Eat McDonald's, lose wight, set terrible example

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  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I would hope that in the future the MFP community would be a little less judgmental, given the circumstances.



    Wait. So in the future we should be less judgmental of the OP, but more judgmental of what other people eat?

    :huh:

    A very wise woman once said something very similar.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Yes. I am incredibly bothered by the fact that Slate has turned into a bunch of trolls from top to bottom.
  • njself0713
    njself0713 Posts: 5 Member
    McDonald's has made great strides in offering healthier food choices. His students probably learned a lot more than my kids - their teacher told them McDonald's was terrible and they should never eat there. I have 4 teenagers, and it is a given fact that very few teens will completely give up fast food. This exercise would at least raise their awareness of the "value" of the choices they make when eating fast food at establishments such as McDonald's. After all, if they are planning a 2000 calorie diet with 3 meals a day, they aren't going to put many 750 calorie Double Quarter Pounders on there.

    I think everyone agrees that a <insert fast food restaurant> diet is not nutritionally or financially optimal. But these stories do show that losing weight is possible and the choices we make have more to do with our weight problem than whatever excuses we are making. And maybe some people who never wanted to give up these indulgences will realize they can have them and still become healthier.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I would hope that in the future the MFP community would be a little less judgmental, given the circumstances.

    :huh:


    So we need to be less judgmental be being more annoyed with what other people eat?

    No, not at all. Like I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If the OP is bothered by a certain article that is going viral, so be it. This topic should incite controversy. However, many of the responses are just rude.

    Who is being rude? What somebody else is eating shouldn't outrage anyone, unless it's like babies or something.
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  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    If he had remained overweight and did nothing about it, wouldnt that be worse?

    He did it to teach a lesson that many MANY people still need to learn. It is not the source of the food that makes you fat. It is eating too many calories.

    People like having a Boogey Man to blame for their problems whether its fat, carbs, sugar, fast food, corporations, advertisers or what have you.

    I think his experiment has great value and he should be thanked not condemned.

    The people that are the most upset are the ones that lost one of their excuses.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I would hope that in the future the MFP community would be a little less judgmental, given the circumstances.



    Wait. So in the future we should be less judgmental of the OP, but more judgmental of what other people eat?

    :huh:

    A very wise woman once said something very similar.

    Egads!

    Get out of my brain, woman...

    :huh:
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I think it is a fantastic example. I used to believe that a person had to eat 'clean' and deprive themselves of everything delicious if they wanted to lose weight. Now, by following the examples of people like this teacher, and many successful MFP users, (some on this very thread) I know I can have the foods I love (in moderation) and still lose weight. With this knowledge, I was able to make a sustainable plan and stick with it, with no more yoyo dieting. :drinker:

    Edited for bracketing issues, :laugh:
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I'm not bothered, but I'm not indifferent. Although the teacher did not intend to set a bad example, I think this a bad example for any reader/viewer. While McDonald's does offer oatmeal, salad, etc., the connotation of Big Macs, fries, and hashbrowns will be primarily evoked.

    Many of the above posters are entitled to their opinions, as is the original poster of this particular topic.
    I would hope that in the future the MFP community would be a little less judgmental, given the circumstances.

    Please elaborate on the circumstances.

    Of course. Myfitnesspal is supposed to be a community. Each of us have goals--to lose weight, to gain weight, to gain muscle, to improve our health, etc. It is with the support of the community and of our friends that are we motivated to see our true potential and to make better choices. If a user posts a topic, it should be with the comfort that he/she will not be criticized for their opinion. We are all confiding in each other, and in a sense, we are making ourselves vulnerable to each other. I am not saying it is another person's duty to sugarcoat anything, but making posts such as a picture of ridicule that read "stop whining" (among other insulting phrases and remarks) is just insensitive.

    I respect that opinion. But, on the other hand, this particular thread is on a subject that is bound to be divisive- and I would argue that it was posted with the intention of creating a flame thread.

