 calories-a-day at McDonald's.

 

"I had to think about what I was eating," Whaley said. "I couldn't just walk in there and say 'I'll take a cinnamon bun and a Diet Coke.' … I know a lot of people are really turned off by the whole thought of monitoring what they are eating, but that's part of the problem."

 

As might be expected, McDonald's also objected to the impressions left by Spurlock's film. Walt Riker, the company's vice president of corporate communications, said Oak Brook, Ill.-based company is pleased but not surprised that some customers have lost weight eating only at the fast-food giant.

 

 

Spurlock's film "really spurred a backlash based on common sense," Riker said.

 

Morgan used nutritional information downloaded from McDonald's Web site to create meal plans of no more than 1,400 calories a day. She only ate french fries twice, usually choosing burgers and salads. Those choices are a stark contrast with those made by Spurlock, who ate every menu item at least once.

 

 

At the end of the 90 days, she had dropped from 227 to 190 pounds.

 

"It feels great," she said. "Because, the truth of the matter is that beauty is power, and if you're fat, or your overweight, then people don't really take you seriously."

 

Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, agreed that a low-calorie, McDonald's-only diet can help people lose weight but said it may not offer enough long-term variety. Whatever an individual does to lose weight, they need to do for the rest of their life, she said.

 

Morgan said she hasn't decided if she will stick with the McDonald's-only plan to reach her goal of 150 pounds. But she does have one complaint about McDonald's.

 

"If I could suggest anything to McDonald's, I would suggest the McMargarita," Morgan said. "Dine-in only, of course."

 

 

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, they aren't doing the same regiment as Spurlock, but still an interesting read.

[Guest Fishyswa]

I think someone should counter the Subway Diet with McDonalds. Instead of walking to your nearest subway, run to a McDonalds at least 5 miles away, eat as much as you want. You'll be losing weight in no time.

[NoCalMike 0]

What from McDonalds is healthy? I mean i know there are some items that are less fattening then others, but is anything on their menu "healthy" ?

 

Also, Sperlock was trying to represent the average american, ala, not exercizing, only walking a certain amount.

 

I am sure you could eat fast food all you wanted, as long as you hit the treadmill for a few hours a day. Also, you might lose weight, but I am sure blood tests and cholesterol and all that shit is still messed up.

[Dangerous A 0]

Also, Sperlock was trying to represent the average american, ala, not exercizing, only walking a certain amount.

 

 

How is eating every item on the menu and supersizing whenever possible for 30 straight days representing the "average american"? My thing is, it didn't take a movie for me to know that eating fast food all the time isn't good for you. If you can't figure that shit out, you need your head examined.

 

Your bit McDonalds being bad for your cholesterol and such is right though. There isn't much healthy on the menu. However, I know a ton of "average americans" and the ones who love McDonalds eat there once a week tops. Spurlock's findings were not eye opening to me at all. Anyone with common sense could figure out eating every item on the menu for every meal for a month will fuck you up.

[MDH257 0]

What from McDonalds is healthy? I mean i know there are some items that are less fattening then others, but is anything on their menu "healthy" ?

I would imagine their salads are healthy. As long as you don't add dressing.

 

How is eating every item on the menu and supersizing whenever possible for 30 straight days representing the "average american"?

 

Actually, one of his ground rules was that he would only supersize when the person taking his order asked him if he wanted to (i.e. "Would you like to supersize that?").

 

I was suprised because at the end of the movie it says that he was only asked 9 times (out of an presumed 90 meals at McDonalds). I would have figured it would have been a lot more.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Their Bacon Grilled Chicken Salad isn't too bad, especially with the vinigrette dressing. That's about the only thing I'll eat from the Golden Arches.

 

Oddly enough, I'm losing weight now by eating better at fast-food places for lunch...

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

What from McDonalds is healthy?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was going to say "Look up their nutrition info you lazy hippie." But since you bring the content in terms of porm clips, I'll hook you up with this one.

 

Nutrition info...

[Red Baron 0]

So if she gets a heart attack or some sort of health risk is this broad going to sue McDonalds for providing her unhealthy food?

[Damaramu 0]

Well he didn't exactly eat the healthiest thing on the menu and watch his calories like they do did he? So how is what they're doing related to this at all?

[MDH257 0]

Well he didn't exactly eat the healthiest thing on the menu and watch his calories like they do did he? So how is what they're doing related to this at all?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's supposed to be the counterpoint to what he did. Just as what he did wasn't realistic in the sense that no one would go to McDonald's and eat that much crap three times a day every day. No one would bother checking the McD's nutritonal value info sheet to see what was healhty because anyone that concerned about what they eat wouldn't be going to McDonalds anyway.

[dubq 0]

I just realized that I haven't eaten at a McDonalds in about 5+ years. Sometimes I crave the nuggets, but then I realize what they're made out of. "All white meat," my ass!

[Kapoutman 0]

Yeah, sure, she's gonna lose weight, but she's gonna lack vitamins, minerals, her sodium is gonna be through the roof and her arteries are gonna be blocked from all the cholesterol.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

My thing is, it didn't take a movie for me to know that eating fast food all the time isn't good for you. If you can't figure that shit out, you need your head examined.

Then apparently the two obese girls who tried to sue McDonald's for making them that way, which was why he did the experiment in the first place, need their head examined. It wasn't as if he decided to do it for the hell of it.

