1996 McDonalds Hamburger
I teach a workshop titled Healthy Choices for Children. It's a class for parents seeking solutions to how to improve the way they eat. It's about the alternative food market, organics, and the top ten food additives to avoid and why, menu planning and more. It's a 3 session fabulously informative interactive class.
Below is my absolutely favorite prop.
People are always astounded when I share this.
I have used this as show and tell for a very long time.
This is a hamburger from McDonalds that I purchased in 1996.
That was 12 years ago.
Note that it looks exactly like it did the very day I bought it.
The flecks on the burger are crumbs from the bun.
The burger is starting to crumble a bit.
It has the oddest smell.
The paper and bag in the backround is circa 2008 - to add decor to the photo. My friend Robyn's idea.
This is the retro welch's grape juice plastic container I have always kept it in. People always ask me - what did you do to preserve it ?
Nothing - it preserved itself.
Ladies, Gentleman, and children alike - this is a chemical food. There is absolutely no nutrition here.
Not one ounce of food value. Or at least value for why we are eating in the first place.
The burger on the right, off the paper is a 2008 burger. I had to buy it to get the groovy paper and bag.
The meat is a tad darker, the bun a little less golden but in 12 years it will look exactly like that too.
Do you find this horrifying?
McDonalds fills an empty space in your belly. It does nothing to nourish the cell, it is not a nutritious food.
It is not a treat.
I marvel at how McDonalds has infiltrated our entire world. A hamburger here tastes exactly the same in China or some around the world place.
It's cloned.
Makes you wonder doesn't it?
Do me a favor and share this.
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K a r e n H a n r a h a n
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Holy crap! That is incredible.
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Isn't it ?
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You are an idiot
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Good response. Very well thought out. I particularly enjoyed the part where you made an ignorant comment, and then went on to not even explain why you made it. Thank you for making my afternoon.
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I think that Rick is part of the McDonalds group.
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I think that you are paranoid.
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I think i´m hungry^^
i´m going to eat a hamburger
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im dangerous
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I like butterflies
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SO HAVE YOU GUYS EVER WATCHED TV?
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not much
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It's true, how can you say it's paranoia?
I've seen McDonald's burgers after a few months, and besides being a bit dryer, they look the exact same.
It's disgusting that people eat that crap.
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A few months? psht....I've seen one after twelve years.
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Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g
Protein 13g
Vitamins
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 13% Iron 10%
Thiamin 20% Riboflavin 4%
Niacin 23% Pantothenic Acid 6%
Vitamin B6 5% Vitamin B1 20%
Folic Acid 6% Potassium 6%
Phosphorus 11% Magnesium 6%
Zinc 14% Copper 6%
(As posted on http://www.peertrainer.com/DFcaloriecounterB.aspx?id=6170 which was the first site I found.)
Now, this is with the traditional toppings that they give you on the burger. And I'm not saying that the burger itself is really the best food for healthy living. However, to simply state that because the burger preserved itself that it is a " chemical food." and that "There is absolutely no nutrition here." Is an outrageous lie.
The carbs are good for energy if you are running low, and it's a relatively decent source of protein, something absolutely needed for living. Now, it's not a good food due to the high level of fat and cholesterol, granted.
Also, preservation by looks is not a good judge for anything really. Have you tasted the burger to see if it's actually still edible? I think you should. If it's not edible, well, not really much of a loss there.
Honey is still edible after thousands of years. Twinkies have been documented of over 50 years. These are still edible, at least. You haven't even tasted your burger, I'd bet. So just because it doesn't support bacterial or fungal growth in an airtight container, doesn't suggest anything.
The bread would have been moldy if given the proper conditions to support life. This, I have personally seen when I left a hamburger on my porch for a few days on accident. It did not happen to preserve itself, by the way.
So, I suppose I should that you for helping to point out the ignorance of yourself and those who just blindly accept what you have told them.
Next time you want to bash hamburgers, just point out that they have lots of fat and cholesterol and will kill you.
I'm not a McDonald's fan, I'm a fan of non-biased, scientific arguments. And...I'm also a fan of eating what you like, even if it will kill you, because you are going to die eventually. That being said, McDonald's still tastes terrible.
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All very good points here!
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Alexandria, I completely agree with you and just have one thought to add.
Karen, I don't understand what you mean when you say that a McDonald's hamburger is "a chemical food." All foods are made up of chemicals. Whether you are eating a hamburger, steak, or a salad you are consuming chemicals.
I have learned a lot about the chemical make-up of food through a book by Gwen Shamblin entitled "The Weigh Down Diet":
"All foods are composed of just water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Proteins add nitrogen to their chemical structures. For the most part, all the food groups contain the six basic nutrients.
For example, when you eat a piece of bread, you think you are eating just a carbohydrate. No, it is largely a carbohydrate, but it also contains proteins, fats, water, vitamins, and minerals.
What about meat? It is proteins, fat, and a trace of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. What about milk? Well, it is proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water, too.
What about chocolate, cookies, cake, or candy? They, too are fats, proteins, carbohydrates, a trace of vitamins, minerals, and water.
All foods have varying combinations of these six units: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, vitamins, minerals and water.
We propose to you that we are not what we eat, but that health is adversely affected when we deny the body the kinds and amounts of food it wants. The human body, over time, wants a variety of foods."
One last point I want to leave you with is a Bible verse that speaks on this very issue that Shamblin used in her book:
"Colossians 2:16 and 20-23:
'Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink... Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence [overeating]."
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"Colossians 2:16 and 20-23:
'Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink... Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence [overeating]."
So next time walk past a guy on a cross put your knife and fork down!!
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The verse has to do with sacrifices at the altars of "other" gods. Not additives put into foods or vitamins and minerals removed from food by over processing - but a state of mind; setting down to a table with foods sacrificed to other gods. The woman here is talking about food value. If food will not support germs and fungi, it will not support life. The container is not air-tight, and a box of Total has a complete set of daily vitamins and minerals which are completely man-made (artificial)and your body just poops it out-can't and does not use artificial vitamins.
Honey is famous for preserving food. That is why it is edible after long periods of time. Twinky's never had any food value in the first place and neither can that piece of whatever it is (meat?).
To the lady who wrote this article: Bravo. Your assertions about the burger are anecdotal, they will not cause the blind to see. Reference the trolls above. The vegetables that you eat? Are they from the main chain grocer? If they are, irradiation makes the vegetables as useless as the meat above.
How can I feed my three children on organic vegetables when a clump of kale costs as much as a gallon of milk?
How can organic vegetables grown locally cost more than the iceberg lettuce trucked 3000 miles? Have you ever heard of monkey on my back? well I have a farmer on my back who wants to put his kids through college while my children cannot afford tech school.
All you have to do is read the Organic Bytes newsletter to know that organic is not and that I cannot believe you, who is probably just a polyanna, the government agencies who are supposed to police these coporations, I cannot believe the labels, the advertisements
There is no organic foods in america if you do not grow them yourself. Raw foods are real foods. The honey, (by law) has to be pasteurized as does aloe products and milk. the group of bacteria that is killed by pasteurization are the same beneficial organisms that are required to digest the food product. So tell me what exactly are you going to teach that will do my family any good?
Oh, you and the rest of the little box bloggers! And you don't even provide a preview option. You just want activity you don't care about content,
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Actually, twinkies go bad after 32 days. 50 years is an *out right lie.*
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The Twinkie I have was purchased in 1996
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The story with twinkies is that if you leave them in the wrapper the cream filling slowly turns to alcohol. After 50 years you have a nice, alcohol-containing twinkie that still tastes alright. All of this is if you leave it in the airtight wrapper it comes in.
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I GUESS....
But it's more than 25 days that they look the same, which was my point. http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-08-13-twinkie_x.htm
30-year-old Twinkie that I heard about on NPR.
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She means thats its fillled with harmful preservatives that are probably carcinogenics. No food should last that long. ever.
"I'm also a fan of eating what you like, even if it will kill you, because you are going to die eventually"
and thats probably the most stupid thing I have ever read. Eating crap like that can take of possibly 10 years from your life.....why would you eat it if you could have 10 more years to maybe be with the people you love?
Also honey is a sugar....sugar is a natural preservative. no shit it lasts that long, its supposed to. bodys are not supposed to last twelve years after they die...and im not sure if youre aware of this...but a burger is part of a body, sweetheart.
Just pointing out the freaking ignorance in you. you're rude man.
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Sugar is not a preservative, retard.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugaring
Check your facts before you call someone a retard.
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I was impressed with your argument. I am a college instructor that teaches about types of bias and the art of logical argument. I get very tired of people flooding the internet with illogical arguments and unscientific statements. And much of the gullible public eats it up readily. Thank you for your intelligent response. I agree with you.
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Thanks for this marvelous comment, Alexandria.
I tend to be convinced by the most irrelevant arguments just because everyone seems to be accepting them. Fortunately, and alert mind shed some light on this non-sense with _real_ facts.
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Thanks for this article. "I'm lovin' it"
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i am thinking arby's
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I think you're a silly bumface.
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I remember when i was in orlando at a sign convention. there was a mcdonald's franchisee convention going on at the same time. their ceo was there, and he keeled over and died at the convention. i thought, hmmm, i wonder what he usually ate for lunch? burgers like this, probably
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To all detractors of the above article.
Watch more network TV, Eat more micky dees, this will insure we will not have you around to put up with in a few years.
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You are a jew
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what of it?
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And that's an insult because....? Here's one for you buddy, you're a genius! Yes I'm being sarcastic.
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I'm not sure what you meant by this comment, but I'm assuming it was offensive. For many people, comments like that perpetuate stereotypes and hatred and in this world, I think we could use a lot less of both.
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You're responding to a troll. Teenage boys with nothing better to do haunt teh intarwebz, posting insightful commnts such as "you are a jew" and "lulz 0mg saddam obama is teh commi3!!!11 lulz!!!11". Get used to it.
