[mariposssa]

I wouldn't want to do that everyday and sure anybody who has a team of people helping them will do better than a single lonely person on their own. At least the students were learning skills that they can use later in life or even now with childhood obesity being what it is today. I hope he brought home the lesson that you can lose weight no matter what your circumstances. If you really think about it many kids and teens don't get to control the grocery shopping, fast food or restaurants they will eat in, the food options on the cafeteria lunch menu, etc. They have to make the best choices they can based on what is made available to them by the adults in their life.

[me4life]

i think the point they were making is you can lose weight and eat anywhere is you have the right information....unortunately most people dont have that information or the time to find it

[kaplods]

I think it was a great lesson for the kids, I just don't think it teaches veteran dieters anything new.

Especially since most people are going to walk away with the idea " I can eat at McDonald's if I want to" and gloss over or forget the three most important aspects of the teacher's experiment:

1. Calorie intake
2. Exercise
3. Meeting nutritional guidelines (if not from the FDA, then from another reputable source, such as the American Diabetic Association or the American Dietetics Association, or a trusted dietitian).

I'm guessing that the teacher stressed these elements to the students, and I'm very glad to see the topic of nutrition, fitness, and weight control being taught in high school (I'd like to see it in middle schools and grade schools too).

In my opinion, the article is written on a way that just doesn't stress enough those 3 important elements I listed above. Elements any veteran dieter should know, but very often doesn't.

Another fact that (which I hope the teacher stressed to his students) that an experiment with one subject is not a large enough sample to prove anything. Just because one middle-aged man lost weight and improved some of his health markers, doesn't mean anything. Coincidence alone could be responsible for the effects, as could the diet alone, or the exercise alone.

We also don't know what other variables may be at play. What was the man's dietary habits before the experiment (was he eating 5,000 calories a day at McDonald's?) Did his doctor recently put him on cholesterol meds? What were the foods, if any, on the McDonald's menu that couldn't be included in his diet? Did he experience any adverse health effects (headaches, fatigue, abdominal pain, digestive issues, nausea, hunger, cravings, brain fog or lack of mental clarity, dizziness....) and how often? Did he seek and get clearance from his doctor before starting the experiment? Did he have a family history of heart disease, stroke, diabetes...?

Anyone with a basic understanding of nutrition (say, one high school class or a college/university 100-level class, or its equivalent self-study devoted to nutrition and fitness), will find no new information here. Unfortunately, anyone without this knowledge can easily misinterpret the situation to their detriment, by assuming one guy's experience proves anything or that it will apply equally to themselves).

To me, a troubling aspect of mainstream science (and lay culture as well) is an almost universal assumption that we all have identical dietary needs.

Most of us say, "everyone is different," but our words and actions generally prove we don't really mean it, or we take it too literally. Just the divisiveness in our community here illustrates this. We don't try very hard to determine which types of diet best address an individual's unique health needs and goals. Instead, we assume everyone should be on the same diet, or conversely (and just as naively) that "everyone is different" means that finding the "right" diet is entirely random.

Science needs to start exploring what types of diets are best for which people, instead of trying to find a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead of asking "which diet is best?" We need to start asking, "for whom?" and "for what purpose?"

The "best diets" for heart disease or cancer prevention may be very different than the best diet for weight loss. The best diets for a sedentary, overweight, menopausal woman may (and probably are) quite different than for a lean, athletic, male adolescent.

While we "know this" on some level, the science doesn't always reflect this knowledge. The research being done currently, still too often reflects a one-size approach.

Compared to other sciences, nutrition and weight management science (and wellness in general) are in there infancy. Medical science in general, in the western world, focuses on fixing what is broken, rather than preventing breakdown in the first place.

I think the science is starting (finally) to ask the more complex questions, but it will be a while before we have the answers.

I'm starting to rant and ramble, so I'll end here.

Did he keep a record of his blood work like Morgan Spurlock did?

I will never say weight isn't an important part of overall health. I personally am running and generally working out. Healthier than ever. If the goal is health that is more complex than just your weight.

[LuvMyMr]

I saw the video. He said he ate two of the egg white delights for breakfast. Well those things have 770 ml of sodium for just one!!! How in the world he swallowed down two of those is incredible! Because I no longer eat salt like I used to, when I eat something with high sodium it burns my lips. Good for him for doing it though but wow!

At the end of the day, I absolutely hate these things. I started watching on Netflix the guy trying to 'debunk' Supersize. It really angered me. This is just a horrible thing to be getting stories about.

There is some small bit of good info in there, amount of calories matters. But like much of processed food and junk food and especially fast food it is wrapped in so much unhealthiness.

How about all the studies that show your mortality increases...a lot if you eat fast food. And people have plotted Subway densities and obesity rates and they are nearly one to one. Of course that doesn't mean causality.

But I personally HATE these stories. Do a lot of disservice to the public IMO. No you cannot be or get healthy going to fast food. Not as a regular part of your diet. At least 99.9% of the population can't. And this guy can feel free to do this the rest of his life if he wants. I would not want to be him at 60 or even in my 50s.

[JamieToo]

I wouldn't be surprised if McDonalds' PR department was behind this...

[thirti4thirty]

WHICH PROVES HOW OH-SO-DIFFERENT WE ALL ARE. I guess a few people will be tempted to follow this diet and expect to lose weight like this man? IMMATURITY!

[Arwa4u]

No thanks! Can't be healthy at all.