Only a while back, people were suing McDonald's for 'making them obese'. Pffft, absolute rot... the only things making them fat are themselves and their lives as household deadweights.
Although I must say, it'd be quite hard to be able to consume only 2000 or so calories from three McDonald's meals. I wonder what she ate... salad?
<!--QuoteBegin-Verthandi+Jul 21 2004, 11:11 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Verthandi @ Jul 21 2004, 11:11 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Just goes to show how important moderation is.
Only a while back, people were suing McDonald's for 'making them obese'. Pffft, absolute rot... the only things making them fat are themselves and their lives as household deadweights.
Although I must say, it'd be quite hard to be able to consume only 2000 or so calories from three McDonald's meals. I wonder what she ate... salad? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> She prolly had the salads yeah, or didn't eat the buns <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Hmm.. Shows that people don;t have much self-restraint anymore. <span style='font-size:6pt;line-height:100%'>I'm an ipulse buyer but that has nothing todo with it</span>
How do you get the high cholerterol and gain so much weight it so little time? Geez..
Though I'm not the biggest fan of major companies, in the defense of Maccas I could eat incredibly healthy stuff and still gain weight, purely by doing zero exercise. Case in point; since coming to uni 4 years ago I've gained 58 kilos. I've been eating good food for the past 2 years but I've gained weight. Now that I'm exercising, it's falling off me.
coilAmateur pirate. Professional monkey. All pance.Join Date: 2002-04-12Member: 424Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
Is it possible to eat healthy at McDonalds? Sure.
Is that what Morgan Spurlock was trying to do? No. He was trying to emulate the American fast-food-eating mentality, which is MORE and MORE FAT and MORE CALORIES and frequently WTH IS EXERCISE?
No fries... no soda... she seldom orders burgers (though she claims and I'll believe that she tried everything at least once). Her experiment is as much "junk science" as she claims Spurlock's to be.
Day 8 -- look how she keeps calories down:
Breakfast: Pancakes (600), OJ (140) Lunch: Chocolate shake (580), Medium fries (450) Dinner: Caesar Salad (310), Dressing (190) <b>Calories: 2270</b>
She ate half as much food, had fries and a shake for lunch, not even her usual glass of milk with dinner, and she's got half again as many calories as day 6. The fries alone were nearly as much as her entire dinner from day 6.
Day 10 -- she ate a Yogurt Parfait, a Crispy Chicken, a Filet-O-Fish, and an Oreo McFlurry. That's it. Total calories: 1700. She ate FOUR THINGS and it was more than Day 6! _______
My point is this: nobody goes to McDonalds and orders a medium fries and a chocolate shake, and doesn't throw a quarter-pounder in with it. McD's pricing is DESIGNED to make you do just that (value meals). The average consumer simply doesn't eat this way at McD's.
She claims Spurlock's movie is misleading and hatemongering. I think her experiment is far worse. It's equally misleading, but in the other direction. People will see this and say "See? It's ok to eat McD's!" But she doesn't eat much! She exercises! She doesn't eat all their top-selling items - burgers, fries, sodas! McDonalds will surely jump on this to refute Spurlock's very damaging movie, and people will hear because McD's advertises EVERYWHERE.
Sure, Spurlock may be looking for a fight. But to claim that this experiment somehow refutes his is dishonest and irresponsible. The fact is that McD's food is TERRIBLE. They're rich beyond our scope of comprehension... they don't need people like this woman helping to cover up the truth.
<!--QuoteBegin-coil+Jul 22 2004, 01:48 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (coil @ Jul 22 2004, 01:48 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> But to claim that this experiment somehow refutes his is dishonest and irresponsible. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Kinda like Michael Moore?
coilAmateur pirate. Professional monkey. All pance.Join Date: 2002-04-12Member: 424Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
Moore has nothing to do with this; leave him out.
An analogy for you:
Spurlock is walking into a house through the front door. He's watching a little TV, then roots around in the kitchen a bit for a snack. Then he goes upstairs to brush his teeth and go to bed. While he's doing this, he notes that the house - including the front hallway, TV room, kitchen, stairs, bathroom, and bedroom - is ON FIRE and that he is now BADLY BURNED as a result of his actions.
