I haven;t seen it by my friend Ruth Bennett has been a production assistant for the Director of the film on a project where a Muslim man is introduced into a Jewish family and has to live for 90 days or something to that effect.

I thought the concept for the film was a bit of a forgone conclusion. I mean, we all know McDonald's is not optimal nutritionally- no surprise there.

Also, I wager if you ate any one thing or at any one restaurant exclusively, long enough, it would not be good for you.

It is kind of an exercise in demonstrating common sense. The outcome didn't surprise me.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

[reply]
2. Must eat 3 meals per day

3. Must try everything on the menu at least once

4. Must not exercise except walking and no more than the avg. american walks in a day (+/- 2500 steps)

5. Can ONLY "super-size" when asked, but MUST if asked

This guy was really healthy going into this, which I think contributed to the dramatic effects he felt. I don't think most people would experience such severe problems, but it really shows how bad this kind of food really is.

Oh, and by the way... I FORBADE my wife from EVER taken my children there again! But, hey I'm an extremist, what can I say?![/reply]

I would argue if you follow the same "rules" for just about any resteraunt changing the supper size into any "extras" they offer you you must buy. And the resutls would be the same.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Granted, going into this I knew the outcome would be bad. The level at which it affected him though was truly interesting (and no matter what you expect, somewhat shocking). IMO it was a very well done doc. Well worth watching. We all know people that eat like total sh*t, this gave me a little more ammo next time I try help my fat friends brake out of their bad eating habits.

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"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word" - John Steinbeck

lots of discussion here:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...t_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

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_______________________________________________

Thanks. That's wierd, I did a search and that thread didn't pop-up. Sorry for the redundancy.

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"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word" - John Steinbeck

>I thought the concept for the film was a bit of a forgone conclusion. I mean, we all know McDonald's is not optimal nutritionally- no surprise there.

The premise of the film was based on the failed legal action from a few years ago, where a couple of teenagers sued McDonalds for making them fat. The judge threw the suit out because there was no evidence that McDonalds was "bad for you", and the law was subsequently changed to prevent similar actions in future. The film-maker, Morgan Spurlock, wanted to address that by seeing what would happen if......

That the food was bad for him wasn't a surprise, but how bad the food was, was a surprise.

<<Also, I wager if you ate any one thing or at any one restaurant exclusively, long enough, it would not be good for you. >>

I disagree. Fast food and most chain restaurants probably so, but it is easily possible to eat a variety of nutritous food at many independent restaurants. I'd look for an independent/chef owned restaurant with a large menu that offers a lof of organic and locally raised foods. I could eat quite well at a number of such restaurants here in Phoenix/Scottsdale, including my own.

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don't just do something..... sit there

"there was no evidence that McDonalds was "bad for you","

Yeah right.

I've posted several times before that McD's is a criminal organization. They know fully well what their food is capable of doing. If an individual was hurting people in this way he'd be thrown behind bars. But for some reason we're much more willing to tolerate this kind of behaviour from big corporations.

I still say the fast food industry needs strict legislation to force them to clean up their act.

Take the tragic case of Okinawa where they once had the highest life expectancy in the world on their fish based diet. Forty-four McD's have been introduced onto the island, largely due to the presence of American military bases. The Japanese kids are turning their backs on their grandparents diets in favor of American junk food advertising hype and are now the first generation in modern history expected to have a less healthy life and shorter life span than their grandparents.

So very sad.

We don't eat fast food very often, but the few times we do, Subway is a better choice.

BTW, I haven't touched a McD's for over seven years and my kids also know better.

If you get the DVD make sure you watch the extras....Theer is one on there where they take a regular burger, a MCD's burger, a MCD's fish fellet, regular fries and MCD's fries.....I think its call "The smoking fry" or something like that. Anyways, after watching that, I never want fast food fries again!!!! Its creepy

-bcreager

Has anyone seen that new Hot Pocket commercial?