    If this were a thread where someone was expressing that they need help with some sensitive situation, I think you would find the responses to be a lot more supportive, on the whole. There will always be a few people who post obnoxious things on every thread, but it's a free website and everyone is truly not here for the same reason.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    Yes. I am incredibly bothered by the fact that Slate has turned into a bunch of trolls from top to bottom.

    Hasn't it always been?
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  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Funny, I posted a thread about this very news story this morning.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1165101-today-show-story-rant-alert

    (Not meaning to hijack)

    I often travel more frequently than I enjoy.

    In a perfect word, I'd always have access to all the lovely dietary choices that I have at home.

    My world is not so perfect.
    I often find myself in a hotel with no fridge with choices like McDonald's, Burger King or convenience store fare.
    And I'm stuck with those for days.

    So, which person who thinks it's so terrible to have high school students make "best choices" out of crappy ones wants to put me up in a suite with a fridge, microwave (or kitchenette... Better still!) and a rental car?

    Because, truth be told, some of those kids will be traveling for work. Often. And they're going to HAVE to learn to make the best of it.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member

    There's no excuse for rudeness when there wasn't an intent on the OP's part. Let's agree to disagree.

    How do you know OP's intent?
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    Tell people certain foods are forbidden.

    Leads to a greater % of eating disorders.

    Are you a good person?
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I would hope that in the future the MFP community would be a little less judgmental, given the circumstances.



    Wait. So in the future we should be less judgmental of the OP, but more judgmental of what other people eat?

    :huh:

    A very wise woman once said something very similar.

    Egads!

    Get out of my brain, woman...

    :huh:

    Was here first, I think that means you have wondered onto my lawn. :grumble:
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  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
    I would argue that it was posted with the intention of creating a flame thread.

    It was posted because I thought it would be something that would spark discussion and it has.

    Personally, I feel that this teacher, however noble his intentions, is setting a dangerous example for this students. Fast food is TERRIBLE for you. It contains highly processed low grade food which over time leads to tons of health problems.

    Using fast food to teach nutrition is like using Russian roulette to teach probability.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I would hope that in the future the MFP community would be a little less judgmental, given the circumstances.



    Wait. So in the future we should be less judgmental of the OP, but more judgmental of what other people eat?

    :huh:

    A very wise woman once said something very similar.

    Egads!

    Get out of my brain, woman...

    :huh:

    Was here first, I think that means you have wondered onto my lawn. :grumble:

    I would deny it, (mostly because I don't remember ever wondering about your lawn)...

    ...but I'm at an age where I tend to forget things...

    ...and I tend to wander...

    ...so it's entirely plausible.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member

    There's no excuse for rudeness when there wasn't an intent on the OP's part. Let's agree to disagree.

    How do you know OP's intent?

    I'm using "OP" in a general sense. In a more particular matter, the OP of this thread has not responded to any of the derogatory comments. This implies that the OP did not have any intentions of inciting comments such as, "No, there are better things in life to bothered by. Take this judgmental post, for instance.."

    In the hypothetical, if I were purposely posting an incendiary thread, I would not respond to the derogatory comments either, because 1) the drama will unfold on it's own and 2) you can get strikes for responding back.

    I mean, just hypothetically.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,206 Member
    Let's face it, McDonald's isnt going away. This teacher just made a bright example of how you can have it and still make good choices. I think it was a brave experiment and will have taught the kids that to look at nutritional info and make smart choices when they go to Maccas or the like.
  • auntiemsgr8
    auntiemsgr8 Posts: 483 Member
    I didn't read this but did see this. He also walked about 45 min every day and I believe did another form of exercise.

    So he made good food choices and exercised the recommended 30 minutes or more a day.

    Good for him
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    I would argue that it was posted with the intention of creating a flame thread.

    It was posted because I thought it would be something that would spark discussion and it has.

    Personally, I feel that this teacher, however noble his intentions, is setting a dangerous example for this students. Fast food is TERRIBLE for you. It contains highly processed low grade food which over time leads to tons of health problems.

    Using fast food to teach nutrition is like using Russian roulette to teach probability.

    So that would be YOU assisting me with that suite and rental car? I'll be happy to PM you with my Paypal information.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I would argue that it was posted with the intention of creating a flame thread.