Whaley is saying: Spurlock is an idiot! The house isn't on fire! Why, I easily climbed in through a broken garage window and sat in the dark for a few minutes. I found an old chicken leg in the icebox there, then climbed back out the window and used the garden hose to wash up. Then I scaled the side of the house and hopped into the attic through a window. There was a big pile of blankets up there... they were a little dusty, but I slept just fine. Clearly Spurlock is just trying to make this house look bad! _____
Spurlock is eating the way he thinks Americans eat McD's (though hopefully no one eats 3 meals a day there). Here's a real experiment for you, miss Chocolate-Shake-and-fries=lunch: go into McD's for 30 days and order <i>whatever the guy in front of you just ordered</i>. Then we'll see how America REALLY eats.
QuaunautThe longest seven days in history...Join Date: 2003-03-21Member: 14759Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
<!--QuoteBegin-coil+Jul 21 2004, 08:03 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (coil @ Jul 21 2004, 08:03 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Moore has nothing to do with this; leave him out.
An analogy for you:
Spurlock is walking into a house through the front door. He's watching a little TV, then roots around in the kitchen a bit for a snack. Then he goes upstairs to brush his teeth and go to bed. While he's doing this, he notes that the house - including the front hallway, TV room, kitchen, stairs, bathroom, and bedroom - is ON FIRE and that he is now BADLY BURNED as a result of his actions.
Whaley is saying: Spurlock is an idiot! The house isn't on fire! Why, I easily climbed in through a broken garage window and sat in the dark for a few minutes. I found an old chicken leg in the icebox there, then climbed back out the window and used the garden hose to wash up. Then I scaled the side of the house and hopped into the attic through a window. There was a big pile of blankets up there... they were a little dusty, but I slept just fine. Clearly Spurlock is just trying to make this house look bad! _____
Spurlock is eating the way he thinks Americans eat McD's (though hopefully no one eats 3 meals a day there). Here's a real experiment for you, miss Chocolate-Shake-and-fries=lunch: go into McD's for 30 days and order <i>whatever the guy in front of you just ordered</i>. Then we'll see how America REALLY eats. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I like that idea.
<!--QuoteBegin-coil+Jul 21 2004, 10:03 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (coil @ Jul 21 2004, 10:03 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Here's a real experiment for you, miss Chocolate-Shake-and-fries=lunch: go into McD's for 30 days and order <i>whatever the guy in front of you just ordered</i>. Then we'll see how America REALLY eats. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> *shudders* Anyone out there willing to donate their health for the nation? <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I don't think I have the money to even try that (plus lots of their stuff tastes pretty bad).
I'm guessing the Spurlock guy still didn't do much exercise or anything, but I haven't seen his movie. I don't think the real point is to debunk Spurlock, I think it's more to say that it doesn't matter what the food is, it matters how you use it.
[...UltimaGecko walks a block down the road and orders 3 plain cheeseburgers, a chocolate shake and possibly a fries]
...There's a McDonalds right down the road...I mean 1 minute walking distance, 20 seconds running...heh. Doubt anyone runs to get their fast food either.
[...UltimaGecko decides a frozen pizza is less work <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> ]
coilAmateur pirate. Professional monkey. All pance.Join Date: 2002-04-12Member: 424Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
<!--QuoteBegin-UltimaGecko+Jul 21 2004, 11:51 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (UltimaGecko @ Jul 21 2004, 11:51 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I don't think the real point is to debunk Spurlock, I think it's more to say that it doesn't matter what the food is, it matters how you use it. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin-Soso Whaley+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Soso Whaley)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I, on the other hand, am motivated to eat at McDonalds for 30 days to show just how easy it is to skew results of any test to reflect your preconceived notions and come up with just exactly the results you want to see.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> She succeeded, but her experiment is even more misleading that Spurlock's - and in a more dangerous direction, IMO. I would wager that 95% of McD's profits come from food that is <i>horrifically</i> bad for you... not from the parfaits and salads and milks that Whaley spent two months eating.
Two key differences between the two experiments: 1) Spurlock didn't exercise; Whaley did "occasionally" 2) Whenever he was asked "Do you want to supersize that?" Spurlock said "Yes." That was part of his experiment. Whaley never supersized (then again, she never ordered full meals).