Kid in his baseball uniform tells his mom that Coach wants the kids to eat something healthy before their games. Mom pulls out a couple of Pepperoni and Cheese hotpockets...which contain 8 vitamins and minerals!!!!...and heats them up for young Johnnie's pre game healthy lunch.

There's gotta be a freakin law! Pepperoni Hotpockets are now health food!

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

The judge threw the suit out because there was no evidence that McDonalds was "bad for you..."

That's not what the court said. Among other things, what the court said was that the plaintiffs failed properly show that McDonald's food caused their alleged injuries. In its first opinion, the court specifically told the plaintiffs that they needed to identify the frequency at which the plaintiffs ate McDonald's food and that they needed to identify the other factors that could come into play in affecting the plaintiffs' obesity and health, and to explain why the McDiet was a substantial factor in the obesity and health problems despite these other factors. They didn't do it... case over. No causal connection.

I think everyone knows that McDonald's is not good for you. However, it's relatively inexpensive, it's fast, and its convenient. McDonald's will continue to flourish until people realize that health is more important than convenience.

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Steve Perkins

I've posted several times before that McD's is a criminal organization.

Irresponsible, yes, but criminal? No. First, I'm not aware of a criminal law that McD's violates by selling this food to people. Second, and most important, nobody forces these people to shove McD's food down their throats. Granted, the advertising and marketing is pursuasive. But ultimately, one must take responsibility for one's own actions... and parents should take responsibility for what their kids eat.

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Steve Perkins

 
Wouldn't really blame McD for shortening of Japanese life span. The blame lies more with Japanese trying to imitate Westerners and introducing beef into their diets after WWII. Couple that with increase in calorie consumption that comes with adoption of Western diet and desire to get bigger and stronger and you get a shorter life span.
As for McDonalds, I had some yesterday as my second post gym meal. I had two chicken fajitas, there was nothing to supersize.
Two chicken fajitas have a total of 400 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1000 mg of Sodium (high, but not as high as some Subway subs), 6g of fat, 48g of carbohydrates and 28 g of protein. They tasted good too.
I'd say that out of all fast food places McDonald's does the most for the non-burger and fries crowd and they also get the most crap from the same crowd.

Some of you really need to look at McD's menu.

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http://www.optruth.org/

I saw it and unfortunately, I still get FF a couple times a week....

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TheBikeRacer.com

That was truely the funniest part of the DVD, just ahead of him taking like what 30 minutes to eat that super-size meal and then blowing chucks.

All three of my boys (4, 6,and 9) have sworn off happy meals after seeing how chicken mcnuggets are made.

I keep tellihng my wife we need to buy the DVD occaionally reinforce the their disgust...

The 30 minutes to eat that super-size meal is a very close second. I couldn't believe that he ate, then threw-up, then finished eating the meal.....and in the name of science!!! Now that is HARD CORE!

It a great DVD to have, just to show friends that last part with the "smoking fry". I like show the buy that eats at least 1 Big Mac a day for that last 30 some years.....he's creepy!

-bcreager

   

I did watch that!! That was crazy! I'm still kinda freaked out that those fries lasted so long. I will admit, I always thought McD's had the best fries, but I will NEVER eat those again!

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"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word" - John Steinbeck

Tasty, low nutrient, high calorie food will make you fat. No question. Does that make McD's bad? Is that why Joan Kroc gave so much to good causes, because she knew she was responsible for such havoc on the other end? Who knows.

I always get nervous when we try to pin the source of problems on inanimate objects (in this case prepared food). It’s really up to parents to have some level of nutrition knowledge, because it’s impossible to make everyone eat well.

A sad example is when I taught at a city school (middle class) here in LA. The only thing those kids ate (provided for free by the school) were chocolate glazed buttermilk donuts and chocolate milk for breakfast and pizza for lunch. One week I convinced them to change the menu for a day. We had ham and eggs with English muffins for breakfast, and chicken sandwiches for lunch, and no chocolate milk in the morning. Granted, not super healthy, but not donuts and pizza.

