Did anybody else catch the following new item?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8916080/

It seems that that piece of junk "Supersize Me" is finally being proven to be a bunch of coprolite.

I myself saw a lot of information about that "documentary", and was not surprised that the film-maker gained weight.  I mean, he ate and drank the most fattening items on the menu, with no consideration for their calorie content.

It is kinda hard to argue that McDonalds makes people fat, when you have people who eat from the menu intelligently who loose weight.  I think the problem was more of personal responsibility then anything else.

I eat there an average of 1 time a day, and I have not gained any significant weight in the 3 years I have done so.  I have held steady at the 195-205 weight that I have been since 1995.  And that is only 20 lbs more then I weighed before my motorcycle accident in 1990.

Then again, when my activity dropped from 30 mile a week runs to 0 mile runs, I changed my diet and eating habits to take that into consideration.  I now drink Diet instead of regular soda, and eat a lot more chicken then beef.  And I no longer eat 4-5½ meals a day, but make do with 2-2½ meals a day.  It is amazing what self-restraint does.

"Supersize Me" was more entertainment than expose, IMHO. 
If you eat the fattier choices from McD's three times a day, you're going to get sick and bloated.  It was fun to watch Spurlock do that to himself!
In "Supersize Me," they also featured the guy who has eaten a Big Mac a day for the last however many years.  He didn't appear to be overweight.  He wouldn't make the cover of Fitness Magazine, but neither would I!
One factor in weight gain is calories consumed.  Another is metabolism.  When I was 20, I couldn't gain weight even though I tried!  I consume enough fats and sugars today to make a lot of people bloat out, but my metabolism is still relatively high.  As I approach 40, I know I'll have to go easier on the ice cream.
The folks who are doing the counter-Spurlock McD's diets are it tactically.  I still find it incredible one could lose tens of pounds on a month-long McD's diet, even a finely-honed one.  I suppose I'll take their word for it, unless they're credibly debunked.

I eat fast food.  I enjoy fast food. I don't gain weight.  BUT--it's still not good for me.  I don't think fast food is as bad for you as the dietetic alarmists say, but those fats, starches, and sugars are still rough on your body even if you're not packing on pounds.

I, too, eat ALOT of fast food... and I don't gain weight.  I know I don't eat as nutritiously as i should but it's hard when you crave something to not eat it...  luckily though, fast food is one of my only "guilty pleasures" when it comes to food...  Salt is the other. 

I rarely eat sweets, and when I do, I eat in small servings... like maybe I'd eat ONE chips ahoy cookie and my sweet tooth is more than satisfied...  i also prefer unsweetened iced tea over soda any day!!

but, sadly, it seems that every food that has any decent flavor is said to be bad for you in one way or another... even milk, eggs and cheese.  And I have no intention of living on rice cakes and tofu for the rest of my life...

Either way, it's pretty much about eating sensibly, if you do eat at McDonald's on a almost daily basis, you may or may not gain alot of weight, it depends on the person off hand.

It depends on the person, what they choose to eat, and how often. I think we all know that eating a Mcdonalds burger with french fries (drenched in vegetable oil) and a coke is not healthy. It's commonsense. The meat is by far some of the worst meat you could eat. And eating it on a daily basis may not have you gaining weight, but that doesn't mean you're not inserting a percentage of cholesterol into your bloodstream, as well as trans fats (which are the real killers - the saturated fat.) But, if we choose something more lean that they offer, then we will have a better chance of losing weight or keeping it at it's original number.

I happen to eat at McDonalds much more often then probably anybody else.  I eat there an average of 5 times a week, and sometimes as many as 10.  But one large difference is that I vary what I order.

I only get burgers 1-3 times a week.  And when I do get one, I normally order it "plain".  I do not need all the garbage they put on them.  I order chicken 3-5 times a week.  I vary between the grilled and the crispy types, so I do not get to burned out of it.  BTW, I applaud McD for switching the chicken sandwiches to a Wheat bun.  Since I prefer wheat bread anyways, that makes them even better.

I get the fish 1-2 times a week.  Even though I am not Catholic, I normally get that on Friday.  After all, if their diet encourages 1 meal of fish a week and they have not died of it, that is a plus for me doing it also.

The main reasons I go there is that it is close to where I work, I can refill my drink as often as I want (I drink 2-4 32oz drink during lunch), and can read in peace.  That lets me relax and recharg myself before returning to work.  And a plus for me, they are one of the few places in town that still has a "smoking section".

