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IN PHOTO: The bacon wrapped and deep fried What the Frac Burger at Mama's Restaurant in Parachute, Colorado, December 10, 2014. The economy of Parachute, with a current population of approximately 1000 people, was devastated when thousands of workers lost their jobs on "Black Sunday" in 1982, after Exxon terminated the Colony Shale Oil Project. The current rise of hydraulic fracking in natural gas retrieval has given a cautious hope to the town's inhabitants, who know that market demand brings both boom and bust. Picture taken December 10, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

Morgan Spurlock in his famous documentary “Super Size Me” ate only Mcdonalds for a month. By the end of his stunt, his cholesterol levels were zooming off the roof, liver had turned to a blob and his weight had increased over three times. His doctors begged him to release himself off the experiment as they feared for his life. But recent studies show that Spurlock could have not only consumed the calories but also killed every chance of redemption in the future. An independent study found that continuous eating of fast food would kill those beneficial microbes in your gut which protects against weight gain, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel condition, autism and many others.

Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiology professor at Kings College, London enlisted the support of his son Tom to understand the after effects of a 10 day fast food only diet. They chose the most visible culprit, McDonalds. So Tom had a Big Mac or Chicken nugget meal which would be washed down with fries and coke. He did not have any fruits and vegetables to prevent cheating the test but had beer and crisps in the evening. But by the sixth day of the experiment, Tom was severely constipated and had a jaundiced look on his face. This mini “Super Size Me” meal had affected his sugar levels and also his spirits.

In his column in The Telegraph, Tom revealed that “the diet had killed 1400 bacterial species in just 10 days.” Tom, who gained 2 kilo grams during the experiment had over 3500 bacterial types in his gut which was dominated by a type called “firmicutes.” The microbial community in the gut called the "Microbiome" was severely affected by junk food.

The elder Spector has published his findings in his book, The Diet Myth. He was quoted by The Australian, “It is clear that the more diverse your diet, the more diverse your microbes and the better your health at any age.” These findings are not scientifically very accurate but present a understanding of weight gain.

As for Tom, he has developed his culinary skills to include more fruits and vegetables in his diet. Plums continue to be his favourite, along with Pizza.

For questions/comments regarding the article, you may email the writer at honeygeorge74.ibtimes@gmail.com.

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