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what are intarwebz?
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The internet. (internet + world wide web = interweb) It's a term used to make fun of newbs.
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Actually, interweb is just what they say in England. faggot.
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no it's not you idiot, it's called the Internet here too. Noone calls it the interweb in England.
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Yez, we du, itz ze interweb in menny playzez.
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What in the world does religion have to do with ANYTHING about this article? you say "she's a Jew, I say you're either a facist or a skinhead and I cannot imagine ANYONE at all who revels in your response! How insulting to the time & effort put into this article by the writer. Go climb back under the rock from which you emerged!
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Uh, not all skinheads are racist or fascist. I think you should wiki it. Really now, about time some of these nazi fighting kids get their due.
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shush his point was just.
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What a slam against Jews !!! (I'm not Jewish) I do know - however, that the jews are "god's chosen people". But what's the lifespan of a hamburger got to do with anyone except Ronald McDonald???
Andy
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Ask Willard Scott, He was the original Ronald McDonald. YouTube search=Ronald McDonald Willard Scott. If the 12 yr old burger is not enough to scare you off that s**t forever, then seeing this will :0 !!
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I DID DO A UTUBE SEARCH ON RONALD MCDONALD WILLIARD SCOTT. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO FIND?
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you are a filthy jew
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fuck you jew
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ur very ignorant
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I love how you explained yourself. You know, "you're" isn't as difficult to spell out as it may see. I know it can be a little bit frightening.
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"Seem" isn't difficult to spell, either!
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What in the world does religion have to do with ANYTHING about this article? you say "she's a Jew, I say you're either a facist or a skinhead and I cannot imagine ANYONE at all who revels in your response! How insulting to the time & effort put into this article by the writer. Go climb back under the rock from which you emerged!
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What in the world does religion have to do with ANYTHING about this article? you say "she's a Jew, I say you're either a facist or a skinhead and I cannot imagine ANYONE at all who revels in your response! How insulting to the time & effort put into this article by the writer. Go climb back under the rock from which you emerged!
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I think that Rick was looking in the mirror, and talking to himself when he started typing out loud.
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Suggestion: add some "french fry" things to the group. They become petrified and retain the shape and color seemingly indefinitely.
Thanks for the notice. Try not to despair at the animal ignorance exemplified by those who do not appreciate science.
For those that care about life and the knowledge brought to them by all those who died bringing the concept of "planet" to us layfolk; be careful what you purchase in this day of market-driven greed.
Peace
ijostl
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I'm confused by your last paragraph. Who died? What do you mean by "concept of 'planet'"?
As far as I know, the term planet originates with the ancient Greeks. It means "wanderer" because the planets seemed to buck the example of the sun, moon, and stars which they thought orbited earth. Nobody died to discover any of the planets, nor did they die to establish a "concept of planet".
Your use of the term "layfolk" suggests that these people who died were clergy or experts of some sort.
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Ha! You're one to talk. You don't proofread! You left the 'P' off the front of your name.
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?? Who you? Yeah, you are! I just wonder if we took one now, how long would it last? I think they may have stricter laws concerning preservatives now don't they? Just curious. But still, I won't eat a burger (or what ever we could call it) from there again! Wonder what nuggets would look like?
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You should find out about by-products usued in McDonalds...lips...grisaille... etc...
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I have a question...what's wrong with using byproducts? Unless it's against your religion to eat (Which at this point, I'm sure you know if these foods follow your beliefs) When you don't use the byproducts, you waste edible meat, needing to kill more animals and raise more animals to support the habits of the consumers.
If I were killed to be eaten I'd want them to use every part of me, not just cut out a chunk here and there. It'd make the body as useful as possible, maximizing output and reducing waste.
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I bet you're an engineer :P
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"If I were killed to be eaten I'd want them to use every part of me"
Now theres a thought! :)
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"Grisaille" is a painting technique used abundantly in the Renaissance period.
"Gristle" is the cartilage and tissue found in meat, especially when meat hasn't been tenderized.
Now, I know what "grisaille" is, because in my painting class we did a four week grisaille painting using twinkies and ding dongs. Neither of them ever went bad and all of them were taken out of their wrappers.
Just sayin.
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Why, pray tell, are you reading this article? It appears that you most probably don't avail yourself of intelligent writing often.
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I agree. This woman is a complete moron. Who on earth would save a burger for 12 years? What's the point? The simple fact is that McDs hamburgers actually do have nutritive value, perhaps just what her lesbian vegan overweight self doesn't eat. She's probably voting for Obama too. Enough said.
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How about you not criticize people's lifestyle choices and actually have an argument ready to support your views? That would be too difficult, eh?
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Saving a McDonald's Hamburger for 12 years or any food (besides a slice of wedding cake in the freezer) does imply some kind of hoarding or OCD issue. But she does have a point. Whatever nutritional value these fast foods once had in whole form has been processed out of it. I don't eat the stuff. But peer influence and the toys offered, which is a technique known as applied behavioral analysis, have led me to take my children there. The toys are what kids like, not the food. The food is really gross. But it's cheap, quick and marketed really well.
I became so disgusted with myself for taking my kids there I made a deal with them. I asked my 6 year old to look around at the other people waiting inthe lunch line at one of our local Mc Donald's. He did and I said if you eat this food eventually you might look like that. So we agreed to buy the toy which was under $2. and go somewhere else to eat.
So, I am guessing that those of you who are writing out racist and other bigoted terms are low class, overweight, greasy, bad teeth and angry and stupid.
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well there has already been antisemitism and gay bashing, so i applaud your effort to bring classism into this as well. fight the good fight.
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I think, as the article states, she uses the hamburger as a prop for her classes. It's not a case of hoarding or an OCD thing.
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Who is an idiot and why?? I am unsure are you talking about the lady who saved a burger for 12-years or to all the millions who there.>>DAILY!!
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Your name is Rick... sorry but this person Pwns you... just because of your name
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UMMMMM how are they an idiot?
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Is assume the bun around the 1996 burger is new? Surely the bun *can't* be that old too!
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If you have kids who eat in the car after a fast food drive thru trip - give it a couple months, then clean out from under your seats. Amazing how well a burger and fry retain their color and shape - under a car seat, must retain even better locked in a rubbermaid container. I believe!!
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i agree with u there unlike the burger i am sorry but bread does get fungus on it after aging
no matter the storage
grew up around my grandfathers farm seen alot worse ,,,yet the bun cannot be that old without fungus
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No, it's all from 1996. Not just the patty, the whole hamburger....
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You must have seen Fast Food Nation - this reminds me of some of the info in that movie - wow! Thanks for this - we need this information. I stay away from junk food - but now I'll get even farther away!! Cheers! Bonnie
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Go eat your fucking sprouts.
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If you ever have an unwanted guest at your house, you know what to feed them!
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Yes, very incredible...considering the fact that you purchased both burgers with absolutely nothing on them. Or is that your version of a controlled experiment. Most red meat, once cooked, remains unchanged for quite a long time. The exception is the meat becomes drier. Is it possible that very fact was discovered centuries ago? They smoked, cooked, salted and dried meat to make it last for a very long time. Add the ketchup, mustard, onions and pickles to your experiment (as that is the norm) and tell us the results of keeping that burger unpreserved. The buns are baked locally and, unless kept in a humidity-free environment, will mold and decay like any other bread.
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I like how nobody decided to comment on this entry... I agree.
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Thought I was the only one to make that observation. Well stated.
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appreciate the comment joe
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I reached your site from AOL.com.
The article said that you had a 12-year-old McDonald's hamburger that hasn't decayed.
My expectation was that I'd see a burger slathered with ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato, cheese with the burger and bun.
All I saw was the burger and the bun.
I'm sorry, perhaps you don't have bbqs in Queens, but you can dessicate (dry-out) a hamburger bun very quickly. Heck, to make fresh bread crumbs you dry-out old bread. Once it's dried, you can stick it into a bag and the bread will look the same way until you grate it.
You can similarly dry-out a burger turning it into a dried out slab of beef. Without moisture, and having been cooked to the point of being totally dried-out, there's little left to actually decompose.
You really haven't proved anything.
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Indeed. This is the principle behind such things as beef jerky. Refrigeration is a recent invention, and yet somehow for centuries we've been able to preserve food and eat it much, much later.
If you want to persuade me that McD's food is a preservative-laden nightmare, why don't you just analyze it for content and tell me? This demonstration, while stark, is science-free.
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I don't think I will be taking my children to Micky D's anytime soon!
I have always felt it was pretty disgusting, now I have proof! Thanks
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Someone saying just because is not proof.
You simply accepting it without evidence or back up is pure idiocy.
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I have carried a McDonald's burger and french fries in the trunk of my car for almost two years. I did this just to show my grandchildren that McDonald's food is full of chemicals. I want to get some of those 'scrambeld eggs' that are full of chemicals too.
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Then you're a retarded asshat.
Why did you store it in your car? You don't have a house?
You people need to relax... don't eat at McDonald's, you might live an extra 3 weeks.
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Asshat is a funny word.
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I'm still LOLing at that word... haha
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Its not just about how much longer you will live without consuming the poisons that are in many fast food chain's offerings, but also the quality and healthfulness of your life for as long as you live. Do your homework. Many of the chemicals that are used in raising live stock and preserving food have been linkid to a wide array of health problems. This information is available in many medical and scientific journals as well as popular books that you can find at boarders. Try out "Chew on This" for starters and see where that takes you. It is full of scientifically backed information and is a bit easier to "digest" that the scientific journals. Pardon the pun.
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Here's the thing, how many of us will go out and buy a plain burger just to watch it NOT rot? I'm considering it, but then I would be supporting Mc'D's ! Aargh!