Results? McDonalds has already begun to phase out "supersize" fries and drinks and hopes to have them gone by the end of the year. <a href='http://www.athleticnutrition.com/Article227.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.athleticnutrition.com/Article227.shtml</a>
I think more experimentation is needed to prove THAT...
anyway, I'm sad McD's is getting rid of mozzarella sticks... I'm a vegetarian and those were one of the few things I enjoyed there <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
as for super size meals, I'm also sad they're getting rid of those. my GF and I frequently go there and order a super size meal. she eats the sandwich and some fries, I eat most of the fries and some cheese sticks, we split the tub-o-coke, everyone's happy.
<!--QuoteBegin-CommunistWithAGun+Jul 21 2004, 11:06 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (CommunistWithAGun @ Jul 21 2004, 11:06 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> How much do you want to bet Mcdonalds in some way helped or funded the guy "proving" weight loss/ cholesterol loss <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> As much as any of us would like to refute it:
<!--QuoteBegin-Kitki+Jul 21 2004, 06:30 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Kitki @ Jul 21 2004, 06:30 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> How do you get the high cholerterol and gain so much weight it so little time? Geez.. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> He ate there 3 meals a day, every day.
The fact of the matter is people who are health conscious wouldn't step foot in a McDonals. The salads they serve have more calaroies than a sandwhich from Subway, and its sad that they are trying to hop onto the healthy diet bandwagon as I'd have more respect for them if they just stuck to making burgers.
You don't see In and Out selling salads and reduced fat sandwhiches and carb friendly whateverthehell. They have good burgers that aren't processed and fries that aren't saturated in two week old bacon fat and oil. Stop defending McDonalds they are wrong.
AllUrHiveRblong2usBy Your Powers Combined...Join Date: 2002-12-20Member: 11244Members
Ok, while we're on the topic, out of all the people here talking about this movie, how many of you actually SAW it? I know around here it was only in 2 theaters (although I still saw it twice). I'm just curious.
Yeah, well whatever you want. But sometimes I get a chuckle outa how people talk about this. So many calories in this, more in that! Like calories are satan's own.
CALORIES ARE GOOD. They give you energy. They are your life blood. What's left for you to do is ration them, and choose the right <i>kind</i> of calorie. With out wonderful wonderful calories, you'd rot away into a stick'n'bone skeleton.
So, remember kids: food is good for you, just not so much!
Just a bit of information on sandwich prices: A Big N' Tasty costs .625 USD for the entire burger and wrap. The double quarter costs the most of all the sandwichs, I think it costs around $1USD. Here, they charge $1.50 USD for the Big N Nasty and $3.00 for the Double Lard Burger.
As for the health quality, go into the resteraunt and ask them if you could see the bucket they empty their grease troughs into, and imagine, you're shoving that gunk down your throat...
I'l let Foamy the squirrel talk for me: <a href='http://www.scarysquirrel.org/special/movies/foamy/rant2.html' target='_blank'>clicky!</a> *warning, bad language used in this clip*
i saw the movie, it was awesome. it's about a lot more than just McD's and it's food. it's about fast food and the States, and food in general and the health of the nation.
the predominance of fast food is related to two basic axioms, one from restaurant business, which is "Fat is cheap", and one from cooking, which is "Fat is taste". put those together,you get "Fat is profit".
McD is good (and healthy ) if you just eat right there. This may come as a surprise, but their salads are quite good, and their parfaits are extremely yummy, and actually taste fresh ( with a tad freezer burn on the fruit, but hey, what can you do ) . Order a water or a diet soda instead of a regular soda, and you have a filling, healthy meal.
However, both their experiments look quite flawed to me, especally the Down Size Me one.
Comments
Only a while back, people were suing McDonald's for 'making them obese'. Pffft, absolute rot... the only things making them fat are themselves and their lives as household deadweights.
Although I must say, it'd be quite hard to be able to consume only 2000 or so calories from three McDonald's meals. I wonder what she ate... salad?
Only a while back, people were suing McDonald's for 'making them obese'. Pffft, absolute rot... the only things making them fat are themselves and their lives as household deadweights.
Although I must say, it'd be quite hard to be able to consume only 2000 or so calories from three McDonald's meals. I wonder what she ate... salad? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
She prolly had the salads yeah, or didn't eat the buns <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
How do you get the high cholerterol and gain so much weight it so little time? Geez..