"Supersize Me" was more entertainment than expose, IMHO. 
If you eat the fattier choices from McD's three times a day, you're going to get sick and bloated.  It was fun to watch Spurlock do that to himself!
In "Supersize Me," they also featured the guy who has eaten a Big Mac a day for the last however many years.  He didn't appear to be overweight.  He wouldn't make the cover of Fitness Magazine, but neither would I!
One factor in weight gain is calories consumed.  Another is metabolism.  When I was 20, I couldn't gain weight even though I tried!  I consume enough fats and sugars today to make a lot of people bloat out, but my metabolism is still relatively high.  As I approach 40, I know I'll have to go easier on the ice cream.
The folks who are doing the counter-Spurlock McD's diets are it tactically.  I still find it incredible one could lose tens of pounds on a month-long McD's diet, even a finely-honed one.  I suppose I'll take their word for it, unless they're credibly debunked.

I eat fast food.  I enjoy fast food. I don't gain weight.  BUT--it's still not good for me.  I don't think fast food is as bad for you as the dietetic alarmists say, but those fats, starches, and sugars are still rough on your body even if you're not packing on pounds.


I agree here. It does sound somewhat dubious that someone could lose weight eating McDonalds. The sugar content in the buns alone is high enough to push your calorie levels up. But yeah, Spurlock deliberately ate the fattiest stuff he could find. It was part entertainment and part a comment on what can happen to you if you don't watch what you eat. It's also important to note that he did no exercise at the time either. He could have chosen any fast food chain in America and attained the same result with the same kind of reckless disregard for watching what he ate. The real message I got from "Supersize Me" is that people have to be aware of what they put in their mouths. There are people who eat nothing but cheeseburgers and shakes and who are obese because of it and are putting themselves in danger needlessly. The main problem with convenience foods is that they're just too convenient.

I, too, eat ALOT of fast food... and I don't gain weight.  I know I don't eat as nutritiously as i should but it's hard when you crave something to not eat it...  luckily though, fast food is one of my only "guilty pleasures" when it comes to food...  Salt is the other. 

I rarely eat sweets, and when I do, I eat in small servings... like maybe I'd eat ONE chips ahoy cookie and my sweet tooth is more than satisfied...  i also prefer unsweetened iced tea over soda any day!!

but, sadly, it seems that every food that has any decent flavor is said to be bad for you in one way or another... even milk, eggs and cheese.   And I have no intention of living on rice cakes and tofu for the rest of my life...

Exactly, we have a lot of vegans and assorted food cranks around here who eat what I call a "hair shirt diet"*
If it's processed, don't eat it.  If it's got sugar in it, don't eat it.  If it's got saturated fats, don't eat it.  If it's got animal products of any kind don't eat it....If it tastes good, don't eat it!!!  Sheesh!  And the worst thing is, they lecture you about it!  My friend Robert was a staunch member of the health food Likud, one time he got behind me in the express line, gave my selections the once over, and chided, "Don't you know about the toxins in peanut butter?"
"Robert, attempt to be cool," I replied.
These people won't be happy until we're living on rice cakes, tofu, raw carrot juice, and organic hummus!  Or whatever they load up on at Whole Foods.

*refering to the horse hair shirts monks used to wear for penitence.  They would chafe the flesh, cause bleeding, and infection.

BTW, I can't eat just ONE Chips A-hoy, and I don't even like the miserable little cookies!

Mushroom wrote
The main reasons I go there is that it is close to where I work, I can refill my drink as often as I want (I drink 2-4 32oz drink during lunch), and can read in peace.  That lets me relax and recharg myself before returning to work.  And a plus for me, they are one of the few places in town that still has a "smoking section".
Tobacco, that's your green leafy vegetable!
McD's did away with the smoking sections in the Northeast about 15 years ago.  I guess Southerners like their smokes!
8)

Powerslave wrote
I agree here. It does sound somewhat dubious that someone could lose weight eating McDonalds. The sugar content in the buns alone is high enough to push your calorie levels up. But yeah, Spurlock deliberately ate the fattiest stuff he could find. It was part entertainment and part a comment on what can happen to you if you don't watch what you eat. It's also important to note that he did no exercise at the time either. He could have chosen any fast food chain in America and attained the same result with the same kind of reckless disregard for watching what he ate. The real message I got from "Supersize Me" is that people have to be aware of what they put in their mouths. There are people who eat nothing but cheeseburgers and shakes and who are obese because of it and are putting themselves in danger needlessly. The main problem with convenience foods is that they're just too convenient.
As you point out, it ain't just McDonald's.  McDonald's is far and away the biggest.  I just see everything bigger, fattier, and more sugary than it was when I was a kid. 
When you bought a Coke in the '70s, it was 12 ounces.  Now it's at least twice that amount.  That's just one example.  I think they're also adding more high fructose and things like that to all kinds of foods.

