30 days of nothing but McDonalds... (true story)

[ithacan]

This really does say it all. Lots of gory details...

ARCH ENEMY
By MEGAN LEHMANN
New York Post

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's new documentary, "Super Size Me," details his 30-day McDonald's diet and subsequent health woes.
- Julie Soefer

January 22, 2004 -- LAST February, Morgan Spurlock decided to become a gastronomical guinea pig.

His mission: To eat three meals a day for 30 days at McDonald's and document the impact on his health.

Scores of cheeseburgers, hundreds of fries and dozens of chocolate shakes later, the formerly strapping 6-foot-2 New Yorker - who started out at a healthy 185 pounds - had packed on 25 pounds.

But his supersized shape was the least of his problems.
<much more>

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/16393.htm

[Praline]

1. I apologize in advance for

being judgemental, but I don't think his big documentary is worth what he has done to himself. On the upside, it doesn't appear he is dying of 'mad cow disease'.

[LynneSin]

3. You're right but....

.....I think it's a sacrifice he made to show others what McDonalds and other fast food restaurants are doing to us. Plus some of the stuff he did to himself is reversable. I'm sure he's been eating healthy, losing the weight which will lower his cholesterol.

Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

[Intelsucks]

2. I heard this mentioned on the radio the other day and now I know

why I have developed a serious dis-taste for any kind of fast food over the last several years. I just don't feel all that great after I eat it. My body says, "Hey, what the hell are you trying to do to me?"

[NorthernSpy]

4. freakin scary

What the heck do they put in that stuff? Sure, fast food is pretty greasy, but this guy gained almost a pound a day! Wouldn't a 6'2'' man have to eat a daily ration of almost 6000 calories to accomplish such a thing? The other bit that gets me is the change in his liver function. I guess that a McDonald's diet essentially turns a person into the human equivalent of force-fed foie gras. Not a nice thought.


Mary

[Intelsucks]

5. Welcome to DU NorthernSpy!

:toast:

[Bertha Venation]

11. 6,000 calories a day

One day's worth of meals w/ the most calories possible in a "burger-fries-coke" combo:

Breakfast: Spanish Omelet Bagel, Hash Brown, L Orange Juice: 970/48

Lunch: Big Mac, L fries, L Coke: 1,450/59

Dinner: Dbl Q-Lb/cheese, SS fries, SS Orange Drink: 1,840/76

Total: 4,260/183

This excludes extras the guy might throw in if he's a big eater, like another little cheeseburger (330/14) or 6 Mcnuggets w/ 2 sauces (350/15) or a side salad with Ranch dressing (305/30) or an extra hash brown (130/8) or maybe even two pancakes to go w/ his omelet sandwich (600/17). It also excludes desserts & shakes.

Edited to add the amount of fat in those meals. HOLY SHIT!

I totally agree with you: human foie-gras. :puke:

Unfortunately, that won't stop me from an occasional meal there. :shrug:

[Lostmessage]

36. I can eat McNuggets & Fish

But the rest is :puke: :puke: :puke:

Human foie-gras LOL

[Kamika]

6. I don't get why anyone would do this

I LOVE McDonalds food but not every day of the month.. maybe twice a month or something, to keep it as something 'special'

This was just stupid as hell, he should get the darwin award or something.


Oh and Ppl should back off of McDonalds if you are responsible you have nothing to fear, I weigh about 110 even though I sometimes eat fastfood.

[blondeatlast]

7. They are asking for hot tea in Hell, Kamika. I agree with you!

Sheesh, it's not like after all this time people haven't any idea of the fat content of the average McDonald's meal.

I avoid it like the Plague. I have a heart condition. It's the SENSIBLE thing to do.

But since the vast majority haven't any sense, then; LET'S BLAME McDONALD'S!

I hope he knows that regardless of what he sees on ER, the first heart attack is usually the last one, because you DIE--a fact of which I am acutely aware.

[Kamika]

10. hey blonde

I LOVE your sig line :D

[ithacan]

19. it's not just the fat content, this goes way beyond heart attacks!!!

As he points out in the article, the weight gain was the least of his problem:

But his supersized shape was the least of his problems.

Within a few days of beginning his drive-through diet, Spurlock, 33, was vomiting out the window of his car, and doctors who examined him were shocked at how rapidly Spurlock's entire body deteriorated.

"It was really crazy - my body basically fell apart over the course of 30 days," Spurlock told The Post.