<!--emo&::marine::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Jesus.
Is that what Morgan Spurlock was trying to do? No. He was trying to emulate the American fast-food-eating mentality, which is MORE and MORE FAT and MORE CALORIES and frequently WTH IS EXERCISE?
So he didn't get receipts. BIG HONKIN DEAL.
Ah well, at least we know stupidity knows no ends.
Everything."
-- Kurt Tucholsky
1 Hash Brown (130)
1 Yogurt Parfait (160)
1 Filet-o-Fish (410)
1 Hot Fudge Sunday (340)
1 Crispy Cobb Salad (370)
1 Milk (100)
1 Salad Dressing (120)
<b>Total Calories: 1630</b>
No fries... no soda... she seldom orders burgers (though she claims and I'll believe that she tried everything at least once). Her experiment is as much "junk science" as she claims Spurlock's to be.
Day 8 -- look how she keeps calories down:
Breakfast: Pancakes (600), OJ (140)
Lunch: Chocolate shake (580), Medium fries (450)
Dinner: Caesar Salad (310), Dressing (190)
<b>Calories: 2270</b>
She ate half as much food, had fries and a shake for lunch, not even her usual glass of milk with dinner, and she's got half again as many calories as day 6. The fries alone were nearly as much as her entire dinner from day 6.
Day 10 -- she ate a Yogurt Parfait, a Crispy Chicken, a Filet-O-Fish, and an Oreo McFlurry. That's it. Total calories: 1700. She ate FOUR THINGS and it was more than Day 6!
_______
My point is this: nobody goes to McDonalds and orders a medium fries and a chocolate shake, and doesn't throw a quarter-pounder in with it. McD's pricing is DESIGNED to make you do just that (value meals). The average consumer simply doesn't eat this way at McD's.
She claims Spurlock's movie is misleading and hatemongering. I think her experiment is far worse. It's equally misleading, but in the other direction. People will see this and say "See? It's ok to eat McD's!" But she doesn't eat much! She exercises! She doesn't eat all their top-selling items - burgers, fries, sodas! McDonalds will surely jump on this to refute Spurlock's very damaging movie, and people will hear because McD's advertises EVERYWHERE.
Sure, Spurlock may be looking for a fight. But to claim that this experiment somehow refutes his is dishonest and irresponsible. The fact is that McD's food is TERRIBLE. They're rich beyond our scope of comprehension... they don't need people like this woman helping to cover up the truth.
Kinda like Michael Moore?
Ba-dum-tish
An analogy for you:
Spurlock is walking into a house through the front door. He's watching a little TV, then roots around in the kitchen a bit for a snack. Then he goes upstairs to brush his teeth and go to bed. While he's doing this, he notes that the house - including the front hallway, TV room, kitchen, stairs, bathroom, and bedroom - is ON FIRE and that he is now BADLY BURNED as a result of his actions.
Whaley is saying: Spurlock is an idiot! The house isn't on fire! Why, I easily climbed in through a broken garage window and sat in the dark for a few minutes. I found an old chicken leg in the icebox there, then climbed back out the window and used the garden hose to wash up. Then I scaled the side of the house and hopped into the attic through a window. There was a big pile of blankets up there... they were a little dusty, but I slept just fine. Clearly Spurlock is just trying to make this house look bad!
_____
Spurlock is eating the way he thinks Americans eat McD's (though hopefully no one eats 3 meals a day there). Here's a real experiment for you, miss Chocolate-Shake-and-fries=lunch: go into McD's for 30 days and order <i>whatever the guy in front of you just ordered</i>. Then we'll see how America REALLY eats.
An analogy for you:
Spurlock is walking into a house through the front door. He's watching a little TV, then roots around in the kitchen a bit for a snack. Then he goes upstairs to brush his teeth and go to bed. While he's doing this, he notes that the house - including the front hallway, TV room, kitchen, stairs, bathroom, and bedroom - is ON FIRE and that he is now BADLY BURNED as a result of his actions.
Whaley is saying: Spurlock is an idiot! The house isn't on fire! Why, I easily climbed in through a broken garage window and sat in the dark for a few minutes. I found an old chicken leg in the icebox there, then climbed back out the window and used the garden hose to wash up. Then I scaled the side of the house and hopped into the attic through a window. There was a big pile of blankets up there... they were a little dusty, but I slept just fine. Clearly Spurlock is just trying to make this house look bad!