To Mushroom -

Unfortunately, the only nutritional value you are getting out of the McDonald's burger is the stuff that's on it - like tomato, lettuce, pickle, ketchup and mustard - it's the "plain" stuff that's probably the least healthy - or the least you're going to benefit from. A lot of that stuff isn't "garbage." (well, unless you're including mayonnaise, lol)

Plus, you gotta beware of the amount of soda your digesting everyday - especially the large quantities you mentioned. The amount of sodium in those sorts of drinks are astounding. You can gain a lot of unneeded water retension on those alone. What I do is balance my soda intake and limit it to maybe a 12oz a day and drink water or juice (or squeeze in a Root Beer, lol).

To Powerslave -

I agree about the message you got out of "Supersize Me." Spurlock may have overdone it, but he probably wasn't too far off the mark. There are many people who do eat that food and don't exercise. I'm not saying I exercise much myself, but I am fully aware of that - so that's why I avoid fast food as much as possible, lol. I realise my shortcummings in that area so I guess I better eat healthier if I want to continue that good luck.

To MaxwellSmart -

My boyfriend is a vegetarian *not vegan, thank God!* and because of his influence I have gained a much broader appreciation for vegetables, tofu, boca burgers, soy products, etc. Believe me, there are some excellent vegetarian dishes (if that's what you are, but for the vegan's, I am not sure how they get by, lol).

Yeah, smoking is obsolete at ALL our restaurants in California, and that's for the better :0)

McDonalds does seem like a totally different restaurant from what I remember. When I was younger it didn't seem so corporate - now it seems as if it isn't about the food anymore, but how they can get people in to buy bad food disguised as good food.

Exactly, we have a lot of vegans and assorted food cranks around here who eat what I call a "hair shirt diet"*


Oh you don't know the half of it!  I believe that all Vegans are psychotic myself.

About 12 years ago, my late fiance' and I were both members of an LA area BBS (pre-internet chat and forums).  One of the people there went by the nickname of "Ban Meat".  He would go into the chat rooms and go on and on about how Humans are really vegitarians, and that everything we have been taught is a lie.

My ex asked about breast feeding, and he actually said "Formula is better".  Now even the formula companies themselves say the exact opposite!  I will not even go into how he claimed that pets are healthier when you feed them a vegitarian diet.  :D


Tobacco, that's your green leafy vegetable!
McD's did away with the smoking sections in the Northeast about 15 years ago.  I guess Southerners like their smokes!


Actually, they go along with local ordinances.  And since almost every state (with the exception of those in the SE and Nevada) has now made smoking illegal, they have all followed along.  I remember in 1998 going to an internet meeting in Toronto, and us Yanks loving the fact that we could smoke in public!

Down here, there are some screwy laws though.  Before 2004, somking was allowed if you had a seperate smoking section.  Out of 5 McDOnalds in Dothan, 3 were smoking, 2 were not.  Then in late 2004, they changed the law.  If you had a totally seperate smoking area (seperate drink dispensers, closed off smoking area), then you chould have a smoking section.  Otherwise you had to permit smoking everywhere, or nowhere.

Now the intent of this boneheaded law was to make everyplace non smoking.  And it worked to a degree.  Now you can only smoke in 2 of the McD's in town, and almost nowhere else.  And even at the McD's, they still have a "Smoking Section", those are the only tables where they have ashtrays.  Now there is nothing stopping somebody from taking an ashtray over to the "non-smoking section", but the regulars all respect the rules.  Although I occasionally get the biatch who will sit near me, then complain that I smoke near her kids.  I simply politely say "Then why are you sitting with your kids in the smoking section?"

quote author=ultraviolet52 link=topic=12179.msg565406#msg565406 date=1124177923]
Unfortunately, the only nutritional value you are getting out of the McDonald's burger is the stuff that's on it - like tomato, lettuce, pickle, ketchup and mustard - it's the "plain" stuff that's probably the least healthy - or the least you're going to benefit from. A lot of that stuff isn't "garbage." (well, unless you're including mayonnaise, lol)

Plus, you gotta beware of the amount of soda your digesting everyday - especially the large quantities you mentioned. The amount of sodium in those sorts of drinks are astounding. You can gain a lot of unneeded water retension on those alone. What I do is balance my soda intake and limit it to maybe a 12oz a day and drink water or juice (or squeeze in a Root Beer, lol).