His liver became toxic, his cholesterol shot up from a low 165 to 230, his libido flagged and he suffered headaches and depression.

The point is that McDonalds claims their food is "Nutritious."

And while it does have a high fat content, it's also got other nastiness in it, if it leads to the kinds of effects he saw...

[lolly]

32. Calorically Dense, possibly addicting

The stuff served in fast food restaurants is much more calorically dense than "normal" food. People tend to eat much more because they don't feel full.

(Example--it would be hard to eat 600 calories worth of apples in a sitting. I think that's 6 apples? Who wouldn't feel full after 2 apples? But lots of people eat 600 calories worth of fries without batting an eyelash).

There are some theories that the heavily fat/sugar laden foods also produce a state similar to addiction. Once people get used to the chemical changes (insulin rushes, for example) from such food, they tend to crave more of it.

Now please don't flame me by claiming I said fast food is as bad as heroin or whatever. I'm just saying the issue is a little more complicated than just telling people it's all their fault.

[CanuckAmok]

25. That's true, but...

Yes, people should be responsible, but for some people, places like McDonalds become the only affordable source of hot food. That, and McDonalds shameless pandering to children (with that asshole clown) make not going to McDonalds not an option for some people. If you look at McDonalds' advertising, it is very much directed at young people, to poor people (particularly American Blacks), and to lonely people. That's their target demographic.

I'm the same as you Kamika--I used to love a Quarter Pounder and a shake every month or two--as kind of a treat. I don't eat red meat anymore, so that's out, and I have enough of a beef (pardon the expression) with McDonalds ethical practices that I wouldn't eat there anymore even if I was still a burger-eater.

The tragedy is that most people *aren't* responsible, either by choice or due to ignorance, and 'restaurants' like McDonalds exploit that. And many, many people, myself included, weren't really educated in nutrition at a young age, and they don't fully understand the consequences of eating a regular diet of junk food. I think that's what the director was attempting to say, graphically, by forcing people to witness the changes in his phisaology after a diet of junk.

Sidebar: I shot a movie last year with a very well known hip-hop star, who is worth about half a billion dollars. On his way to set everyday, he and his six kids would stop and get McDonalds. He was fat, and his older kids were getting that way. And, none of the kids ever had any energy, because they never ate any valuable energy food--just junk. This guy could have employed an army of chefs to make he and his children the best, most tasty, very nutritious lunches everyday (and with an occasional treat of a trip to McDonalds), but instead, he decided it would be just as good for them to eat that shit on a daily basis. You can't imagine the look on my face when he said he and his family wouldn't be eating off the very expensive company gourmet catering truck I hired *specifically* because it was the best in town, and specialised in meals kids love.

And, Kamika, I hate to break this to you, but you're too young to truly see the impact of what you eat. When you get older and your metabolism slows down...then you'll see, to your horror, the consequences of your poor dietary habits (I'm not saying you have any, but if you do, you'll see the changes to your body, very graphically). And one's weight isn't really an indicatior of one's fitness or health level.

[Kamika]

26. That *was* pretty irresponsible

When I grew up my mom would shop and make the food every day, she would always tell us exactly how much cheaper the food she had done was compared to buying it already made..

Mc Donalds was always a *VERY* rare occurance, and really a time to celebrate :D

And still is hehe

Once I eat at mcdonalds three days in a row and it was pretty crappy the third day.

Once or twice every month is great.

And don't remind me please about my metabolism :p

[CanuckAmok]

27. Yes, that's what it's for.

When I was a kid, it was a big event to go to McDonalds, not a daily ritual. And I remember the McDonalds advertising when I grew up kind of representing that philosophy; being a treat.

Now their ads are all about value, and feature people chowing down on Big Macs while doing everyday activities (the commute, the lunch break, etc....). Maybe I'm mistaken, but that's what I think I see now.

I haven't read "Fast Food Nation" yet, but I'm wondering if there's any mention of fast food saturation in poor areas. In much the same way liquor stores abound in poor areas of every community, I'd bet there's more fast food outlets per capita than in upper middle class 'white' areas. It's like, "You may not be able to get to a grocery store because the neighbourhood's income can't sustain one, byt don't worry, there's a Burger King on the corner, open 24 hours".

Sounds like you have a good mom!

[lolly]

31. Targeting Poor Areas

Critser's book, "Fat Land," does address the issue of fast food chains targeting lower and working class neighborhoods. There is an interview with a Krispy Kreme manager who makes a pun about putting stores in neighborhoods with "growing families"--predominantly Latino neighborhoods with more children than upper-middle class neighborhoods. These are precisely the families whose children are at greatest risk of obesity and related illnesses and problems.