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nom nom nom
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I can believe the burger staying the same for 12 years but how does the bun stay the same without growing mold? Something sounds shady
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Those are 2 hamburgers bought in the same week...
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Yeah, I like how she was able to "keep" the hamburger, but not the wrapper...
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I knew all this, but sometimes late at night I still crave one! LOL!
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I love McDonald's! Yum!
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McDonalds doesn't love you.
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But they love my money more than you love me
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lol exactly mcds doesnt do anything but make u fat and lazy. its a heart attack on a bun. i hope u enjoy ur mcds.
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McDonald's does NOT make you lazy. It attracts people that are already lazy and not too intelligent. If you don't already know that eating this food is completely unhealthy then you deserve what you get from consuming it.
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Hahahahahaha thats just rediculous!
Yes McD's is not so healthy and yes eating it excessivly would probably over a long period of time make you fat but eating an occassional mcds isnt gonna kill you!!
And why in the hell would someone keep a burger and a bun for 12 years??? and that bun should defo moulded by now even if its kept in a plastic box!!
Me thinks that not all is as it seems with this article.
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OMG %(
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Yummers!! If you have co-workers you don't get along with, try this for fun: Eat one Big Mac and one Large Fries. Wait 1/2 hour, then go stand next to them and let one rip!! Good Times!!
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You've obviously never had a McDonald's Cheeseburger. I have, and let me tell you, they are full of bone and gristle, The whole taste and experience of the meat was completely different. Before you state something for everyone to read and believe, do some fact checking. But yeah, I agree with your entry.
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well much as i agree that McDs is total crap, isnt the reason for its longevity purely down to the amount of salt in all their food ?
Not the fact that there is nothing nutritious in there at all. There is certainly some protein and fat, which mould and bacteria would happily grow on if there were less salt.
I agree with what you are saying in principle, McDs is complete shite, but the reasons you are giving are inaccurate and misleading, not to mention clearly coming from an agenda driven perspective.
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well put I totally was focused on the fact that there was NO comparison!!!! I mean what does other meat products look like after 12 years. But I'm glad you brought up the salt and the reason behind why it last for so long.
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I completely agree - I think it's the salt and the trans fats which are supposed to be shelf stable for YEARS. I may be off but I thought in Spurlock's movie (Supersize Me) he did that experiment and after a few months the hamburger bread did mold (the fries stayed intact).
Either way, it's good to remember that a human body can actually eliminate crap. Yes, it will take longer and put a load on your liver and kidneys, but don't scare people into thinking it will kill you. It's definitely a terribly unhealthy choice, and might actually kill your arteries if you eat it everyday, but if you crave it, indulge once every 2 months, you'll be just fine.
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i like to fly!!!!
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incredible, more like unbelievable. I've seen a Mcd's burger left out for less than a week covered in a furry mould and leaking gunk - don't believe a word of it.
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Yep, I agree. The mold sets in quite quickly. Ever watched the experiment that was part of Morgan Spurlock's "SuperSize Me"? Those burgers were moldy in 2 weeks, and fully rotted at 10 weeks.
See yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSHaZIOk9nY
Listen, we all know that a McDonald's burger is probably not the healthiest food item to eat.
The problem with many extremists / crusaders is that instead of relying on the facts, they clearly try and manipulate or exaggerate things that aren't true. Is this really a burger from 1996? I might believe it if it had been vaccuum-packed, frozen and thawed just before the picture. But again, that would be a distortiono f facts. Karen is implying that the burger in the picture has been sitting out in the open for 12 years.
I have no reason to believe anything further posted by this user.
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I've seen these mold, too, but I've also cleaned out under my kid's car seats and found half-eaten burgers (and buns) that look exactly like they did when they were dropped. They were dried out (think toast) but otherwise looked the same. These had cheese and katsup on them too! I do think it has a lot to do with the salt content.
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Where did you see this burger? laying out in the open air..I beleive that she said she had it stored( freezer) perhaps. But I would have to agree with you that scietifically it is inpossible. Maybe not the meat, but the bun itself would have molded and shriveled up to nothing. UNLESS, it was put on dry ice, or froze below sub zero temperatures. However it was done I am finding it hard to beleive that this is the same burger purchased 12 years ago, where is the proof such as the wrapper and the bag that it came in.There were several things that would have validated this claim, but to no avail none were documented.
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She said she did nothing to preserve it.
It's not impossible for it to be preserved for 12 years. It's just that the author of this article has not suggested anyways to verify. Or....even if it was preserved in itself, how that proves that McD's burgers of today are bad for you.
It's just that she doesn't provide a good argument to why they are bad...just that they stay in the same basic shape.
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That's not a 12 year old burger, that's one you bought yesterday. Even if [theoretically] that burger didn't decompose in 12 years, then the BUNS would. Also, just like that commenter James, I too have seen a one week old McDonalds hamburger and it had a furry white mold growing all over it. Look, I understand that you're trying to make a point about Big Macs being unhealthy (I haven't eaten a burger of any kind in over a decade, so I'm not being biased), but you really don't need to exaggerate.
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i ate there last nite and it was so good. i had a double quarter pounder with cheese. the grease was so good. the cheese made it ultimate.
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Not really. If you don't expose food to natural decomposers - it won't decompose. This includes: mold, bacteria and insects. It can't be maggoty when you don't expose it to FLIES. My kids have left part of a hamburger and it decomposed. It stunk and most definitely was shriveled up.
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How can it NOT be exposed to natural decomposers? Minus the insects there is all kind of mold and bacteria floating around in the everyday air we breathe. It was exposed when she took it out the wrapper. Also if you are going to prove that something is so unhealthy it doesn't decompose you are not going to take PREVENTATIVE measures. The hamburger in question would have been left in its orignal wrapper untouched for 12 years not put in a plastic lunch container and possible freeze dried. I have to agree with the other comments about the bread. That bun would have been molded weeks after it got old. There is no way it's lasted 12 years.
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I'm pretty sure it stays that way because of all the preservatives that are in that shit, preservatives are chemicals, but I don't think the burger isn't giving you any nutrition at all.
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It's not only incredible that you all believe this crap. We might believe that the meat has alot of chemicals to preserve it: but the bread would never last that long. My kindergarden teach always said don't believe anything you hear and only 1/2 of what you see.
Think smart. Even organic food has some chemicals
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I'm from Holland and I know that the shit that mcdonalds is selling, it's crap. If you don't believe in the indoctrination of big company's like mcDonalds, Coca Cola, KFC, The Pizzahut and many others, than watch the documentary of Supersize Me. Because of this docu, mcDonalds has stoppped to sell supersize meals. I'm very happy that the closest MC to my hometown is 30 km away.
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This is not real. It is propaganda and I'm insulted that you think I should think that it is real. If you want to get a point across you need to tell the truth. It's kind of like drugs, there is no need to lie to scare people about drugs. The truth is scary enough. When you lie about certain side effects concerning drug usage(like marijuana will make you a killer), then people think oh well the truth about cocaine must be a fable as well. So i guess if I use cocaine I won't become dependent, I won't turn my life into shit, I won't steal from or hurt my friends or family. So go on lying about the McD's burger. Then you will never get your point across. The truth is to many burgers, sodas, ice cream and candy will make you fat. However in moderation and with exercise you can eat whatever the hell you want!!!!! We should try to eat a healthy diet that is full of nutrition. I'll keep eating big macs, whoppers, pizza, and apples and oranges etc. etc.!!!!!
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lately i have stopped eating at micky Ds and joint pain in legs and elbows has gone away .i stop after tasting clorox and smelling it in burgers ,at 3 differant stores in Va. area it's a soy bean product .like the O-rings at the king .it goes streight threw you .i work for mc-D's in 1968 and we hand made burgers then and it was real burger .they claim it still real WELL i've never seen a soy cow! maybe the one on TV promoting soy milk
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> Holy crap! That is incredible.
No, that is *inedible*! :)
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not at all, i freakin love mc donalds
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Yes, isn't that incredible. I saw a dehydrated apricot the other day that was 4 years old. I couldn't believe how much it still looked like an apricot but I am assuming there isn't a lick of nutritive value remaining. Must be a government conspiracy. It just has to be.
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I know! So gross! What made you keep it for 12 years? Just for the heck of it? Or to prove something?
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there's allot worse things out there that we are ingestings...who cares!!!
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proof? i dont think its from 96, prove me wrong asshats
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At first when i clicked the link to get to this page i thought it was going to be about a lawsuit, about something someone found in there burger. i looked at the burger with out reading anything and was searching for a screw or a finger. I thought to myself theirs nothing wrong with it. But then i read that it was 12 years old. this makes me think twice about stopping at any fast food place for lunch.
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And delicious.
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im pretty sure that "i'm lovin it" was not mcdonalds slogan in 1996... this is bs
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Well not really. I don't know what it's like over there but in Australia.. Yes it's still not a great food to be eating BUT.. Tastes a shit load better than in other parts of the world. These days we use locally sourced meat and veg. Yeah there's heaps of sugar in the buns and whatever have you but it's not bad for a once off snack. We Also have healthier stuff like salads etc with out without dressings etc. Just puttin it out there!
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Thanks for this. It may finally help me stay away from the cheese burgers.
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I think it's enough to make anyone pause.
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McD's is filthier than FilthyRichmond.com
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pause, yes, give up? absolutely not. (I agree w the agenda driven guy) We don't eat the crap because we think its good for us, and if anyone does, they're an idiot.. (kinda like puttin 210 degree coffee between your legs, thats just not smart folks!) we do it because it's easier than preparing something more nutritious. Anyone that would read any article and give up anything that they enjoy, is an idiot, (unless they're obese, but in that case, this article isn't gonna be the thing that makes them give up the things that got them up there in the first place)
The purpose of this article, shock and awe, is obvious and that's a great tactic to get your personal view out there, but should be followed up w some hard simple facts about nutrition that most ppl just really don't know!!