[King Kamala 0]

Eh, I liked Morgan Spurlock's follow up to Super Size Me, the TV show, 30 Days much better and it was much more informative too. 30 Days does get a bit too preachy at times.

 

Back on topic; I saw some woman that lost 90 pounds on the McDonald's diet on the Today show. She spent a lot of the time talking about how stupid Morgan Spurlock was. Almost all of the Super Size Me rebuttals to me have seemed like Southerners being like "God damn liberals can't stop me from eating my McDonalds!"

[Darthtiki 0]

Bottom line, everything in moderation

[Dangerous A 0]

Bottom line, everything in moderation

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You are on it. In one regard, I agree that Spurlock's film is well put together and should be directed at children and teenagers so that they do see that eating massive amounts of fast food will not only get you fat, but can have long term effects on you general health. Again, geared toward children, I don't have an issue. They should be educated as to the dangers of excessive fast food.

 

Adults on the other hand should know better and if a grown ass man or woman chooses to eat themselves into oblivion, then have at it. Your choice. Eat healthy. The experiment Spurlock did was sort of fascinating, but at the same time I felt it was a tad bit condescending. To an adult, I'd say stop blaming the fast food industry for you being fat. Mix in a salad once in awhile. It's up to you. And as Darthtiki said, moderation is key. McDonald's once a month or every two months isn't the worse thing in the world for you.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

No one would bother checking the McD's nutritonal value info sheet to see what was healhty...

 

I do.

 

Sadly, I coudn't find much. Those Apple Dippers didn't seem too bad either...

[NoCalMike 0]

Well I think it is just that, the obesity epidemic is taking over children now. I mean it has always been known and accepted that a certain % of folks once they get older, their metabolism slows down and they start to rack on a few pounds, but the depressing thing is that there is so much obesity in children these days, so I think a documentary like Super Size me is much better suited for youngin's to watch. Of course will they listen or even care? Probably not.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Perhaps if parents gave a damn about what their kids eat and took the time to educate them (and themselves for that matter) then there wouldn't be as big a problem...

[Damaramu 0]

I had a professor in college that told us that his son has never eaten McDonalds. A bunch of girls in my glass called him a horrible father b/c of that. Stupid bitches...

[King Kamala 0]

If you never feed your kids McDonalds, they'll turn out to be the next Todd Marinovich!

[Rendclaw 0]

Also, Sperlock was trying to represent the average american, ala, not exercizing, only walking a certain amount.

 

 

How is eating every item on the menu and supersizing whenever possible for 30 straight days representing the "average american"? My thing is, it didn't take a movie for me to know that eating fast food all the time isn't good for you. If you can't figure that shit out, you need your head examined.

 

Your bit McDonalds being bad for your cholesterol and such is right though. There isn't much healthy on the menu. However, I know a ton of "average americans" and the ones who love McDonalds eat there once a week tops. Spurlock's findings were not eye opening to me at all. Anyone with common sense could figure out eating every item on the menu for every meal for a month will fuck you up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Fucking Amen to that.... besides, who in the blue hell consumes 5,000 calories a day and calls that average??? The average is 2,000, from everything I have seen or heard.

 

My mother took me to McDonald's once, maybe twice a week when I was a kid, the rest was all homemade cooking. Treating your kids to McD's or whatever isn;t a bad thing, but hell, look at all the fucking candy and shit that they consume rather than just the fast food. People don;t want to be accountable for shit in this country anymore, its always someone else's fault. It pisses me off. If you worry about what your kids eat, be more involved.

[Dangerous A 0]

...and to follow up in this thread

 

 

House passes legislation to curb fast-food obesity claims

 

 

 

 

The House passed a bill that would block class-action lawsuits against the makers of fast food on obesity claims. 

 

 

The "cheeseburger bill," as it has been dubbed in Congress, stems from class-action litigation that accused McDonald's of causing obesity in children.

 

The legislation's backers say matters of personal responsibility don't belong in the courts.

 

"As one judge put it, if a person knows or should know that eating copious orders of super-sized McDonald's products is unhealthy and could result in weight gain, it is not the place of the law to protect them from their own excesses," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

 

The bill seeks to thwart class-action obesity lawsuits against food manufacturers and restaurants.

 

In a lawsuit filed in 2002, two Bronx teenagers accused McDonald's of making them fat by serving them highly processed food that affected their health. A judge tossed out the case a year later, but an appeals court reinstated part of the suit earlier this year, according to published reports.

 

The legislation does not block all legal action against the food industry. A lawsuit would still be permitted if a person got sick from contaminated food.

 

Citing statistics that obesity among children has doubled in the past three decades, with one in three children currently overweight, some committee members argued that fast-food companies need to be held accountable for their harmful products.

 

"Congress has allowed the need of big corporations before the need of our children," said Rep. Bob Filner, D-California.

 

The House bill passed 307-119, but it faces an uncertain future in the Senate. A similar bill passed the House during the last Congress, but the Senate never acted on it.

 

About 20 states have passed similar legislation, according to reports.

 

source: cnn.com

[Slayer 0]

The more I think about it, the more I realize that if I were to choose one and only one fast food restaurant to eat at for a long period of time, McDonald's would be near the bottom of the list

[Mik 0]

If I had to make that choice it would be Subway - no question about it. McDonalds would be last. Even if I want something unhealthy - I would pick just about any other restaraunt ahead of McDonalds.