He points out that wealthier folk have far more options both for nutritious food and for exercise. Makes a case that fat is often associated with "poor" and "powerless" in our society.

[Djinn]

41. Get a copy of it

Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation is really really good. For me the problem with McDonalds was not the food per se - fish and chip shops have always existed and you'd get pretty fat and unhealthy eating nothing but that for a month too - same as if you only ate salad for a month or only ate bread for a month.

For me it's a broader problem about food safety and the practice of feeding ruminants other animals and the poor working environment in slaughter houses and the combining of meat from many different animals and the creation of ever more McJobs.

I'd really really recommend anyone with an interest in the environment, food safety, labour laws, unionism, nutrition and the casualisation of the workforce to read it - and it doesn't just focus on McDonalds for anyone who thinks they're getting a bit too much of the bashing

[Nikia]

28. But unfortunately making it yourself is not cheaper

Making food for my husband and I with fresh ingredients usually costs around ten dollars. Then it takes time to make. When we make our own stuff it is better food but it is not cheaper.

[Kamika]

30. Didn't compare it to fastfood

She compared it to the same dish but frozen and ready to be eaten.

[blondeatlast]

8. 42% of heart attack victims die, despite popular myth.

2001 statistics for the United States show that coronary heart disease (CHD) is the single leading cause of death in America. CHD causes heart attack and angina.

Mortality -- 502,189 deaths in the United States in 2001 (one of every 5 deaths).

Incidence -- 1,200,000 new and recurrent cases of coronary attack per year; 42 percent die.

If I go to McD's, which I don't, I know what I'm risking. I don't need this moron to point it out.

Flame away.

Sorry--no sympathy from me for this guy.

[solinvictus]

12. Nutritional information

Honestly, the problem is that the companies refuse to release nutritional information. This keeps some consumers from making an educated choice. Of course, anyone with two brain cells knows a steady diet of that crap will kill you.

[blondeatlast]

16. I've never had a problem getting nutritional information anywhere.

You just have to ask for it, they (for obvious to us reasons) don't flat out advertise it, nor do most people care to know.

I've taken insulin since age 7, always been mindful of my nutritional needs, and ask for the nutrition folder everywhere I eat. Only independents don't have them; for that I carry a nutritional guide.

[BigMcLargehuge]

17. But how many other people don't have any idea what

the nutritional information means? I know, I'm harping on this... and like you I've had my share of health problems... but we're forced to think about what we eat by virtue of our experiences and/or health.

The huddle massed are generally not.

[camero]

39. It's easy to read

Getting one is the trick.

[solinvictus]

20. Fast Food

I've tried with Popeye's Chicken and Sonic to receive nothing, not even with a call to their corporate service lines. Some chains do release the information while many more don't.

[blondeatlast]

21. I thought they required by Federal to offer it;

but apparently, on doing a Google, there is no such law.

Hmm.

My guilty pleasure is Popeye's, but I eat it very rarely, maybe 3-4 of times a year. But really, I love it.

[Nikia]

23. Most places around here offer it visably

Most places have little nutritional brochures near the counter. Some even have a wall chart.
It does seem to have more calories in it than it really does though. My husband and I layed off fast food for a while and dropped weight relatively rapidly even though we were pigging out on home made stuff and consuming approximately the same number of calories.
Really, a 800 calorie fast food meal might not seem like that had to a fairly active person but for some reason it seems to not be equivalent to 800 calories of a large serving chicken, vegtables, and pasta.

[camero]

38. I've had alot of trouble getting the nutritional folder

Very few actually want to go to the trouble of ordering them. They just say no without looking. Then it becomes a spat with the manager because he or she also doesn't want to look.

It's a big part of the reason why I refuse to eat out anymore. I'm glad you can. :)

[Bertha Venation]

9. What's they guy's problem with this?

He said: "People from the food industry were saying, 'You can't link kids being fat to our food - our food is nutritious.'"

Nutritious? Any fool can see that the bad stuff in McD's food negates whatever good there is.

But, "can't link kids being fat to our food"? While a case can be made for "Eat at McD's = Get Fat," the food industry is at least partially right. No one has to eat that shit. Choice, choice, choice.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

13. That's disgusting

Truly disgusting.