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I agree. We can buy meals at the grocery store with more calories/fat than the McDonald's hamburger. If you look at the paper under the burger, the nutrional information is printed on there. You can find the information at McDonalds.com also. Just because they are "McDonald's" and the giant in the fast food industry, they are always the one being "picked" on about nutrition. You are correct in this article is looking for the "Shock" value, not to inform you about nutrition. Do you homework and make healthy choices. This is one company that has tried to inform the public of their choices, it is not their fault if you make the unhealthy ones. Again, you can make even more unhealthy choices at the grocery store, but no one is beating up on them.
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i have seen this before and really didn't believe it. So, I tried it for myself and that is absolutely the truth. Can't do McD's anymore. I heard that it stays in your system for days. Very hard to digest and leave the system.
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All red meat stays in your system for several days. In fact, the average human body is about ten meals behind in digestion. This is nothing unusual. Do some research.
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No. They mold like any food. And food can't possibly "stay in your system for days." Some can decay slowly in your colon, but your statement is downright absurd. If food stayed in your system for days, you'd jaundice and die of toxicity or some similarly disgusting thing.
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I really appreciate how you only respond to positive comments and completely neglect any that are calling you out on your blatant farce and fabrication of your so called science experiement, and neglect to acknowledge any of the scientific debunking that's been posted. You really are a testament of the model debater. Thank you so much.
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yeah pause at how ridiculous this is
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Overnutrition is one of the main social problems in America, people are too fat. So a food that has no nutritional value would be actually a good thing.
Hamburgers however do have nutritional value, but the wrong kind.
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I agree. Although I'd call it overconsumption of the wrong kinds of foods.
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Mccy D's Hamburgers have no nutritional value AND they make you fat. There's nothing good about them, unless your goal is slow, painful, and constipated suicide.
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You're grossly incorrect. For those who are concerned with MACRONUTRIENT intake, rather than MICRONUTRIENT intake, McDonalds provides a cheap, cost-effective way to ingest calorie-dense foods that have lots of protein. For people who need to gain weight, it serves its purpose well. There are vitamins and minerals contained within, albeit not nearly as much as an organic, grass-fed alternative would provide. Truthfully, you get what you pay for, especially at 99 cents.
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Let's also not forget about all the sugar and salt, which of course lead to heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Which are three of the leading causes of death in first world countries.
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Because that's just what the majority of Americans need... to gain weight! Oh thank you McDonalds for saving us.
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Leave it to a female to mince words.
Muscle weighs more than fat. Many people strive to put on muscle. In order to put on muscle, you must increase your caloric intake to well above maintenance level. Eating something like McDonalds while muscle building is what's called a "dirty bulk".
Dirty bulk is a perfectly acceptable part of the process when done in moderation. Now hush, adults are talking.
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Victor - this is a friendly place. If you can be friendly you might get a reply from me.
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I guess he was friendly?
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That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. OverCONSUMPTION is what makes people fat. A food not having any nutritional value is still going to put on the pounds. It's better to eat ALL foods that have nutritional value than eating a bunch of foods without nutritional value.
There is no such thing as overnutrition. That doesn't even make sense.
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Not necessarily true...it is possible to "overdose" on many nutrients to toxic levels...do some research starting with "hypervitaminosis"...seeya...
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I agree with you. That makes NO sense.
Overnutrition-- that's why I eat 3-4 square meals a day (I'm talking whole grains, no preservatives, no or less pesticides, mostly locally grown) and I only weigh 111 lbs? And no, I'm not undernourished. I am the "perfect" weight for my height.
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Geesh lady it's always about you huh? Don't you just love it when you are trying to have a some-what intelligent conversation with someone and they have to constantly butt in to tell a personal story totally not related to the topic? Oh and for the extreme egocentric people they always have to add how much money they have, how terrific their life is, or HOW MUCH THEY WEIGH!!!!
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haha, fatty.
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i like round meals, not square ones. the square one hurt my tummy and i tend to get a bit gassy after. the best after the parallel meals, but they are super hard to find here.
Did you ever wonder why the sky is blue and your pee is yellow? what... just for argument sake, they switch colors?
and how about women? why are they not still barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen so us men don't have quaff down these burgers? see just like with Eve, its there fault, GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN AND FIX ME A SANDWICH WOMAN
thank you for your attention
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HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Genius comedy in the middle of a blog mess of crap.
THANK YOU!
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this is pure poetry! beautiful.
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I suggest you look up the definition of nutrition. Hint: carbohydrates, protein and fat are all nutrients.
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Finally, a bit of simple truth.
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I beg to differ - it's entirely possible.
Otherwise, that "5 Hour Energy" garbage with 8000% the necessary dosage of B vitamins would be great for you, right? Yet, it's not.
Like the other guy said, do some research.
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you can even overdose on water. geesh. this article is silly. fight your mickyd battle using some logic, or better yet, do what many of us do, don't go there. don't post patronizing junk about 12 yr old burgers.
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McDonald's does nothing to fuel the cell? So their food has 0 calories? AWESOME! Imma eat til I puke then eat some more!
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I actually meant nourish the cell.
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Um, that's still wrong. I agree with you that McDonald's is crappy food, and your 1996 burger is pretty impressive, but it doesn't do any good to make blanket statements about fast food not having any nutritional value when it does have *some*. Doing so just undermines your credibility and gives the fast food chains a perfect opportunity to discredit you by pointing out that you are exaggerating and misstating the facts. I encourage your efforts toward teaching better diet, but do stick to the facts.
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Exactly. I was thinking the same thing--to say that a McDonald's hamburger has zero nutritional value is completely wrong. The fact that the hamburger didn't degenerate over the years has NOTHING to do with nutritional value.
Does the author claim to be a nutritionist? I see she claims to be a "nutritional consultant", which basically means a self-anointed "expert" with no real credentials.
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Something tells me you guys probably work for mcdonalds. Why do you really care and bash her for pointing something as absolutely insane as a hamburger keeping its shape and colors after so many years. The other things where she "doesen't stick to the facts" don't matter, this is insane.
Would you guys also bash on someone who would say that eating feces is bad because it has no nutritional value? of course it has a little value... but crap is crap however you try to defend it.
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It is defending crap, but it's defending crap because the argument doesn't support the claims.
It's like...we don't send a murder to jail saying they did something that they didn't, our system is based on honesty, and we must stick to that value above all else. Even when others lie, we must make our efforts to repudiate their false claims. And only allow for arguments supporting the facts.
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More to the point, you can easily look up the definition of nutrition, nutrients, etc. You'll find that it includes carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. Basically anything that is assimilated into the body. Anything else that's used for energy is not a nutrient.
Check McDonald's website for nutrional values, you'll find them (along with fiber, which is not a nutrient, but whatever) all listed anywhere from 9 to 22% of the recommended daily value. The daily values are based on a 2k calorie diet, pretty standard. To bring that number down, you only increase the daily %.
As far as I understand, your point is that "because a 12 year old hamburger looks perfectly preserved and is not rotting, it has no nutritional value". That part of your article, basically the whole argument you're making against McDonald's hamburgers is not only wrong, but just doesn't make any sense. Try shaping your argument towards the things they've done to the product that are causing it not to rot and what effect those things have on your body.
What you've presented lacks any research at all and you're really just hurting yourself. Put in some work to find out what IS bad about their hamburgers (and probably ALL fast food burgers) and present that with your sobering evidence.
It may not work as well as lying, but at least you'll be able to feel good about yourself. :x
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very very well said. My thoughts exactly. The burger still looks the same because of preservatives, not because it's cloned or chemically made. It has preservatives because the burgers are shipped all over the world, which is why they taste the same everywhere... that's the whole point of a franchise and a signature product. The fact that it lasted 12 years speaks to the science behind the preservatives, not the fact that the burger lacks in nutrition.
I am not advocating kids go eat McDonald's, but as the poster mentioned, focus on the chemicals added to make the burger hold up in color and shape and the introduction of foreign chemicals to your body. Make a stated argument based on facts, not assumptions.
I did get a kick out of this post though, 12 year burger. Neat.
Feta
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The food is not "shipped all over the world". That would imply that it comes from one central source. McDonald's uses regional distribution throughout the world.
On another note...could it POSSIBLY be that the reason why they taste the same throughout the world is that they are all made from...oh I don't know...BEEF?
You want something to get mad about Mother Earth? How about the Chinese toys in every Happy Meal? How about the fact that in every square mile of Earth you will find a piece of McDonald's litter. I suppose the corporation tosses them on the ground?
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Thanks for saying what I was thinking in much more detail than I managed to do in my comment. Also, quite honestly, I was much too gentle in how I expressed my thoughts -- people like "Mother Earth" (grandiose much?) who take such a cavalier approach to the facts (misstating some, ignoring others, making up still others, and failing to be aware of yet others, all in service of a pre-ordained conclusion) actually hurt the cause of improving nutrition (and diet generally) a lot more than they help.
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You, and FetaCheese below you are the first commenters to state the obvious.
Yes, it is probably chemical preservatives, rather than it's lacking in nutritional value. However, this observation of a 12 year old hamburger, if true, cannot be dismissed so easily. Ms. Hanrahan has indeed injected her predisposition into this article, but if she is not lying about this hamburger, we not only need to know how this could be, but why. I, personally, avoid Mickey D's. It's not a philosophical thing, I just find that I feel sickened by the time I'm halfway through the meal.
There's a reason, and I don't claim to know what it is, that McD's hamburgers make me wanna puke. Obviously, this is anecdotal evidence, based on personal experience. But, I know what I know. These foods are full of chemicals that you would not feed to your children, if you knew about them. Again, anecdotal, based on personal experience.
Ex; Have you ever seen a McDonald's employee, on lunch break, eating McDonald's? I haven't.
