Skeptic Project

Burger King Hamburgers give bigger portions of lettuce and tomatoes on their hamburgers than McDonald's does, therefore Burger King is healthier.

^Lol! I want to see that in a BK ad!

Then Carl's Jr/Hardees is even healthier than Burger King if that's how it works. Chick-fil-a is awesome too, except they're closed on Sunday because they think it'll make Jesus hate their chicken and waffle fries.

I don't know. Though I wonder, if McDonald's does raise their prices and their competitors (Wendy's, BK, etc.) don't, will it give McD's competitors an edge?

Seriously Matt?

Where did you show that McDonalds is not unhealthy?

Prove that food made at McDonalds is any less healthy than the same food made at home.

Just a few ways to make the same thing but replace the ingredients with healthy versions:

Extra Lean mince, unprocessed cheese, wholewheat bread, GOOD LETTUCE (like round lettuse), Low-fat Thousand Island Dressing, home made chips.

Any questions?

McDonalds is high in salt, high in sat fats, processed white buns, processed cheese etc. That's not healthy, sorry. It may well be healthier than maybe some people make out, but in order to say its not that bad you need someones claim against it to compare it to. But is a Big Mac and fries, or a Double Cheeseburger and fries healthy?? No.

At least they got rid of the trans fat oil. I eat at McDonalds, I actually like it, but I don't kid myself its doing me any good.

You have ignored everything I said and just said Im wrong, do you have any argument besides just really strongly disagreeing?

You don't even know what processed means, haha. What do you think is the difference between white bread and wholewheat bread is? What is the difference between wholewheat rice and white rice? Do you know what a wholefood is?

Cognitive dissonance is a bitch, I know

In what sense that this apply here?

I can never tell whether you're just trolling or you really believe the bullshit you type Matt, I hope I will soon see which it is here so I know to not bother wasting my time with this argument.

Just because some foods are healthier than McDonalds does not inherently make McDonalds unhealthy.

Basic fuckin' logic folks.

That doesn't mean, however, that McDonalds is necessarily bad for you. It would hinge on how much of it you're eating.

It does mean that because of what McDonalds currently sell.

What nutritional benefits is there is a Big Mac and fries? Seriously, if someone is going to say its not that bad they should be able to explain what exactly is good in that meal. Matt challenged someone to make the same meal healthier at home, an illogical request anyway since some foods are just not healthy, but you can easily replace ingredients with healthier versions. Sure, it would be more expensive but we're talking about health not cost, we're not even talking about taste.

Besides, what are we comparing with?

Which is what I said. :)

Just because some foods are healthier than McDonalds does not inherently make McDonalds unhealthy.

I can eat worse things than a plate of lard therefore a plate of lard isn't unhealthy. Thats your logic.

I don't need to explain what's healthy about a cheeseburger from McDonalds. Brian Dunning already did so for me in the Skeptoid episode linked on the first page which Ed obviously didn't bother reading.

"I can eat worse things than a plate of lard therefore a plate of lard isn't unhealthy. Thats your logic. "

No, fool. Because a cheeseburger from McDonalds has nutritional value. A plate of lard doesn't.

Matt would probably argue that Ed likes to erect straw men that he can knock down himself without addressing actual points made.

Which is pretty typical for Ed.

Using Dunning's analysis of the cheeseburger to claim McDonalds is a healthy choice is stretching an already thin argument. While he's correct in that it has carbohydrates, fat, and protein, that doesn't mean McDonalds is therefore the smartest or even a smart choice.

If I went to the store and bought non-whole-wheat buns, beef patties, iceberg lettuce, a tomato, cheese, and some salt (don't know what else is in a big mac), I'd probably be wasting my time when I could go get the same thing from McDonalds much more quickly.

If I went to the store and bought whole-wheat buns, grass fed beef patties, spinnach, a tomato, some cheese, and no salt, the extra time might be worth it.

I'm not saying you're wrong, Matt.

lol alright

Ok lets look at the Skeptoid article:

A hamburger is actually quite a balanced meal, rich with just about every nutrient. Add a slice of cheese and it even contains all four food groups. Fast food hamburgers are excellent sources of protein, calcium, and iron.

Sorry Skeptoid, this is hilariously stupid.

"quite a balanced meal, rich with just about every nutrient."

He gives no evidence for this besides claiming that it has things such as "protein, calcium, and iron". So what? Fruit loops has vitamins and fibre, is fruit loops now not that bad to give to your kids in the morning? And what nutritional benefits do you really get from a piece of burger cheese? He probably thinks iceberg lettuce and their French fries constitute two of your five a day. Oh wait, throw a tomato slice on there I guess that means Ive eating 3 portions! Score!

The way he talks about it you'd have wonder what benefits he thinks there is to eating vegetables at all, if he things a McDonalds cheese burger is a "quite a balanced meal, rich with just about every nutrient."

McDonald's poster child of evil, the Big Mac, delivers 1040mg of sodium, about 2/3 of your daily ideal. Not a problem by itself, but don't eat three of them.

So he accepts a Big Mac has an unhealthy amount of salt in them. He is quick to point out don't over eat them. I say the same thing, I enjoy a Big Mac, but its not healthy nutritious food. Sweets have unhealthy amount of sugar in them, I don't get sick if I limit my intake, but that doesn't mean sweets aren't unhealthy.

I wonder if you, Matt, are claiming that it is a healthy food or simply that its not UNhealthy. It seems to me you should define what IS unhealthy to you so we know what you define to be unhealthy food. I suspect you'll have a hard time doing so with your logic.

The Big Mac delivers 10g of saturated fat, which is 10g more than you want; but realistically it's virtually impossible to get zero. The Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that you keep your saturated fat intake under 7% of your daily caloric intake, and the Big Mac fulfills half of that. So, in short, two Big Macs a day maxes out your recommended safe levels of saturated fat.

This sounds like a guy who is trying to justify eating badly. He starts off saying that a Big Mac isn't that bad then ends up saying that eating only two "maxes out your recommended safe levels" of saturated fat! How did he write that without realising how stupid it sounds and deleting it I do not know. Sure it means you can eat one and know you're not going to die of a heart attack, but foods that high in sat fat are not healthy. Saying you can limit your intake and you'll be fine is true, but that has no bearing on how healthy a food is. Also consider how small a Big Mac is, I don't know about you but I don't feel like something that small should justify that much sat fat and I don't feel satisfied after eating just one.

So Skeptoid accepts McDonalds is high in salt and very high in Saturated fats. He is trying some serious mental gymnastics to try and make out its not that bad, but so far we agree.

he makes the same fallacy he does earlier again near the end

I'm not going to eat four of them a day, so that's not a problem.

And I could probably safely put lard on my toast every day, but that doesn't mean its a healthy practise.

Edit: How about Fruit Loops, thats not healthy either but I could make the same arguments that fruit loops "isn't too bad" and quite nutritious using practically the same arguments.

He does say this which is true:

the Big Mac is hardly the monster it's made out to be.

Thats probably correct, but only based on what someones accusing it to be.

You write:

No, fool. Because a cheeseburger from McDonalds has nutritional value. A plate of lard doesn't.

1. Your logic was still stupid

2. You have not demonstrated a cheeseburger form McDonalds has nutritional value. Obviously its not 100% void of everything, but that's not the question. Fruit Loops could be said to have nutritional value, but it is still unhealthy.