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Dr. Tiegs Asks...
Super Size Me No More!
Imagine, nothing to eat for a solid month, except food that is available on the McDonald’s menu. It probably sounds like heaven to someone you know!
What do you think might happen to someone who eats a steady diet, breakfast, lunch and dinner, under the Golden Arches for 30 days?
Weight Gain Lawsuits
That’s exactly what Morgan Spurlock wanted to find out. His experience is recorded in his documentary, Super Size Me. Spurlock became curious about how a “Nothing-but-McDonalds” diet might affect him and his health after reading about several lawsuits, initiated by obese people, blaming McDonald’s for their weight gain.
Spurlock’s self-imposed rules:
- Eat only what is available on McDonald’s menu
- Accept a “super sized” portion if offered by the counter person
- Sample every menu item at least once
- Engage in minimal exercise, just like any other “average” American.
Spurlock submits to an examination by three physicians prior to starting the experiment and is deemed healthy in all areas. By the end of the experiment, Spurlock has gained 30 pounds, his cholesterol is elevated 65 points, he is nauseous and sluggish, he experiences chest pains and high blood pressure, and his girl friend, a vegetarian, wants nothing to do with intimacy!
Doctors Say "Stop!"
So surprising was the rapid onset of these symptoms, that Spurlock’s doctors warned him to quit a mere 20 days into his experiment before he caused irreparable damage to himself!
There is conjecture that McDonald’s eliminated its “Super-Sized Menu” because of this documentary. But common sense and personal responsibility clearly dictate that a steady diet of high fat and high sodium fast food can have disastrous consequences for anyone!