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Ms. Hanrahan, I have a question: Why are you not replying to messages like this one? Or to the beautifully reasonable and intelligent Andrew? And how after reading them do you feel morally that you may continue holding fast to your original assertion? If you were just a blogger spouting off about fast food, that would be one thing (although you should still answer reasoned arguments on your topic on your blog), but you 'educate' parents about nutrition?! I want an answer, and I want to hear your answers to Matt and Andrew.
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Please change "Matt" to "Dave" - gah, FAIL.
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Catherine - I am working on a FAQ.
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I gotta say....since you can eat a burger and keep going for a while, it must do something for your cells....even if it's slowly killing you in the cardiovascular system.
It still keeps you alive for longer than starvation.
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While that is astounding, and McDs is garbage, it's incorrect to say it does not fuel the cell. It has calories, calories are fuel.
And while I'm sure they use all kinds of practices and chemicals in their meat that are completely disgusting, they don't clone anything... do you have any idea how much a cloned meat burger would cost? Not $1 I assure you.
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Thank you - you are correct. I meant nourish the cell and changed it.
Clone was merely an expression of turn-key operation. Cerainly not a declaration!
Isn't creative expression wonderful?
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No. Facts are wonderful. Look them up.
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hey lady, you sound funny
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You are still incorrect. McDonalds most certainly nourishes the cell. I'm not sure why, even after being corrected several times by more informed readers, you are unable to simply admit you are wrong and restate your case. This really detracts from the overall impact of what you are trying to accomplish. In fact, it makes the whole thing sort of a throw away, not gonna bookmark it or tell anyone I know about it affair, since it's clearly either disingenuous or misinformed.
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Cheers, Andrew! Amen.
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Cheers, Andrew! Amen.
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"calories are fuel"? WaF are you thinking? You have to finish elemental school! The Calorie is an mesure of heat over matter. May be you are traying to say Carbohydrates, in this case, glycogen, the kind of Carbohydrates which functions as energy storage (the fat in your belly nad your legs).
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So sorry I meant to say nourish vs fuel and I have edited that.
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You are still wrong. Your entire article is presumptuous and full of factual errors. By making statements like "This is chemical food" you prove your ignorance. Dihydrogen Monoxide is a chemical. Would you have us live without it? Making such boldly wrong articles makes it hard for people like me who try to educate people about nutrition to separate fact from fiction. You, my dear, are more miss-informative than McDonald itself. Thanks for making nutrition science a joke.
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I don't see why people are so *aggressively* missing the point being made, that a now 12-year-old hamburger isn't showing any appreciable signs of decomposition. "Oh, she said 'chemical food,' and technically water is a chemical! Ha! What do you think of *that,* health nut?" You're one of those oh-so-clever guys who mau-maus "organic food" by saying, "Why, what *other* kind of food is there? Ha ha ha, I'm so witty I kill myself!" Yes, yes, you sure are. May I interest you in a hamburger?
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Wrong!
Calories are a measure of energy (not heat). But in common speech to say food contains calories means it contains substances - fat, protein, carbohydrates, alcohol, or sugar alcohols (xylitol, mannitol etc.) - that the body can use to create energy.
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If the body can create energy, then every physics book in the world must be wrong. Perhaps you mean the body can utilize the energy stored in the fat, protein, etc.
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Well, that reply was a bit harsh, and all-knowing! Speaking of school...you could use a few grammar lessons.
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Elemental school? Glycogen is not fat, it is a polysaccharide, and you body stores very little glycogen at any time.
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What you wrote makes less sense than a statement you critisised. Calories are exactly a measure of "fuelness" if i may use such neologisms. Calories are measure of energy, which food provides, no matter if its carbs, fats or proteins. (it is just a case of tradition that we rather use calories as a unit to express energetic value of food whereas juls (J) as a measure of energy in physics- they are in SI system) And glycogen is only a storage of energy in muscles, which is used by the body in the first place (rather short time storage), after using it up, body starts taking enrgy from a long term storage, which is fat. Fat in your belly is FAT (lipids), not glycogen. It gets to the crebs cycle in a state of acetyl coenzyme A as far as I remember. Carbohydrates as main, long term energy storage are present in plants, therefore cereals vegetables and fruits.
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Please get a life and stop dissecting tiny useless things. You sound like someone that has something to defend - maybe work for mcdonalds?finding every posible stupid ilttle thing you can to discredit the person even though the message is clear - how eating fast food is death.
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Nothing is useless in the pursuit of truth!
Besides, this article doesn't say fast food is death by facts. She could have probably done so, but she didn't, so it is up to us, the readers, to point out the flaws so she can learn from her mistakes and fix them to make a more valid and thought provokiing argument.
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Nothing is useless in the pursuit of truth!
Besides, this article doesn't say fast food is death by facts. She could have probably done so, but she didn't, so it is up to us, the readers, to point out the flaws so she can learn from her mistakes and fix them to make a more valid and thought provoking argument.
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OMG ~ I'm never eating McDs again!
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Good Choice!
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I'm glad I stopped eating McDonalds about 15 years ago
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I left a hamburger out all night and it decomposed and looked pretty bad.. worse than the one in that picture. Further, one was in my car for several days.. it completely rotted. this is a lie. you are an anti american, anti capitalist. you HAVE to lie because your message sucks.
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Well was it a Mickey D's burger or another burger. Burgers are bad in general but McDonalds or any other fast food chain food is the worst. See "Super Size Me"
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I'm sorry but the movie "super size me" has been taken out of context so many times it's sad. that man survived on NOTHING but Mc.Donalds. Yeah, that will make you sick. Duh. You can do that with any type of resaraunt. Eat nothing but subway for a whole year and your gonna get sick. Come on people. Mc.Donalds isn't the problem. We are the problem. We as a society abuse our bodies to the point of death all the time. There is nothing wrong with enjoying fast food in moderation, but when you eat it all the time as your main source of food, yeah, it's unhealthy. And as a side note, I worked for Mc.Donalds for 2 years. Eating my lunch there every day I worked and in that 2 years I only gained 7 pounds. How? Because hamburgers are ony one of the things they serve. Mix it up a little. Try one of thier salads. AWESOME.
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I think it's actually YOU that is lying, Bill.
1) I have forgotten to put dinner away and it sat out all night - bad of course - but it did NOT decompose over night. This has included hamburgers, spaghetti sauce, salad, and yes hamburgers.
2) As for one in your car for several days. I would assume the 12yr old burger isn't exposed to the many heat/cool cycles that takes place in your car. So I don't believe you there either.
What do you own stock in McDonalds?
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Holy drama, Batman.
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Hahah :]
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Bill, you care about money more than people.
That's not good...
McDonald's is not "american"...
It is "capitalist", but is that a good thing even when it kills millions of people?
"your message sucks" - not even gonna say anything about that one lol
You left the hamburger "out"?
Cool, she left hers in a container.
So that would make you an idiot.
PS: Do you really think a hamburger would be less likely to decompose or rot in a car? Wow... That's special :D
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How in a million years can you say that McDonald's is not American? It proves that when the right product is introduced to the system, by anyone (in this case two brothers), the system will regulate it's life. People like McDonald's, and continue to eat it despite the efforts of the anti-capitalist left of this society. You claim it kills people yet for some reason people keep buying and it went from one single store to serving 40+ billion people a day. That is capitalism my friend. It's actually the epitome of capitalism yet there will always be those who would rather sit at home and watch a hamburger grow mold than actually try at life. The result is a loud minority trying to make things worse for the majority. When they are ignored all they do is try to yell louder and louder.
Also I would also like to point out that while people are arguing the overall impact and clarity of this article, it requires a blind leap of faith to assume that the obviously agenda driven author has indeed kept a hamburger for 12 years. She just happened to know 12 years ago that'd she be able to post an article on her precious blog if she only saved the burger. I find this highly suspect and would much rather see constructive uses of our time like actual legitimate research or you know getting one of those things called jobs. Screaming at the wind is hardly helpful to society.
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Just because she put it in a container does not mean that it's impervious to the elements. She used a plastic case that does not really seal anything out besides large particles such as dust, dirt, etc. The burger would still decompose in a container.
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Glad you are trying to get the word out about McDonalds excuse for food.
About 15-17 years ago (The last time I ate there) I bought a shake, put it in the sun for an hour. It separated into 3 layers, and when I mixed it back up, it had the EXACT same consistency as when I bought it. I don't if they have changed the formula since then, so it may no longer be like this.
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Thank you!
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I love to eat healthy foods, and avoid things that are ready-made, full of HFCS, etc. However, the lack of any basic knowledge of science, both in the article and the comments, is rather disheartening. I often make smoothies from yogurt and frozen fruit and milk/soy milk. If I leave the smoothie sitting out, it will separate into layers as it melts because the liquids have different densities. I'm not saying that McD's shakes are fantastic for you, but this would happen with any frozen drink with different ingredients.
As for whether McD's burgers are "chemicals", everything is made up of chemicals, so that argument is pretty ridiculous. There are plenty of reasons not to eat food from McDonald's without using scare tactics and false science. As others have pointed out, most any food kept in an airtight container with no exposure to water will keep for quite some time. Croutons and dried meats come to mind...
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Good points, and although I agree a "fast food" diet is not the healthiest; There is "some" nutritional value, just not the best as far as calories, fat etc..How that affects each person depends on their personal habits...ie:total diet, exercise, dna, etc...
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One of those layers is emulsified chicken fat; boiled to remove any flavour.
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I put real fruit and milk in a blender and after 30 minutes it started to seperate (indoors). When i reblended it it was same consistency as before is well. SO DON'T DRINK HOMEMADE SMOOTHIES, THEY ARE BAD FOR YOU IS WELL BECAUSE THEY "seperate into different layers".
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This is not a valid comparison (and the comment is completely idiotic).