[BigMcLargehuge]

14. speaking as a former pre-school teacher

I think criticisms of Spurlock's film, without the benefit of a view, are a little hasty. When I taught more than half of the kids in my class (and I had 35 of em) ate some form of fast food every singe day, be it a McMuffin or doughnuts for breakfast, to those awful Lunchables for lunch, to stopping at McDonalds, Burger King, or Wendy's on the way home.

Every single day, let's say 180 days a year. I used to create pamphlets on healthy eating, I brought in a nutritionist to talk to parents afterschool (none showed up), I suggested menus for lunch, and stressed the importance of family meal time.

It fell on deaf ears.

The problem wasn't that the parents didn't necessarily know they were feeding garbage to their kids, it's that the parents didn't have the desire, time, or in some cases know-how, to prepare a nutritious meal after an 11 hour day at work. Fast food was convenient, tasted good, and is cheap. The kids in my school were from predominantly upper middle class backgrounds.

Spurlock's purpose, I believe, was to illustrate that regardless of the convenience factor, the food isn't just not good for you (as we all apparently know), but that it was really really bad for you. If his experience illustrates the experiences of a healthy adult male falling out of shape and into bad health after only 90 consecutive meals, what does it suggest as the impact on a developing body eating 300 meals a year?

For those defending the golden arches here I recommend reading both Eric Schlosser's
"Fast Food Nation" and Greg Critser's "Fat Land".

[blondeatlast]

15. I've read "FFN"--great book, muckraking with the best of them!

I'm not defending McD's, but I think this guy is crazy. Since I have a heart condition, I know the risks of the first heart attack, but many don't.

Not to mention, just like "Fast Food Nation," the people that need it the most will never be exposed to the info.

[BigMcLargehuge]

18. indeed

the thing is, if he gets a distribution deal then maybe his film will draw half the audience of Bowling for Columbine...

That's a whole lot of people.

[fishnfla]

34. I know exactly what you're talking about

with the kids, I see it too, McD's is only part of the problem, its processed foods of all sorts, as you noted. (Thanks ADM!) it affects all socio-economic backgrounds. The health effects of this pandemic among our population have yet to be paid for.

[Deja Q]

22. McGarbage is a hoot...

Consumers can achieve balance in their daily dining decisions by choosing from our array of quality offerings and range of portion sizes to meet their taste and nutrition goals," McDonald's said in a statement.

Uh, is McGarbage implying that if Morgan ate small sizes only, he would still be just as healthy?! :eyes:

Of course, look at their commercials, which show happy thin people eating that filth, saying "i'm lovin' it", "we like to see you smile", et cetera... they want you to go there all the time.

Sad.

[Nikia]

24. You can get fewer calories, especially by skipping fries

On the otherhand, my personal experience tells me that their calories are not equivalent to eating a large portion of healthy food with the same amount of calories. I am not sure why that is.
Eating it occaisionally, probably won't hurt you much. He could have also eaten a McGrilled chicken or a sald with their lower calorie dressing or just a hamburger and skipped the fries and shakes and not have packed on weight like he did (or at least not as much).
I don't know whose calories needs a Big mac or other large greasy sandwich, large fries, and a large shake and perhaps an apple pie would be healthily fitting.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. What about -- vitamins, fiber, less fat, less funky chemicals...

...I'm not a nutritionist, but one could probably extend this list greatly.

[jmowreader]

33. Sounds like the "rat experiment"

I did in school.

You had two cages with rats in them. One you fed a balanced diet. The other got basically what Morgan Spurlock ate. At the end of the period, the rats who ate the balanced diet looked pretty good. The ones who ate like Morgan Spurlock had hair falling out and weren't walking very well. This was to 'teach you' to eat a balanced diet.

If you don't eat your veggies, your grains and so on, your health will suffer.

If you're not stupid about it--eat McDonalds once in a while and eat healthy the rest of the time--you can eat fast food and it won't hurt you. Balance, people, balance.

[Lostmessage]

35. The Fish Sandwich is the only thing that I can eat from McD's

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[K8-EEE]

37. It's A Great Idea For A Doc...

It's like, why does W single out steroids as our big health problem? I guess he doesn't get any money from the steroids manufacturers?

[Frangible]

40. Ya know

McDonalds sells other things than fries and burgers. Salads etc. I don't eat there hardly ever, but kinda silly. You can eat healthy at McDonalds, or poorly.

By that same token, you can eat poorly from food you buy at a grochery store, or healthy.

I don't see why McD's is to blame here. Even in water is bad in excess.