_____
Spurlock is eating the way he thinks Americans eat McD's (though hopefully no one eats 3 meals a day there). Here's a real experiment for you, miss Chocolate-Shake-and-fries=lunch: go into McD's for 30 days and order <i>whatever the guy in front of you just ordered</i>. Then we'll see how America REALLY eats. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like that idea.
*shudders*
Anyone out there willing to donate their health for the nation? <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I'm guessing the Spurlock guy still didn't do much exercise or anything, but I haven't seen his movie. I don't think the real point is to debunk Spurlock, I think it's more to say that it doesn't matter what the food is, it matters how you use it.
[...UltimaGecko walks a block down the road and orders 3 plain cheeseburgers, a chocolate shake and possibly a fries]
...There's a McDonalds right down the road...I mean 1 minute walking distance, 20 seconds running...heh. Doubt anyone runs to get their fast food either.
[...UltimaGecko decides a frozen pizza is less work <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> ]
<!--QuoteBegin-Soso Whaley+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Soso Whaley)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I, on the other hand, am motivated to eat at McDonalds for 30 days to show just how easy it is to skew results of any test to reflect your preconceived notions and come up with just exactly the results you want to see.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
She succeeded, but her experiment is even more misleading that Spurlock's - and in a more dangerous direction, IMO. I would wager that 95% of McD's profits come from food that is <i>horrifically</i> bad for you... not from the parfaits and salads and milks that Whaley spent two months eating.
Two key differences between the two experiments:
1) Spurlock didn't exercise; Whaley did "occasionally"
2) Whenever he was asked "Do you want to supersize that?" Spurlock said "Yes." That was part of his experiment. Whaley never supersized (then again, she never ordered full meals).
Results? McDonalds has already begun to phase out "supersize" fries and drinks and hopes to have them gone by the end of the year. <a href='http://www.athleticnutrition.com/Article227.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.athleticnutrition.com/Article227.shtml</a>
I think more experimentation is needed to prove THAT...
anyway, I'm sad McD's is getting rid of mozzarella sticks... I'm a vegetarian and those were one of the few things I enjoyed there <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
as for super size meals, I'm also sad they're getting rid of those. my GF and I frequently go there and order a super size meal. she eats the sandwich and some fries, I eat most of the fries and some cheese sticks, we split the tub-o-coke, everyone's happy.
Oh well, when I goto McDonalds I usually only get a chicken sandwhich with a piece of cheese on it, nothing else.
R4m3|\|5 4 l41F
As much as any of us would like to refute it:
<img src='http://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/in_our_opinion/down_size.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
...that is female, but with a name like Soso...she's only so so. Okay, that was bad, I admit it.
...it's all about the whole frozen pizzas.
How do you get the high cholerterol and gain so much weight it so little time? Geez.. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
He ate there 3 meals a day, every day.
You don't see In and Out selling salads and reduced fat sandwhiches and carb friendly whateverthehell. They have good burgers that aren't processed and fries that aren't saturated in two week old bacon fat and oil. Stop defending McDonalds they are wrong.
CALORIES ARE GOOD. They give you energy. They are your life blood. What's left for you to do is ration them, and choose the right <i>kind</i> of calorie. With out wonderful wonderful calories, you'd rot away into a stick'n'bone skeleton.
So, remember kids: food is good for you, just not so much!
A Big N' Tasty costs .625 USD for the entire burger and wrap. The double quarter costs the most of all the sandwichs, I think it costs around $1USD. Here, they charge $1.50 USD for the Big N Nasty and $3.00 for the Double Lard Burger.
As for the health quality, go into the resteraunt and ask them if you could see the bucket they empty their grease troughs into, and imagine, you're shoving that gunk down your throat...
<a href='http://www.scarysquirrel.org/special/movies/foamy/rant2.html' target='_blank'>clicky!</a>
*warning, bad language used in this clip*
the predominance of fast food is related to two basic axioms, one from restaurant business, which is "Fat is cheap", and one from cooking, which is "Fat is taste". put those together,you get "Fat is profit".
However, both their experiments look quite flawed to me, especally the Down Size Me one.