The hamburger didn't decompose because it's made with many preservatives and other chemicals.
The smoothie separated because of gravity. (and did not stay preserved for 12 years)
Now how do you equate these? Could you explain further?
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Super genius, the comment you replied to was directed at the other great mind above who decided that because a shake separated it was automatically horrible for you. The shake is probably awful for you, but the comment you attacked made a valid point....all mixtures will separated if their components have different densities. Thank you come again.
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Super genius, the comment you replied to was directed at the other great mind above who decided that because a shake separated it was automatically horrible for you. The shake is probably awful for you, but the comment you attacked made a valid point....all mixtures will separated if their components have different densities. Thank you come again.
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All this article is is selective interpretation. One could make the arguement that a Big Extra is a balanced meal. You got your VeG ( lettuce and tomatoes [yes they use real lettuce and tomatoes], Meat, Grain, and cheese(dairy).
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this is actually in reference to the postings that continued after this one.
a milkshake. ice cream and milk blended to be drank from a straw. in the sun for an hour should turn into a soupy milky substance. perhaps any fruit or chocolate would separate, but if you stir it back together it should still be a soupy milky substance with some fruit or maybe chocolate floating around.
smoothies, which depending on preparation, may contain ice which too will melt, but for the most part are held together with natural emulsifiers like bananas. when smoothies are sat in the sun it too should have melting properties, and too would probably separate. when mixed back together you simply are mixing the water back to the emulsifier to create a almost "watered down" smoothie.
now what did the original comment emphasize? was it the separation? no, it was that when he mixed the milk shake back together "it had the EXACT same consistency" that there is the problem. that is not a milk shake. nor is that a smoothie. that is a chemical compound designed to taste like a milkshake.
that is where that was going.
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Anyone who flings around the word "exact" in as carefree a way as you and the guy you're quoting doesn't deserve to command any more attention than an idiot ranting on a street corner about the end of the world.
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Two of the main reason shakes are the consistency they are is because of air and ice crystals. Take a container of ice cream and let it melt in the same container and the volume is reduced by a large amount, this is because air is whipped into it while it is made. Shakes are made the same way. Also, after an hour in the sun, all of the ice crystals would have melted. So, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for you to just 'mix' it back up and have the "exact same consistency" as when you bought it. Statements like this just go to show how people like to talk about things they don't know about and also how they make dishonest statements to fuel the fire.
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Wow. That's quite disturbing... thank you for sharing this! I am a vegetarian, and have been for several years now, but it frightens me to think of how much junk has built up from the years I DID eat that junk. Unfortunately, it's not easy for people to make informed decisions about what they eat (at least in North America). In Canada, they voted against a Bill which would require labeling of all genetically modified food. In fact, it wasn't even a 'major' (i.e. popular) issue. In my opinion, you can't get much more major than something we're ingesting daily!
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Isn't it disturbing? I agree we are definitely what we eat!
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So if I eat a lot of McDonald's hamburgers, will I live forever? Or just never decompose when I die?
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What?! She said she was a vegetarian. So are you calling her a vegetable? How rude.
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VERY
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How come you have nothing to say to anyone who admonished your claims?
Looking through your replies, you seem to only care about those who blindly believe you.
Thank you for supporting and contributing to the ignorance of America.
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Fear is the emotional response to being unaware of what constitutes genetically modified food. Cloned does not mean irradiated or mutated. Eating a cloned animal is like eating an identical twin of a naturally born animal. In fact, all breeding of livestock is genetic modification, and the results of "natural" breeding can be very unsatisfactory. Most of the produce you buy has been genetically modified. Where in the wild do you ever find an apple that looks like that, where it wasn't grown from a tree of nearly the same selected and bred stock? Corn looks very little like its original ancestor from which humans bred it, modifying its genes by selecting the best stock, mixing and choosing the genetic traits to be reproduced. If you want genetic modification that sounds really crazy, look at the way fruit growers will take a limb that produces fruit they want and actually graft it onto the root system of a different kind of tree. But we are accustomed to these foods and eat them aplenty, so it's easy to adopt a position based on fear, and decry the newer technologies which we might not even have bothered to investigate on our own, even though they may one day help people who don't have such generous access to food as we do.
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I have doubts of your method. I am not defending McDonald's, but I do not like unnecessary scaring over nothing. We do not need scare tactics to tell people McD food is bad for them.
Let's go over the evidence in your experiment. First, the burger you purchased twelve years ago was put into a jelly container. I suspect the container to be airtight as jelly is susceptible to mold, bacteria, etc.
Second, you mention in the article that the burger was starting to crumble. This would imply that the burger has little to no water in it.
Third, I am assuming you bought your burger from a McD that met all health regulations.
Your conclusion from this evidence is that McD burgers are bad because they withstand the test of time. However, I disagree with this conclusion. I would argue that the burger was preserved because it was in an airtight, waterless environment removed from mold and bacteria. If there was sufficient water in the container, mold and bacteria would most likely flourish.
Now, I am not saying you are wrong that McD food is bad in regards to health. It is a fattening food whose only nutritional value is the amount of calories it contains. But I am saying your experiment does not support the conclusion that McD food is bad.
Furthermore, and this is simply personal sentiments, I do not like the tone of the article that engineered foods are bad. Chemically altering foods is a two way street. There is potential to make a healthier food that has more nutritional value than it's predecessor (see: Banana) or simply make a food that last longer but has loses that value (see: commercial Tomato).
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That's OK.
I don't claim to be a scientist.
This is a simple show and tell that I use to educate parents. It's an example that always causes pause and offers choice.
The reality of it is shocking.
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Um, your reply did not actually address anything in the original post.
How can you keep a straight face whilst saying things like "I don't claim to be a scientist ... that I use to educate parents."? Surely you can see the flaw here. You are "educating parents" on a topic of which you have apparently no comprehension.
The example causes pause because nobody present understands what is actually happening and they end up taking your word for it.
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They are right, you know?
This proves nothing other than things
will tend to stay in their original state
when put into an airtight container.
I also think that McDonald's is rubbish
not fit for human consumption.
However, using scare tactics is not
"educating" anyone, be it parents or
children. It is nothing but using
scare tactics.
The use of such tactics sometimes has a
tendency to come back and bite one in the rear. Witness the "War on Drugs".
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And yet you make some very strong and false claims on your website and apparently with parents. Yes, McDonalds is not a healthy place to eat but this is being extremely dishonest.
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Notice how she has yet to respond to this? It's because she's been caught in her own load of bullshit, pardon my french. This is a scare tactic, plain and simple, and while yes, mcdonalds is certainly not a good choice of food, to say it has 0 value it complete garbage. It's food, like everything else. It's got protein, carbs, and fat. By no means is it balanced, but please, don't try to wave this "prop" around to prove some point (which is completely misinformed).
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Just because you are not a scientist, it doesn't mean you can't use rational thinking in order to make a point. For example, I am not a "scientist" in the sense that I do not (currently) have a degree in one of the sciences. But I can still use rational thinking to evaluate a situation and come to a reasonable conclusion.
Since you are an educator, I would implore you to support you conclusions (McD food is bad for one's health) with real evidence. I understand that it is hard to make education interesting (I once worked as a substitute teacher) and sometimes props help spice up the atmosphere.
But there are other examples you can use. Pictures out of "Supersize Me" come to mine (and this would be covered under Fair Use.) Show how the amount of calories consumed per burger could be put towards a much larger, filling meal that costs less. If you need a scare tactic, show how obesity is related to heart failures, cancer, etc.
I am not condemning what you do (in fact, I applaud that you have taken the initiative to educate people on what they eat) but I do not like scaring people into a lifestyle. This follows with what I said about thinking rationally. If you want a fit body, you need a sound mind.
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Unfortunately, you're using some fairly duplicitous logic here.
You infer your methods are not scientific, because you're not a scientist. OK. But then you go on to say that the same flawed methodology is being used to "educate" parents.
How do you explain the cognitive dissonance here? You're basically perpetuating something that is false, or inferring it, i.e., that because the Hamburger is so pumped of harmful chemicals, that it would not decompose.
However, drying out meat in an airtight, waterless environment, is similar to them methods used to make something like beef jerky.
I think McDonald's has little to no nutritional value, but your experiment also has little to no educational value.
If you want to educate parents, use facts, not your own uninformed conjecture. It only serves to harm and discredit your valid concerns.
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you shouldn't be 'educating parents' when you clearly have no idea about food, especially McDonalds burgers it seems... the fact that you have kept a dried out burger for 12 years proves nothing if you THINK about it. 'the reality of it is shocking' ... er no actually, it's done exactly what you would expect a dried out piece of meat and bread would have done, regardless of how much artificial crap is in it. therefore, who cares?
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Well, if you are not a scientist why do you pretend making experiments ?
I am sorry but I am terribly shocked by how wrong are your conclusions.
Make me a favor, start again the same experiment, write down everything you did (like removing the mustard and the cucumber, where you exactly stores the hamburger during the first month, if it was separated or if it was still piled up, etc...), do exactly the same with an organic hamburger (same size, same weight, same conditions) and come back to us with your results. Then we can start discussing.
But stop using missleading arguments to prove a point which could be easily demonstrated by real facts (composition of the food per instance).
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I would like to concur with Ben and further point out that I am enjoying a delicious slice of beef jerky right now that, if I recall correctly, was a staple food of early travelers due to its nutritiousness and long shelf life. And, before we get on to this subject - I picked it up last week in Amish country, it is made from perfectly content cows and is 100% preservative free (if you don't count 'salt' as a preservative... oh wait.)
I, for one, do not find the "reality shocking".
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/salute
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Tell a straving child anywhere in the world that there is no nutritional value in that hamburger.