Well, nobody ate anything except for a few teachers that didn't bring their own food for the day. They also got two complaints from parents that said their kids didn’t eat anything that day, and what the hell was going on. The cafeteria can’t afford that because if they get many complaints and throw out a lot of food they don’t get their funding. The next day; of course chocolate milk, chocolate donuts, and pizza. No complaints and fully funded. What are you going to do? Thank God I don't teach anymore.

Very interesting movie. The DVD extras were the best part - especially the decay-proof fries. I haven't had fast food since. My two cents: what kinda wimp couldn't finish a super size quater pounder meal in 30 minutes?? Come on! Although if I hurled halfway through I don't think I could finish the rest.

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king of the road says you move too slow
KING OF THE ROAD SAYS YOU MOVE TOO SLOW

"Irresponsible, yes, but criminal? "

I can't argue that McD's is "criminal" in the legal sense of the word because they're not breaking laws, but what they are doing is showing a total lack of social responsibility.

It's fair to say that we should all educate our kids about junk food and I have, but remember that my educational background was in biochemistry/human nutrition. Too many parents don't educate their kids about the long term health hazards of junk food because they're not educated themselves. That's why in some areas teenage obesity has reached 40% and why Americans are now the fattest people on the planet. And societies that are adapting the American way of eating are running into the same problems. I already mentioned Okinawa as an example. This is one aspect of the "American way of life" that is best not to be copied.

The victims of the junk food industry are more often the under educated and poorer members of our society who buy junk food for the low price and super size portions. Obesity levels and the associated health problems are higher in lower socio-economic groups.

That's why I'm all in favor of legislation forcing the junk food industry to smarten up. To them it's only about the balance sheet and be damned to the harm they are doing to society.


Sure there is nothing wrong with an occassional Big Mac and fries, but some people are nearly 24/7 on the stuff and are totally unaware of the potential health problems and cost to our health care system and tax payers that this kind of diet can cause.

The lack of nutritional value of junk food is only part of the problem. The main culprit is the super sizes. The average burger and fries meal is now 128% larger than it was thirty years ago. I'm 53, so when I went to high school obesity among teenagers was quite rare. I can only remember a couple of kids that were seriously overweight in my entire high school days and that would be genetic. Compare that to now.

I agree with what some previous posters have said, that we can't blame McDonalds or call them criminal, because it is the PARENTS' fault. Parents need to be teaching their kids (by example) that most fast food is BAD. I like what a previous post said about the cost of convenience versus the cost of our good health. America is so screwed up in so many ways (and this is just one of them). The root of the problem lies in the way parents are teaching or not teaching their families. Tobacco, fast food, drugs, crime, it all goes back to the fact that parents need to stop worrying about making money and working so much and spending more time with their kids and teaching them values--and getting their fat asses off the couch and away from the TV and getting some exercise.

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"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."
-H.D.Thoreau

Hey how come no one is talking about one of his McDiet rules that has NOTHING to do with McD's. They imposed a no exercise no walking (2500 Step limit) to his day.

Now especially if this person was normally a very active person this quick change to a seditarry lifestyle would also wreek havoc on him. Gee his liver went bad, how much water did he consume before and then during. I bet that also stopped, so his body which was use to getting flushed out and lots of exercise now got no fluid and no exercise and a bunch of crap to eat. Gee How many salads did he eat? Ect....

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

The average adult of any height (not including a lot of us skinny trigeeks) is about 25 lbs heavier than in the 1960's. It's not rocket science to figure out why. We're eating about 280 calories more per day and burning off about 300 less with our more sedentary modern lifestyle. That's a net gain of almost 600 calories per day.

Agreed. It was probably exacerbated by the sheer amount of junk he ate, and the fact that he wasn't getting any exercise. BUT... he intentionally wanted to get the same amount of exercise as the average American.

Now, most people probably don't eat every single meal at McDonald's (or its like). So, yeah it was not particularly scientific. But you can't deny the stunning results. That's a LOT of weight to put on in one month, and even scarrier, the effects it had on his liver. Holy crap! The doctors were seriously concerned he'd permenantly damaged his liver... in four weeks!

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Steve Perkins