The junk-food marathoner

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You may be aware of "Supersize Me," the 2004 movie in which Morgan Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's for 30 days and develops all sorts of maladies as a result.

This story, via ABC and Crop To Cuisine, is the flip side. Runner Joe D'Amico ran the LA Marathon Sunday and finished 29th while setting a personal best of 2:36:13, after feeding himself solely with McDonald's for 30 days.

 

 

He addresses the obvious question — pithily expressed by a reader of his blog as "Why, why, why, why, whyyyyyyyy would you do this?!" —  but I find the answer unsatisfying: "I simply wanted to see if I could do it ..."

It raises all sorts of other questions, too: How come Spurlock got sick, and this guy thrived to an apparent zenith of physical health? Which one is the more expected outcome? Does the answer to the previous question hinge solely on one's politico-social outlook? And how soon will Joe D'Amico supplant Jared Whatshisname as the top fast-food pitchman in America? (Side note, also via Crop to Cuisine: The WSJ reports that Subway now has more shops than McDonald's.)

I can see no good coming of this. People who like fast food know, mostly, that it isn't healthy and that they shouldn't rely on it. But it's a guilty pleasure, and it's convenient, so any "proof" that it can be OK is all they'll need. Never mind that this guy was also running 100 miles a week.

And this is nothing compared to the Kansas prof who tried something similar a few months ago, because he wasn't in training.

If McDonald's doesn't hire this guy, I will be flummoxed. But even if they don't sieze on this, certainly those who earn their keep by shilling for the restaurant and food-products industry will jump on it.

 


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