Also, if you view McDonalds as a place to get a good meal, then, with all the info out there, you deserve to keep believing this. If you look at it like going out for Icecream (a treat), then I can see no harm whatsoever if its only once a month or so. The problem is, you have some people who eat this crap everyday.
However, if I was starving, it would save my life by eating it, so of course it has nutritional value.
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Are starving children eating McDonalds? Is filler better than nothing. Perhaps. I like to teach parents that they have choices and share with them something they might not of known. Who knew a burger would look like that after 12 years!
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Yes, if you are starving to death, even fast food is better than nothing. Assuming you want to live, that is.
Are you seriously saying that eating McDonalds is a fate worse than death? I don't believe you will find any hungry children who agree.
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You continue to miss the point. ANY burger would look like that after 12 years! Again, McDonalds is not a healthy eating choice, however, your example proves nothing. Go get an organic burger, put it in the same container, and write another blog post in 12 years.
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I think you are using the rather unremarkable fact the burger still looks like a burger after 12 years as a smokescreen - I eat McDonalds on occasion and am perfectly healthy... the key to good eating is balance, not creating boogeymen where they don't exist.
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Well I think that you should teach them about the OTHER choices they have to offer their children and WHY McDonald's is not good for them. Simply showing them a dried up old burger doesn't explain very much. I think that you should take notes from this blog and do some further research before you continue your demonstration.
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ok, the one thing that gets me is why there isn't any mold on the bread...
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I can't answer that officially, I can speculate that it's not made from very quality ingredients. It gets me too. It's not a " live " food.
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No big mystery here, I have a cupboard full of croutons which my wife and I make from left over bread (that we bake at home - no chemicals). If you leave a piece of bread out to dry it will not go mouldy. You can then store it indefinitely in a dry place. I'm sure the same goes for a burger patty.
I have to say that I like McDonalds. I wouldn't consider it health food, but I do find it enjoyable on occasion.
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I second this. If you leave a piece of bread out it will become stale. If you wipe a piece of bread on the floor (or window screen) and add a little water, it will cultivate mold. I'm no scientist but I learned that in 7th grade.
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Temperatures above 100 degrees F will kill mold spores. Mold also requires moisture. The process of toasting the bun removes moisture and will kill the spores. So unless you re-introduce these elements, mold may not form.
Also, why is this even remotely considered surprising? There are lots of "natural" foods that last years and years. For example, honey would last forever in a container like that. Big deal, food longevity doesn't correlate to nutrition...
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I guess neither is my Passover matzah. There's an open box from 2005 in the back of my pantry and it still looks exactly the same today as it did then. The only ingredients are flour and water.
Perhaps matzah has some secret chemicals in it and it's not a "live" food either?
*rolls eyes*
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Why would the quality of ingredients change the rate of decay? And what on earth do you mean by a "'live' food"? Reading through your posts you seem to think that anything that is engineered automatically makes it evil and nasty and has 'no nutritional value'. are you really a QUALIFIED nutritionist?
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The bun would have mold by now. I believe the hamburger part of the story. Let's eat!
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No, the bun never molded. It's 12 yrs old.
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If the bun is left to dry out it will basically become a crouton. I believe mold needs moisture to grow. The same goes for the meat. If it was left out to dry and is not allowed to stay moist, then it could probably keep from molding. I think the Super Size Me guy left them in a jar which may not have allowed the moisture of the burger to escape and dry out properly. The fact that something can grow mold shouldn't make you think it is good to eat in any case. Some people's feet can do that.
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HAHA that last part really got me. id like to second this comment.
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It would if it remained moist... Once dried both the meat and the bun of any burger/bun, would last indefinately. A thin patty and a spongy bun and lots of air are all it takes for this trick. Regardless I would agree about the probable non-existence of the nutrition.
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appreciate the agreement about the lack of nutrition
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What the HECK!! The 1996 burger almost looks better than the 2008 one. I will never eat McDonald's Again . thank you so much for this enlightening information. i all ways new McDonald's was bad... but i never thought it was this bad. Again Thanks Karen!
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I thought so too!! You are very welcome!
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Hmph, so there we go; scaring people off because of a dried out burger. While I agree that the nutritional value of McD food is questionable, your methods are also questionable. Convince people with facts rather than a sensationalist image--otherwise it's nothing more than intellectual fraud.
"look an old, non-moldy burger!"
"oh my gosh I'll never eat there again!"
I can't follow this logic...
Most of us need to eat more vegetables and fish, and less simple carbs, sugar, and fat. But this burger does not explain that.
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Intellectual fraud is harsh lol Id say that it was persuasive. It's enough to ge tthe average person to think, "wow! 12 years, and I'm eating this". I agree with other posters that the article is somewhat misleading. McD's food is not completely lacking nutritional value. I must say that reading this forum has brought plenty of laughs. Thank You Everyone :)
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But they are delicious!
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They do taste good in a predictable kindof way!
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Just to be objective:
McDonald's hamburger (from McDonald's Canadian Website):
weight: 101 grams (g)
250 calories
8g of fat, 12% of daily value (DV)
25 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol
510mg sodium, 21% DV
32g carbohydrates, 11% DV
2g fibre, 8% DV
12g protein
vitamin A 2% DV
vitamin C 4% DV
calcium 10% DV
iron 20% DV
Seems like a lot of energy (carbs and fat), salt, iron, and protein, and a bit of fibre.
I think anything with that much fat and salt would preserve itself quite well. It is likely that if you try this with a piece of bacon or any other burger you could get similar results. But I can't say I've tried. Maybe Karen Hanrahan can try this and let us (and her classes) see the difference.
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Thanks for the label. Wow look at all that sodium! I'd prefer to advocate fresh fruits and vegetables. I think one show and tell says enough.
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Mmmmm. Num num.. Salt. Not freakin' sodium, salt. It's not called "trans fats", it's Crisco and Margarine. Call it another name so people don't realize you are insane. You idiots banned Crisco.
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Actually the "Sodium" on the label refers to total amount of sodium in the product, not just the amount given by table salt. Table salt does contribute to most of the sodium, but there are other compounds that can contribute. Also salt is nondescript, as it can refer to any ionic compound (example: Potassium Chloride is also a salt.)
We also call it "Trans fat" and not "Crisco" because Crisco contains no trans fat.
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Also because Crisco is a brand name, and probably not the one used in many cases.
"shortening" is the correct term. Though Crisco also makes vegetable oil and probably some other things.
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I've read studies that have said otherwise. That Super Size me guy did the same kind of experiment with 5 different types of burgers. They all went moldy. The only thing that stayed preserved were french fries. Come on, let's get our facts straight people. Quit misleading me.
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Not sure what is misleading about a picture of a 12 year old McDonald's Hamburger. I personally have nothing to gain from sharing.
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Nothing to gain from sharing except publicity, traffic to your website, and scaring people into using your services. IF the hamburger really is 12 years old, it's not a "lack of nutritional value" that prevented it from decomposing; as other commenters have pointed out, it's the fact that you let it dry out in an airtight environment. A completely preservative-free organic burger would look the same after 12 years if stored in similar conditions. This is a cheap gimmick--you'd do better to be honest and well-informed with the information you provide rather than relying on scare tactics and pseudoscience to try to "teach" your audience about health and wellness. Shame on you.
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Nothing to gain? You're stroking your ego, spreading groundless fear, and touting a massive 'holier-than-thou' attitude. If I said I love fast food, you'd probably look down your nose at me and call me ignorant, just because you like to feel superior to someone else. Don't be ridiculous.
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++
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Nothing but attention that is. I'm all for trying to keep people away from this garbage, but let's do it with some integrity please.
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Their burgers are the same right across the world and that's one of the reasons for their 'infiltration' (success) in our society. Where ever and whenever you are, you know that a McDonalds is a McDonalds is a McDonalds and when i'm half way across the world and not had a a clue what i'm going to eat for weeks... THANK GOD FOR MCDONALDS!
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It can be very comforting to eat something that you are familiar with - they are the classic model for that
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Actually, they are not the same throughout the world. In Europe the meat tastes distinctly different. In Israel, it is Kosher and of an entirely different (and in my opinion, higher) quality. In India, where the Hindu population considers cows sacred, the burgers are made of mutton.
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Have you tried the Indian one? Does mutton make a good, um, muttonburger?
Anything is bad for you if you get too much - try drinking 2 gallons of pure water in one sitting, you could die.
Don't eat Mc Donalds every day, but don't be a fastfoodphobe either.
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++ one of the best comments so far
People are not telling you to never eat McDonald's (although that would definitely be a very healthy choice). Just don't make it a large part of your diet.
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The MacDonald's burger I had in the UK was definately grey....not brown as in the US.
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well, at least it looks still edible,
i would rather be stranded on an island
with burgers that still looked good after a while, than with food that looks disgusting.
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I guess that teh burger would have been preserved thanks to whats known as hydrogenated vegetable oils (or hydrogenated fats)- still legal in many countries, but very dangerous for us to eat. They preserve foods for very long periods- there is one website I have seen with a muffin from 1986 on it, which looks exactly the same as one bought today, which disgusts me. The burger does have nutritional value, but very little- of course it nourishes the cell, but to a limited extent, and whilst also containing an incredible amount of sodium, fat and sugar.
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True. They don't list the ingredients on their labels.
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Don't blame McDonalds, you are just buying into everything the health freaks tell you. Americans just try to blame their fatness on anything but themselves. Try exorcise. My buddy is a football player and everyday after practice he eats 4 dollar menu double cheeseburgers as well as a bunch of other "unhealthy" stuff, but he is in better shape than just about anyone I know, probably even you. I would say thats pretty compelling evidence that McDonalds does have nutritional value. Americans need to quit blaming everyone else for their fat children and blame themselves for not getting their kids off the computer and more involved.
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Healthy Living is definitely about the triage of well being, healthy eating, supplementation and excercise. McDonald's to me is a choice.