Well, I get chicken and fish much more often then I get burgers, so that does not mean as much to me.

And I do not worry to much about my sodium content.  Unlike most people, I almost never add salt (or any other seasoning) to my food.  My girlfriend thinks I am nuts because I eat most of my things "bland".  But that is how I have eaten them since I was a kid.

And you have to understand how much I drink in a day.  I drink 2-3 32 Oz cups at lunch.  I also drink 12-14 Oz of soda before work, then between 30-60 Oz of water and fruit juices at work (normally Apple).  Trust me, I know all about water retention.  But I am from the desert, where 110 is a normal temperature, and the humidity is around 15-20%.  Out here where it is 100 with 90% humidity, I would not last through the day unless I had a very high fluid intake.  In the evening, I drink probably half a gallon of water and tea.  Soda is what I drink to get my caffeine intake.

And I do not worry about things like sodium, colesterol, or things like that.  YOu see, I have my own theory on what is healthy and what is not.

Little white lab mice cause cancer.  8)

Well, I get chicken and fish much more often then I get burgers, so that does not mean as much to me.

And I do not worry to much about my sodium content.  Unlike most people, I almost never add salt (or any other seasoning) to my food.  My girlfriend thinks I am nuts because I eat most of my things "bland".  But that is how I have eaten them since I was a kid.

And you have to understand how much I drink in a day.  I drink 2-3 32 Oz cups at lunch.  I also drink 12-14 Oz of soda before work, then between 30-60 Oz of water and fruit juices at work (normally Apple).  Trust me, I know all about water retention.  But I am from the desert, where 110 is a normal temperature, and the humidity is around 15-20%.  Out here where it is 100 with 90% humidity, I would not last through the day unless I had a very high fluid intake.  In the evening, I drink probably half a gallon of water and tea.  Soda is what I drink to get my caffeine intake.

And I do not worry about things like sodium, colesterol, or things like that.  YOu see, I have my own theory on what is healthy and what is not.

Little white lab mice cause cancer.   8)


        Okay, well - let's just put this into consideration - most of the fish (filet -o- fish) is deep fried or fried in some way or another, which yes, could be leaner than a beef patty, but still is not much better. Most of the chicken products are of the same strain.

        I understand about eating things bland. I eat almost all my vegetables (unless it's a bloomin' salad) without salt, butter, or extra seasoning. That's a definate help :0) And hey, I'm not saying to follow what I'm saying or anything, I guess I just have seen too many people die or get seriously ill from poor diets or poor eating habits and I am just sort of throwing out some caution - that's alll  :)

        I've been to the south east and have experienced the heat with the humidity and I understand where you're coming from. It sounds like you do balance it out with water, so I won't go there anymore.. Where I live, it's more arid and dry, so we have the desert but without the extra particles in the air. To me, I would prefer the arid/dry heat over the sweaty heat of the South. I also drink soda for my caffiene (rather than coffee). 

So, yeah, I think we're all gonna have our own theories here and maybe it's good we maybe gain a little insight from what we all feel about this.

Max, you pointed out something I missed. When I was a kid, the standard size bottle of Coke you could buy at a store was about half a pint. Now when you ask for a Coke, you have to ask for a small or they give you a full pint bottle! And that's regarded as standard for one person. My wife and I share a bottle that size and we still struggle to get through it. I don't even drink beer in glasses that big.

Max, you pointed out something I missed. When I was a kid, the standard size bottle of Coke you could buy at a store was about half a pint. Now when you ask for a Coke, you have to ask for a small or they give you a full pint bottle! And that's regarded as standard for one person. My wife and I share a bottle that size and we still struggle to get through it. I don't even drink beer in glasses that big.

Yeah lots of snackfoods and soft drinks seem to come in bigger sizes than they used to.  Somebody else contradicted me here, but I swear a small order of McD's fries today is as big as a larger order was 25 years ago.  Maybe I'm misremembering.

Something Ultraviolet mentioned, the sodium quantities, as well as the sugar amounts, in colas run very high.  Thus, they are deceptively refreshing.  I like soft drinks, but if I'm really thirsty, I drink water or seltzer.  I love carbonation, so seltzer (aka "fizzy water") is great.  I get the carbonation without all the sodium and sugars.

