1.5 Cheers for McDonald’s
Chris Coleson’s 80+ pound weight loss hit the news cycle recently. The former 276 pounder now weighs in at a relatively svelte 190 lbs. and has dropped 14 pants sizes: his waist went from 50 inches to 36 inches.
That’s pretty impressive, although what he did was less newsworthy than how he did it.
But rather than try conventional diets, which had failed him before, the then 276-pound Coleson opted for his own “realistic” solution in December: he’d only eat at McDonald’s. After six months on his McDiet, Coleson lost 80 pounds and dropped 14 pants sizes. His waist went from 50-inches to 36. “I didn’t make my goal of 185, but I’ve made some great lifestyle choices and I’ll make that goal,” the 42-year-old said on “Good Morning America today.
The dieticians have already weighed in, and in general, I agree with them:
According to AICR Nutritionist Sarah Wally, RD… “Mr. Coleson’s weight loss was the result of extreme calorie deprivation. His reported daily intake – between 1200 and 1400 calories – was far below his body’s needs. Rapid weight loss like Mr. Colson experienced is inevitable when calorie intake is cut so drastically, regardless of what – or where – you are eating. But it doesn’t lead to sustainable, long-term weight loss and it can be dangerous.”
Mary-Jo Sawyer, a registered dietician at VCU Medical Center at Stony Point, praised Coleson’s discipline but said an average man should be eating more calories — 1,500 to 1,800 — or his metabolism could slow down. She also said Coleson’s diet doesn’t include enough variety of nutrients and that he should be eating breakfast.
Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, called Coleson’s a “starvation diet.”
He didn’t exercise either – and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to discover that he lost a considerable amount of muscle mass as a result of the low cals/protein and lack of anabolic stimulus.
What his effort highlighted, however, were the changes McDonald’s made to its menu in recent years (in response to legal pressure and bad PR from Morgan Spurlock’s film “SuperSize Me”). Salads, grilled chicken, low fat/calorie wraps and even fruit appeared on the menu, making it possible to get a decent, if not perfectly healthy meal at the Golden Arches (the entrees are still quite high in sodium). High fat and high calories still predominate, but it’s a start.
So credit were credit is due…however reluctantly the changes may have been implemented.
June 27, 2008
I’m sure the “fat cats” over at McDonalds have been on the lookout for their own Jared (the “Subway” dude) ever since he made his big debut. Of course, he lost weight the old fashioned way too… by reducing calories. It had nothing to do with Subway’s “fantastic” meals, that’s for sure. And he too would have been suffering from a nutritional deficit, whether or not the switch represented a signifcant change in his normal eating habits.
Heck, you could lose weight eating M&M’s, provided you consumed a small enough quality of them.
Nonetheless, kudos to McDonalds for responding to the pressure of the recent flood of negative publicity by providing some decent “somewhat healthy” alternatives on their menu.
June 27, 2008
LOL – Maybe…but according to UPI, they’re not interested.
Of course – we’ll see. What they say and what they do might be two different things.
Frankly, he’s still got a ways to go in terms of getting his diet and lifestyle in order. Hopefully he’ll manage it – once the publicity and attention dies down.
June 27, 2008
Yeah, whatever. 😉
Frankly, whether I like it or not, this is a good PR opportunity for them. They’d be crazy NOT to use it. Like you say… we’ll see.