Food & Drink

Undersize Me!

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  • Feb 18th, 2005 5:31 pm
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Sr. Member
Feb 9, 2005
934 posts
242 upvotes

Undersize Me!

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonS ... 4-sun.html
Undersize me!

AJAY BHARDWAJ, EDMONTON SUN

Les Sayer hasn't cheated on his McDonald's-only diet. Not an apple, an orange, a cantaloupe or grapes in 17 days. Sayer, a teacher at NorQuest College and Metro Continuing Education, wanted to drive home the point to students that Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Supersize Me, was an opinion piece. He said he could eat McDonald's food for a month and lose weight, not gain it.

"The main reason for doing this is because my students thought (Supersize Me) was an objective piece," the 39-year-old Sayer said yesterday.

Sixteen days into the diet, Sayer says he's lost 13 pounds - he's down to 222 pounds from his 235 - and his blood pressure has dropped to 134/73 from 136/88.

His secret? One hour in the gym doing cardiovascular exercise and weight training five to six times weekly.

"The big surprise for me was the blood pressure."

Sayer has steadily chowed down on Big Macs, Bacon and Egg McMuffins and Chicken McNuggets.

"The magic here is in the exercise," he said. "The average Joe doesn't exercise."

Sayer said he's not being paid by McDonald's nor is he affiliated with the fast-food giant. But he said he has caught a lot of flak for taking on the diet.

"Some people are upset because they think I'm pandering to a huge, large corporation," he said.

"It's not McDonald's food that's unhealthy. It's the lifestyle you lead."

Sayer said the main message is that you should eat and enjoy a variety of foods as long as you exercise.

Ruth West, a registered dietitian at the Grey Nuns Hospital, said people who want to lose weight should be eating a variety of foods to benefit from all nutrients.

West said Sayer is likely expending more energy than he's consuming.
I'm glad he saying that the movie shouldn't be taken as factual and it's one man's opinion/experiment.
4 replies
Deal Guru
User avatar
Mar 17, 2004
11327 posts
9 upvotes
CA
Well, for those who watched the movie, they should know that it was an extreme experiment. All-out McD and essentially zero exercise. If you can balance the energy intake and consumption, of course you'll lose weight. However, that guy probably could have used some fibre unless he got the McD salad everyday!!! :cheesygri
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 28, 2004
1251 posts
24 upvotes
Ottawa
All the people that bash McD's shouldn't quote Supersize me.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Nov 2, 2003
17118 posts
3872 upvotes
GTA
I think Supersize Me was a blessing for McD's. Any publicity is good publicity. When you think fast food, you think McD's and SuperSizeMe.

Then McD's launches "healthy" menu... gives me the perfect excuse and justification to enter that market as well and turn that into a fast food industry.

Now undersizeme drives home the point it's the FATSOs of america that need to change, not McDs. Or rather, the FATSOs have more changing to do than McDs...
Deal Guru
May 23, 2003
10229 posts
1652 upvotes
GTA
Interesting article. Thanks

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