Could eating at McDonald’s become the next weight-loss fad?
In a recent experiment, John Cisna, a science teacher in Ankeny, Iowa, lost 37 pounds after dining at the fast-food chain for 90 days straight. His cholesterol dropped from 279 to 170, he said.
The purpose of a documentary he made about the experiment was to prove a point: “It’s our choices that make us fat, not McDonald’s,” he told KCCI.
Over the three-month period, Cisna was limited to 2,000 calories per day. The meal plan, which was designed by three of his students, was closely aligned to the recommended dietary allowances. He typically had two Egg White Delights, a bowl of maple oatmeal and a glass of 1 percent milk for breakfast, salad for lunch and a value meal for dinner, reports KCCI.
“So this isn’t something where you say, ‘Well, he went to McDonald’s and he only had the salads. No, I had the Big Macs, the Quarter Pounders with Cheese. I had sundaes, I had ice cream cones,” Cisna said. He also exercised for 45 minutes each day, which he admitted to not doing before the experiment started.
The experiment painted a much brighter picture than that of the “Super Size Me” documentary released in 2004, in which Morgan Spurlock consumed about 5,000 calories daily for 30 days by eating McDonald’s for each meal. And every item from the menu was selected at least once. The results were not pretty. He said he experienced poor health and rapid weight gain.
Since then, McDonald’s has added healthier options to the menu.
Does this experiment change the way you view fast food? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
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