My McDiet

My McDiet is the anti–Super Size Me movie. It recounts the story of Julie, an aspiring actress from Los Angeles, who eats exclusively at McDonald’s for 30 days—and loses weight.

You may have seen or heard about Super Size Me, a movie in which brave filmmaker Morgan Spurlock eats food only from McDonald’s restaurants. The film documents the ramifications, physical and otherwise, from this lifestyle experiment—most notably weight gain.

It was only a matter of time before someone shot a film that did exactly the opposite. I was recently contacted by a dietitian who worked on My McDiet. The dietitian, Neva Cochran, MS, RD, believes “people can make appropriate choices no matter where they eat, and fast food can be included in a healthful diet as long as balance, variety, and moderation in the total diet are observed.”   

Neva determined a calorie level to help the actress reach her goal of losing two pounds a week. She then counseled her on the principles of a nutritionally balanced diet, showed her how to use the nutrition information and “Bag a McMeal” on the McDonald's Web site to plan meals, and advised her to balance food intake with physical activity.

The film is now in postproduction, and Julie is preparing to take it on the film festival circuit. It is not just a film about losing weight or eating fast food: It examines Julie's personal struggle with weight issues and how society, and Hollywood in particular, judges people by their weight. For a sneak peak, watch the trailer:

What do I think about it?

The truth is, it’s not just the frequency of fast food, it’s the choices made when you go. For example, Subway is considered fast food, but you can order a nice turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat with avocado. At Taco Bell, you can order a regular bean burrito, which is a better choice.

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
The Recipe
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