Of course, my "hair shirt" diet friends will go on about carbonation being bad for you, but they can go screew themselves!  One thing I notice about a lot of these food cranks is they're often not the picture of good health they claim to be.  The aforementioned Robert (never Bob or Rob, always "Robert," you know the type) was always fatigued, sniffling, and in some stage of influenza.  I'd tell him, "Sorry to hear that, I haven't had a cold all winter.  See ya, I'm going fer another Big Mac."  At the same time, Robert attributed my bouts of depression to my poor eating habits, he himself was always a colicky sadsack!
My eldest sister was another one, a last-of-the-groovy-organic-flower-children type.  I remember her lecturing to me about my consumption of junkfood causing my mood swings.  It seemed peculiar at the time, because she was supine on her sofa with nervous nausea and scolding me in a most plaintive voice.  Those were the days.  They say it takes two to tango, but we all had the dysfunctional family contradance going!

Speaking of which, the director of the film was on Conan O'Brien last night, promoting his new TV series and book.

*off to Micky D's*

You're close, the old "large" is now the "regular". ;) I rarely drink "regular" sodas anymore so I don't get the sugar, but I agree with the sodium.  I can't do regular seltzer, it's gotta have some flavor in it for me to drink it.  Otherwise, to me, it's like sucking on a baking soda tablet :P Isn't that how it always goes?  Do as I say, not as I do?  Luckily, I don't know many people who are "uber-healthy eaters".  I DO know a few, but I rarely eat with them and even MORE rarely talk about food.  My ex-neighbor used to be one of "those" people who was so concerned about her weight (though she didn't need to be) she would eat stuff that was "good for you" even though she had to choke it down and would feel sick to her stomach after eating it.  Almost everything in her house was low-fat, low-sodium, low-taste ;D  The sad thing about it, though, is that she was passing on those ideas to her daughter, who wouldn't eat "normal" kid foods....one time the kids were all over here and were having fruit snacks and she only ate 3 because they weren't sugar free and she didn't want to get fat from "all that sugar" ::)

I confess I'm totally neurotic about food.  I suspect it stems from early childhood.  My mom used to feed me these groovy-organic health food formulas I didn't like.  Later I was force fed vegetables I didn't like.  To this day I cannot eat things like cooked carrots and boiled spinach.  My hang-ups about food can be socially awkward.  You don't want to seem rude if you're somebody's guest, but the explaining the phobias I have is not as concise as saying, "Oh, I'm allergic to such-and-such so I can't eat Dish X." 
I have gone so far as to furtively gather intelligence about dinner party menus and have make up excuses to show up after the meal so as not to risk offending the hosts.  Pretty twisted, but I must do what I must do.
I have no palate for haut cuisine, yet my sister is a gourmet cook.  My folks have long since given up trying to convince me that pungent pile of yellow glop is very tasty and I should try some!

I found the countercultural penchant for healthfoods was less about leading a salubrious life, and more about **** the establishment.  At least, that's how it ended up.  As soon as we become prosperous enough to choose lifestyles, there were always people who chose various diets for reasons of health or spirituality.  The beatniks were the first to make a show of scorning the post-war white bread and Jello of the suburbs.  You had your lentil soup-eating Bleeker Street poets and your vegetarian Theosophists and so forth.  The hippies inhereted the anti-corporate, back-to-the-land beliefs about diet.  Many of their points were spot-on, but much of it was dogmatic-doo-doo that's still with us today.

What always puzzled me about hippies is their scorn of blanched flour and refined sugar, but their utter joy in ingesting every neurotoxin they could get their hand on---marijuana, peyote, pilocybin mushrooms, mescalin, LSD.  Sure, Wonder Bread is anathema, but scrambling your circuits with lysergic acid diethylamide is righteous!
And then there was the question of sanitation.  The same people finger-wagging about carcinogens in processed peanut butter had no problem packing into shabby quarters crawling with molds, anerobic bacteria, and body lice.  The cultures from their organic yogurt had to be killed off by the penicillin they got from the free clinic, which was required due to risky free-love practices!
You went macrobiotic three months before the Rainbow Gathering, then your purified immune system had no defense against the open pits of sewage that appear where ever Flower Children congregate!

This nonsense didn't stop with my parents' generation.  It followed into the the lifestyle of second-generation hippies, such as my sister (b. 1963), and survives in college town countercultural pockets to this very day.