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Wait, what does triage mean? It's defined as the prioritization of medical patients for treatment. You used the wrong word, I'm guessing. Man, you're stupid. Nutrition IS a science. Good on you for encouraging healthy eating, but do not make stuff up, and present it as fact. You're no better than "Dr." Suzanne Summers. Oh, maybe the word you're looking for is "triumvirate."
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Way to pick up on one minor error and invalidate the entire idea!
Have you ever read the Bible?
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Todd did NOT pick on one minor error to invalidate an otherwise sound position. What he did was to point out one *example* of the cavalier attitude "Mother Earth" has toward her public statements: she uses words she doesn't understand to allege "facts" that aren't facts at all based on an expertise which she apparently lacks. I don't question her good intentions, but I definitely question her professionalism and her credibility and I think that's the point that Todd was trying to make in his post.
P.S. What the heck has the Bible got to do with anything? Just for context, I am a person of faith, but I'm not sure why you think it has relevance here.
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triumvirate [try-umm-vir-rit]
Noun
1. a group of three people in joint control of something: the triumvirate of great orchestras which dominates classical music in Europe
2. (in ancient Rome) a board of three officials jointly responsible for some task
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triage is what they perform when you go to the emergency room! =P
although you unwittingly made quite an interesting comment
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I meant trio -- thanks for appreciating the comment
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ok. also you listed 4 things.
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There's four items in your list.
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Thank you, sir, you made me snort an unhealthy diet soda drink up my meat-eating nose.
P.
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I pretty much stopped eating at " Mctomaines" "BurgerDeath" "Blendys" "Blight Castle" ect years ago, except for the occasional visit when I was very hungry and they were convenient. Not really due to nutritional standards, but because it seems you eat, but are hungry again very quickly. Besides, most "greasy spoon" restaurants are less expensive andfar better tasting, and the food stays with you longer. Most fast food is "slider" food, it slides right in, and slides right out.
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"Try exorcise."
Good idea. Let's bring a priest to McD and root the evil out once and for all.
@Hannah: The real scare here is how somebody can call themselves a "wellness consultant" without even a hint of medical background. It's painful to see that random commenters from the Net correcting you on basic nutritional facts and biology. Next time, before trying to "educate" someone, go read a book yourself!
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Mcdonalds doesn't use any preservatives in either their meat or their hamburger buns, other than BHT in the packaging for the hamburger buns which is also used for most other dry goods.
The same would have happened to any other hamburger that you put in a plastic container and let it sit since 1996.
I know it's popular and fun to accuse Mcdonalds of being the devil and making their food out of chemicals, but they print out the ingredients for their food and post it up on the wall in every restaurant. They use grade A beef and wheat flour buns.
The fact of the matter is that amongst fast food restaurants, Mcdonalds offers some of the healthiest options. Their burgers are leaner than other fast food places and they offer salads, fruit, yogurt and low carb wraps, and they manage to do it all at pretty good prices.
On top of that they offer jobs to hundreds of thousands of people all over the world in places where employment would not otherwise be readily available. They have excellent benefits and treat their employees well.
They also have high standards for cleanliness that go beyond the requirements of local governments.
Just because you're crazy/paranoid doesn't mean you should be trying to teach an un-researched untruth to kids.
Take it from someone who has done the research.
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"They have excellent benefits and treat their employees well.
They also have high standards for cleanliness that go beyond the requirements of local governments."
It's rather apparent you've never worked for them, which leads me to consider what your "research" has entailed? Reading the press releases on their website?
The only reason they give hundreds of thousands of jobs to people around the world is because they displace the local independently-owned restaurants, farmers, and service providers (because McD's only buys from multi-national corporate partners for supplies, mind you) and thus people become out of work and have to resort to a minimum wage job with no growth possibility, rather than working for themselves. It's a forced opportunity.
Oh, but yeah, because I dissent with you, I must also be a "crazy/paranoid" health-food-nut hippie liberal who's anti-American and anti-business, right? Take a psychology class ya dimwit, the mind's a much bigger place than you've had the chance to experience.
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++
Nice comment ;)
Just when I was losing faith in human intelligence..
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Yes they displace local independently-owned restaurants, farmers, and service providers? Are you really trying to argue this? McDonald's is not going to replace independently owned restaurants largely because they do not cater to the same consumers. Secondly, the minimum wage salaries provided by all fast food restaurants OFTEN is more than hostesses and bus boys get paid at their local restaurants. Same exact argument for jobs provided by local farmers, since they are not held to Federal minimum wage guidelines. As far as growth opportunity McDonald's far out paces your poor examples.
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"No growth possibility"
That is a complete lie.
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"Take a psychology class ya dimwit"
ooh, the man has taken a psych class! THATS why he thinks he knows everything! :O!
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If McDonalds is opening a new chain somewhere in the world, then there are people living there with a disposable income and it is likely an urban area. This means that they are not providing employment where there is no other option. More likely, they are just offering competition to local businesses and regional chains.
Otherwise, I'm really enjoying this discussion. I generally agree that McDonalds is unhealthy, but I also agree that it is unethical for a teacher to use information that is not wholly factual. I've found that folks in the US who have unhealthy eating habits are suspicious of people who advocate good healthy choices precisely because they think they are quacks who use scare tactics. Acquiring real knowledge on any subject is slow, but it lasts and lends itself to real change and personal responsibility. Shocking people has an immediate effect which is probably satisfying to the teacher, but doesn't do much in the bigger picture.
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Good, I agree with you 100% ^^
Simone
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check the amount of grease on the 1996 burger, that's what's probably protecting it from decomposing.
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I call shenanigans. The bun of the old burger still appears to be soft and pliable. In reality McDonalds hamburger buns dry out VERY quickly (less than 24 hours). After a few days the bun will begin curling up around the edges.
Anyone who has had a kid "save one for later" can tell you this.
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I don't care. I love mc donalds and I will eat it foreverrrrrrrr.
-DJ
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I like to agree that "good food goes bad," and for affluent parents and other people who care about nutrition, fast food is a lot of mostly empty calories without much nutritional variety and with a lot of sodium and other chemicals found in highly processed food.
However, cheap fast food represents what a lot of less privileged kids have to eat. With food costs rising, trying to feed children becomes even more difficult. What would be better, 100% Mac and Cheese, which is more fat and the same zero nutrition?
Because poor kids don't get to choose between McDonald's and organic food. They choose between McDonalds and either other junk food or going hungry.
A better tack might be to try to prod fast food makers into providing other cheap and more nutritious offerings.
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You made jerky. They have recovered meat from 1000's of years ago.
I have seen a 100+ year old orange. If I show it to you will you tell people to avoid fruit?
Have you eaten at a Mc Donald's in a different country? The food does taste different.
McD's food isn't great for you but, it can be part of a healthy diet. Using misleading examples to prove your point will undermine all your instruction.
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I had McDonald's in Japan...it actually tasted a little better. Less heavy. Like they used less oil or something.
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Because of the Mad Cow scares, Japan does not allow imported beef. So anything with beef in it you eat there is going to be a little different than anything you'd eat in America. They only use Japanese beef, and they check every cow killed for mad cow disease. This was a development that came about when I was living there, and I'd assume they still have this restriction in place.
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I find the claim that the "preserved" burger is from 1996 to be a bit suspect. Even with all the preservatives in the food (and McDonald's food is acknowledged to be full of them), there's still a lot of moisture. Of course, it looks like the burger was ordered with nothing on it; they usually come with onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard. So that may have something to do with it.
I kind of want a cheeseburger now.
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I think it's extremely suspect, considering that there's no documentation proving this really is a 12-year-old burger. There's not even a single photograph.
I don't care much for McD's either, but libel is libel and this author is just begging to get sued.
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Wow...just wow. I will never again eat on of those hamburgers. I wonder how long it takes my stomach to break one of those down?
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A few hours... ^ ^;
It's just meat and flour...
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No, it is not just meat and flour.
You left some out; here's a few:
- artificial growth hormones
- pesticide residues
- sugar
- high fructose corn syrup
- sodium
- partially hydrogenated soybean oil
There's a lot more too...
You can try to block all of this information out, but obesity, heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, cancer will still exist.
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i used to smoke cigarettes.. its a risk i took. without a doubt the more you smoke the more likely your are to get lung cancer.
cancer : cigarette :: high blood pressure : hamburger
personally i thing you health nuts a lobbyist for the virgin health food sector.
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You also forgot a few things.
-tastiness
-deliciousness
-awesomeness
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How long does is it between when you eat them and when you stop feeling hungry?
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I'm thinking you would serve you readers well by defining your meaning of 'nutrutional value'.
I'm thinking if I did open a Mcdonalds (in say Darfur) then gave free meals daily to children who ate only my hamburgers there wouldn't be one child who died of starvation from that day on.
Later on they might have high blood pressure, diabetes etc but they would recieve nutritional value from the burger.
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if ur going to give McDonalds out to starving children for free( which several of you ppl trying to down on the author are doing) why dont you try opening something better than mcdonalds so they dont get blood pressure and diabetes. THey would still get nutritional value, even better nutritional value, and u would be doing them a much better favor than getting them either fat or dead. Thats what McDonalds should do. I would rather pay the extra three dollars for an actual burger than a one dollar stroke on a bun. Great article btw. I had my doubts bout McD and now i am reassured about them. Thanks!
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You had doubts???
Simply watch "super size me", it will clear up any doubts you had.
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RECEIVE not recieve !
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I find McDonalds delicious thus it has value.
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Now THAT is a scientific deduction!
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WOW! I should have started eating these buggars years ago and hopefully would have preserved me in the same fashion ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
At my age I need all the preservatives I can get. HELLO MICKY DEE, here I come.
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i found a fry under my cars seat from 1991 and it looked the same as the one i dropped today. I ate them both. mmmmmm
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You fucking moron!
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