Expert: It's What You Eat, Not Where You Eat

Forget the stereotypes about McDonald's - or Subway, for that matter.

A Virginia man is living proof that it’s not so much where you eat but what you eat that determines your size.

Chris Coleson lost some 80 pounds after eating virtually every meal at McDonald’s for six months. But instead of burgers and supersized fries and sodas, Coleson stuck with salads, wraps and apple dips instead.

And therein lies an important lesson, says one nutritionist — not to mention, added support for something he’s been stressing for years.

“It all boils down to the number of calories that you consume on a daily basis,” says Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutrition and health specialist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science.

“He [Coleson] controlled his calories and his portions and he managed to lose weight — 80 pounds in all.”

Coleson’s experience is a far cry from that of Morgan Spurlock, whose documentary “Super Size Me” details his experiences eating at McDonald’s day in and day out for a month and gaining almost 25 pounds.

The difference is that unlike Coleson, Spurlock ate everything off the menu and supersized his order every time he was prompted by a McDonald’s server.

Keith says these two different experiences illustrate a lesson he’s been trying to drive home to his students and consumers in general audiences for years.

“The take-home message here is that you can eat in a lot of places, providing you can choose smaller portions and avoid foods with lots of calories,” Keith says.

“Yes, some foods are better than others, but the lesson applies most everywhere, including home.”

And it’s a lesson that applies to McDonald’s as well as other restaurants widely viewed as providing overall healthier food choices, such as Subway.

A decade ago, Jared Fogle attained celebrity status after dropping 245 pounds following a year of eating exclusively at Subway.

But as Keith stresses, Fogle succeeded because he reduced his calories from 10,000 to about 2,000 a day, not simply because he ate exclusively at Subway.
“Fogle could just as easily have gone to McDonald’s or stayed at home and lost this weight, providing he reduced his caloric intake for the same amount,” Keith says.

“He chose Subway because it happened to work best for him.”

It’s an important distinction, Keith says, considering that many Americans seem to think that merely eating at a restaurant deemed healthy will guarantee weight maintenance or even weight loss.

“Even at Subway, you can still request extra slices of ham and cheese and more dollops of mayonnaise on your sandwich,” he says. “And if you make a habit of this, you’re adding a lot of extra calories and there’s a very good chance you’re going to start putting on weight.”

Again, Keith says, it’s not so much about where you eat but what you eat that matters.

“You can go to Subway to lose weight, or you can go to McDonald’s and lose weight — it all depends on your choices.”

Posted by Jim Langcuster at July 3, 2008 10:40 AM