The Real SuperSize Me
A study currently underway in Sweden is remarkably similar to Morgan Spurlock's SuperSize Me.
Healthy, normal weight students in their early 20s have been consuming as much as 6,000 calories per day, while associate professor Fredrik Nyström tracks their health.
All calories had to come from fast food (not just McDonald's but other high-calorie fast foods were allowed). Breakfast at home was allowed - but had to be a large bacon-and-eggs meal. Exercise was totally ruled out.
After a month the students gained between 5-15% extra weight (okay - so that's a no brainer). However none of the students reported Spurlock's "mood swings" or liver damage.
Nyström is puzzled about why Spurlock had such an extreme reaction, musing that he could perhaps have had an undiagnosed problem with his liver or, he says, "Maybe his hardcore vegetarian girlfriend held him to a low-energy diet, making him incapable of coping with this kind of food."In the Swedish research liver readings got worse for 3 weeks, and then took a turn for the better. Cholesterol was hardly affected.
Nyström suggests that the body is a lot more adaptable than we believe.
The research is still underway, however I wonder if the short duration of such experiments can reflect real-world outcomes. I suspect that many of our health issues today are the results of decades of inappropriate diet. What exactly constitutes "inappropriate" is, of course, the cause of significant debate.
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Oh good! Whew! Now I can rest easy! Fast food is SAFE!
Nah, I think I'll still stay away from the stuff if I can help it. And for the times where that's my only option, I guess this will help me not feel as bad about it.
Reply6,000 calories per day and no exercise? I think that explains it. I mean even if one would consume "healthy" foods, that many calories without any exercise and the muscle mass to match it could create all sorts of adverse health effects.
ReplyThe big difference is that in this study, the "rats" were eating a variety of fast food plus eating breakfast at home, whereas Spurlock was only eating McDonalds. Does this mean that McDonalds is one of the absolute worst foods you could eat while other fast foods are "not so bad", or does it mean that Spurlock already had an "undiagnosed problem with his liver"? Either answer is possible.
"Nystrom suggests that the body is a lot more adaptable than we believe." How many people will take this the wrong way and think they can eat as much junk as they want because their body has adapted to living off it, and it must be something else causing all their health problems? Dangerous, dangerous territory.
ReplyMorgin was also drinking a lot of caffine which most likely contributed to his mood swings.
ReplyI don't know what coused the fatty liver though.
caffeine is one possibility. also, it's well-documented that fast food in other countries has different nutritional content than fast food in the US. that could account for the different findings, too.
ReplyWhat about their macronutrient intake?
Fatty liver is caused by an excess of carbohydrates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras
So it all depends what they eat.
ReplyI seem to recall that European standards are stricter regarding trans fats. I wonder if European fast food is indeed (slightly) healthier? Not that it could be considered healthy by any means, but perhaps higher standards on fat content could make for less adverse reactions from the study participants.
ReplyI think caffine had alot to do with it!
ReplyWhatever kind of diet study you do, you'll never get the same results because everyone is different. Seems like a waste of time to me.
All anyone has to remember is: eat less, move more and keep the junk food consumption to a minimum and you shouldn't have any problems.
Reply