    It was posted because I thought it would be something that would spark discussion and it has.

    Personally, I feel that this teacher, however noble his intentions, is setting a dangerous example for this students. Fast food is TERRIBLE for you. It contains highly processed low grade food which over time leads to tons of health problems.

    Using fast food to teach nutrition is like using Russian roulette to teach probability.

    Fast food has a monopoly on "highly processed low grade food" now? And "processing" equals "bad", right?

    What about people (at a healthy weight) who eat fast food but still have ideal health markers? (Not to be confused with people who are overweight from eating too many more ideal (IYHO) foods w/ worse health markers.)

    Meh. I'm done. I'll let the "mean people" in this thread take it from here.

    Nonetheless, mission accomplished, OP.
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  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
    Funny, I posted a thread about this very news story this morning.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1165101-today-show-story-rant-alert

    (Not meaning to hijack)

    I often travel more frequently than I enjoy.

    In a perfect word, I'd always have access to all the lovely dietary choices that I have at home.

    My world is not so perfect.
    I often find myself in a hotel with no fridge with choices like McDonald's, Burger King or convenience store fare.
    And I'm stuck with those for days.

    So, which person who thinks it's so terrible to have high school students make "best choices" out of crappy ones wants to put me up in a suite with a fridge, microwave (or kitchenette... Better still!) and a rental car?

    Because, truth be told, some of those kids will be traveling for work. Often. And they're going to HAVE to learn to make the best of it.

    I have done quite a bit of traveling for work and your situation is one that can be quite challenging. But learning to make the best of a bad situation and embracing a fast food diet are two different things,. While I'm sure the teacher's intention was the former I would be willing to bet that the message the students received was the latter.
  • Shoopc1
    Shoopc1 Posts: 4 Member
    I choose not to judge what anyone else chooses to eat. It's all I can do to make sure I'm making good choices for myself- it's really none of my business.

    But on a side note, I personally think it's great that he was able to loose weight finding healthier choices at a place like Mcdonalds. I'm SO tired of the "I'm making better choices than you so you're just an idiot" attitudes. Why can't we all just worry about our own food choices and stop judging everyone else for theirs?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I'm not bothered by this at all. In fact, I'm glad that I'll have this to point to from now on when people complain that they don't have time to make healthier choices.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Funny, I posted a thread about this very news story this morning.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1165101-today-show-story-rant-alert

    (Not meaning to hijack)

    I often travel more frequently than I enjoy.

    In a perfect word, I'd always have access to all the lovely dietary choices that I have at home.

    My world is not so perfect.
    I often find myself in a hotel with no fridge with choices like McDonald's, Burger King or convenience store fare.
    And I'm stuck with those for days.

    So, which person who thinks it's so terrible to have high school students make "best choices" out of crappy ones wants to put me up in a suite with a fridge, microwave (or kitchenette... Better still!) and a rental car?

    Because, truth be told, some of those kids will be traveling for work. Often. And they're going to HAVE to learn to make the best of it.

    I have done quite a bit of traveling for work and your situation is one that can be quite challenging. But learning to make the best of a bad situation and embracing a fast food diet are two different things,. While I'm sure the teacher's intention was the former I would be willing to bet that the message the students received was the latter.

    From the interview I saw this morning, the students learned that it is incredibly challenging to make healthier choices with a very narrow menu.
    Frankly, I'm sure that the students would have been RELIEVED to have had the breadth of choices available from a grocery store.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I don't know if anyone remembers the HBO series "The weight of the nation" (it's really really good) but they talked about certain parts of the country that had -I think they called it something like- fast food wastelands, where a large percentage of the population lives with fast food as literally their only choice. There are literally no grocery stores or places to buy fresh food within the local public transportation routes, and an abundance of fast food restaurants. People without their own transportation have to rely on fast food. They have some of the highest obesity rates and unhealthiest people in the country.

    I think this story could translate to some hope for how people that live in these areas can turn their health situations around, despite the circumstances. A big part of the problem is accepting that if you don't have food availability, you're going to be fat and unhealthy.