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Video: Science Teacher Claims He Got Healthier Eating Only McDonald's
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 5, 2014
Modified Jan 5, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 5, 2014
Modified Jan 5, 2014
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In case you were looking for an excuse to keep cramming those double quarter pounders with cheese down your throat despite the toxic ingredients, deplorable and condescending work conditions, and general unhealthiness, here you go: an Iowa science teacher claims he lost weight, lowered his cholesterol, and generally got healthier after eating only McDonald's for 90 days. So go ahead and eat McGourmet meals for the rest of your life, that'll definitely work out dandy.
John Cisna, a science teacher in Ankeny, Iowa, told KCII that he was skeptical after watching Super Size Me, and decided to enlist three of his students in creating a NEW documentary, based on this hypothesis: "I can eat any food at McDonald's (that) I want as long as I'm smart for the rest of the day with what I balance it out with." So for 90 days, Cisna ate nothing but McDonald's for his meals—but he did have a "strict daily nutritional limitations of 2,000 calories."
The owner of the McDonald's franchise where Cisna tried out his experiment of course agreed to provide all those meals for free, because what company wouldn't want their own Jared. After the 90 days, Cisna says he had lost 37 pounds, his cholesterol dropped from 249 to 170, and his low-density lipoprotein dropped from 173 to 113.
Cisna admits he also started walking 45 minutes a day during this experiment, which, ya know, probably made a difference. There are a couple other holes to his experiment: Cisna doesn't mention his own eating history (and family health history). He doesn't seem to have any conception of the fact different people have different bodies—some of those bodies are exceptionally good at metabolizing junk food, while most aren't.
For all we know, Cisna developed a McNugget-loving parasite during the experiment which led to the weight loss. But Cisna thinks this proves that you can be healthy even if you eat food which McDonald's admits is unhealthy to eat in bulk: "The point behind this documentary is, ‘Hey, it's [a] choice. We all have choices. It's our choices that make us fat not McDonald's," he said. You also have the choice to eat non-processed foods created by companies that don't exploit their workers, but whatever, right?
[h/t Buzzfeed, partners with McDonald's]
Tagged
fast food
health
Iowa
John Cisna
mcdonald's
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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