By Emily Murray

This headline is one that is grabbing the attention of nutritionally minded people everywhere…and in light of recent New Year’s resolutions, many of us have food and weight loss on our minds.

There are diets for nearly all types out there, but what do you think about this one – eating McDonald’s for 90 days straight?

A science teacher in Iowa took a different approach than the normal “all-fast-food-is-bad-for-you” type research. In fact, based on nutritional guidelines laid out by the students in his high school class (which were based on 2,000 daily calories and other restrictions for protein, fat, carbs etc.) John Cisna (the teacher) ate nothing but McDonald’s for three months and as a result, he lost 37 pounds! His cholesterol also dropped from 249 to 170!

For fast food enthusiasts, this sounds too good to be true but when looked at from a nutritional standpoint, this seems to support the age old advice that everything is good in moderation.

Remember all the hype over the 2004 documentary “Super Size Me?” This documented a man who ate nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days and suffered massive health consequences both physically and mentally.

So what made Cisna’s experience different?

Well since the bad press that McDonald’s received in light of the movie, many healthier items have been added to the menu and nutritional information is now front and center. Additionally, Cisna placed limitations based on his dietary needs and by not exceeding these, he did not see the scale or his cholesterol climb the charts. He also exercised daily.

Whether you agree with eating fast food or not, this teacher has definitely made a valid point when it comes to nutrition. Not all “bad” foods are really bad if eaten in compliance with healthy dietary guidelines. Of course, he doesn’t recommend that people follow this diet as it’s not well rounded or very nutritionally balanced, rather he wanted to show a different side of fast food consumption.