McDonald's caught engaging in propaganda scheme at high schools, teaching that 'fast food is nutritious'

Friday, November 25, 2016 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: McDonald''s, junk food, propaganda

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(NaturalNews) Do you think it's really possible to actually lose weight eating nothing but a steady diet of pre-processed McDonald's fast food? Well, the restaurant chain would sure like for you to believe that, even though most items on McDonald's menus have been proven to be stuffed with unhealthy ingredients.

Nevertheless, the chain wants to convince people that its food offerings contain the daily recommended allowances of carbohydrates, sugar, protein and fat – and as such, it is completely healthy to eat whatever is on the menu, because none of it causes obesity or the many ailments associated with it, as has been claimed.

Do you remember when John Cisna, an Iowa high school teacher, claimed to have lost 56 pounds eating nothing but food from McDonald's in 2013? He even wrote a book about it, called My McDonald's Diet.

Mindless nutritional propaganda

Cisna claims that he limited his daily intake to 2,000 calories and exercised for 45 minutes, five times per week. After that he said he lost a total of 21 inches off his chest, waist and hips; his total cholesterol fell from 249 to 190; his body mass index (BMI) fell from 38 to 30; and he dropped to 224 pounds from 280 pounds, Anon HQ reports.

In a documentary that McDonald's is peddling to high schools everywhere as a tool for healthy eating, Cisna says, "I ate 540 straight meals at McDonald's. I spent a half a year of my life eating nothing but McDonald's and I know it works so when I hear the skeptics, it doesn't disgruntle me. It actually fires me up because those are the people that I have to educate."

Ever since, as a paid brand ambassador for the fast food chain, he has crisscrossed the U.S., promoting McDonald's fare to middle- and high school students. He has even talked to students studying dietetics.

In his own documentary, Cisna attempts to discredit the hit film, Supersize Me, which laid bare the kind of damage to your health that only eating fast food – especially in large portions – can do.

But in the end, most legitimate dietitians and health experts were not impressed with his "findings." In fact, most of them pointed to some very obvious factors that led to his weight loss – and it wasn't typical McDonald's food that did it.

In an interview with Today, registered dietitian nutritionist Elisa Zied of New York City, author of the book, Younger Next Week, lauded Cisna's success at losing weight, but said that his recommendation of a strictly McDonald's-only diet was not realistic.

'I wouldn't recommend this to anyone'

That's because much of his weight-loss results came from cutting his daily caloric intake and by exercising. Plus, she said, it is very likely that while he lost weight and cut his cholesterol level, his diet was probably high in sodium, low in fiber and consisted of far fewer vitamins and minerals found in healthier diets that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods rich in nutrients.

"I personally would not recommend this to anyone," she said. "Fast food can be part of a healthful, balanced and nutrient-rich diet but it...shouldn't be a large part."

Actually, it should play no part in your diet.

Zied advises people to prepare most of their own food fresh at home while eating out less.

As an update, The Washington Post reported that McDonald's has quietly ended it's controversial program involving sending Cisna to schools to talk about its food and nutrition in the same breath.

Critics lambasted the effort as an underhanded way for the fast food chain to legitimize fast food as a nutrition alternative to kids who would grow up thinking that burgers, fries and shakes are actually good for you.

Sources:

Minds.com

BusinessInsider.com

YouTube.com

Today.com

WashingtonPost.com