"A five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes"
For those who missed some of this season's finest journalism about the Olympics, ponder The New York Post's account of what swimming powerhouse Michael Phelps eats to make up his daily diet of 12,000 calories a day.
And now meet another Michael: Michael Jacobson, the director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Jacobson thinks you eat too much. He thinks pretty much all Americans eat too much, and that they're not going to stop unless we tax or ban "bad" foods. Everywhere Jacobson looks, he sees danger: Cancer in french fries, diabetes in Frosted Flakes, tooth decay in soda, and obesity in just about every that's tasty.
The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) regularly takes the piss out of Jacobson, pointing out that the obesity epidemic is just as much a matter of fewer calories burned in the form of exercise as it is more calories consumed in the form of Cheetos. (Read reason on the obesity "epidemic" here.)
Below, CCF has outdone itself with a side-by-side comparison of the two Michaels. You be the judge:
UPDATE: Enjoy a typo-less version of the chart!
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
Oh my God.
Nick, why do you let this idiot write posts?
Katie,
Do you get paid by the square inch, or have you just always had a flair for design?
"Alfredo".
joe, not quite sure why you find the post idiotic, though.
(I've got some guesses, and they all end in "hack".)
This post wins the gold medal for typos.
Also, note that Katherine did not make that picture.
Neato.
(Unfair but highly amusing) Juxtaposition, FTW!
I found this post entertaining, even before I read joe's reaction. That was just icing on the cake. Speaking of cake, I think I'll go eat some to spite this asshole.
After a swim meet one time, we stopped at McDonald's. I had $5. They were doing a special on Big Macs for $.99. I got 4 and a medium fries, ate them all, went back on the bus, and promptly fell asleep.
Point of the story: none.
Also, "Cheeese"? Reminds me of when I sent a cover letter in an application expressing my desire for an internship in 20008. I didn't get the interview.
Guy can't control his own obsessive-compulsive need to tell everyone else what to do. Because his own life is completely out of control, he opts for the easy substitute of attempting control over others.
That's a wretched excuse for living. Seek help, Jacobson.
I don't see how advocating that most people eat fewer calories is the same thing as not wanting Michael Phelps to be an Olympic champion. I do see how it's worth making fun of taxing things like potato chips, but I'm just not sure I see the point in "this guy wants to ban the food this other guy, who we all like, likes to eat"
After a swim meet one time, we stopped at McDonald's. I had $5. They were doing a special on Big Macs for $.99. I got 4 and a medium fries, ate them all, went back on the bus, and promptly fell asleep.
Shit, I did that after a *Debate* tournament.
Mmmm, special sauce...
There are diet experts that would say a pound of bread and a potato would be a horrible diet: too many bad carbohydrates.
My lifelong goal is to someday be "Notorous".
joe | August 15, 2008, 3:19pm | #
Oh my God.
Nick, why do you let this idiot write posts?
3/10. You can do better.
Here, this talk is worth watching:
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_details.php?webcastid=21216
Point of the story: none.
Here, I'll donate one.
Nigel, competetive swimmers - particularly those who are at the level of Michael Phelps - burn mad calories. Claiming that Michael Phelps' situation is an argument against the common-sense observation that eating too many calories will make you get fat is idiotic.
Potato sandwiches? Isn't that what they eat in (ever-shrinking) Georgia?
After a swim meet one time, we stopped at McDonald's. I had $5. They were doing a special on Big Macs for $.99. I got 4 and a medium fries, ate them all, went back on the bus, and promptly fell asleep.
Huh. All I ever did after football games was binge drink.
Shit, I did that after a *Debate* tournament.
Math meets provided free doughnuts and chocolate milk. I think it was a scam by the home team to get us all so wired on sugar that we couldn't remember Green's matrix. Well, it worked in the long run.
joe, the point is that this douche wants to make being Michael Phelps more expensive because he thinks he can save the world.
You knew that, too, but you refuse to acknowledge it...because you're a hack.
That is an epic ass-kicking right there. Great post.
two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread
Bleeah!!! Phelps is certainly not taking the high road as far as taste goes when consuming all those calories. May as well sit down with a tub of Crisco. I mean really...if you're going to consume thousands and thousands of extra calories, may as well enjoy it...but mayo on white bread?!
The comparison is obviously a little silly. But the point is that obesity is more complicated than how many/what kinds of calories one takes in. It also has to do with how much/what kind of exercise one partakes in.
My non-scientific opinion is that modern obesity has a lot more to do with increasingly sedentary lifestyles than overeating.
However, I wonder if Jacobson would claim that Olympic-class athletes should follow his dietary recommendations. Phelps is a machine and he needs much more energy than the average person.
Claiming that Michael Phelps' situation is an argument against the common-sense observation that eating too many calories will make you get fat is idiotic.
And if Jacobson had stopped with such a "common-sense observation," I'd be right there with you.
...but mayo on white bread?!
where would I be w/o it?
This thread is proof, once again, that joe doesnt have a sense of humor. This is funny. If you take it seriously, it is, of course, idiotic. But it wasnt meant to be taken seriously.
joe appears to have left the thread.
This post should have been the "Friday Funny". Chip Bok take notice!
This thread is proof, once again, that joe doesnt have a sense of humor.
I've been thinking we might need to stage an intervention. You know, get him in a room, tell him the horrible truth, and force-feed him some Peter Sellers movies or something.
swimming powerhouse Michael Phelps eats ... 12,000 calories a day.
Geezus. That means he burns 12,000 calories a day. And just the thought of doing that much work in one day, makes me want to run a workman's comp scam.
But it wasn't meant to be taken seriously.
Are you sure?
We laugh, but only because it is both:
1. Ridiculous
and
2. Concords with many of our predispositions to mock certain positions and people
-----
Most people are ill-equipped to suss out "1" and do not necessarily share "2".
-----
joe's sense of humor is fitful and disturbed often by the status of his digestion, but it does exist.
Is it safe to say there are no 'vegan' world class swimmers?
Nigel Watt | August 15, 2008, 3:34pm | #
joe, the point is that this douche wants to make being Michael Phelps more expensive because he thinks he can save the world.
You knew that, too, but you refuse to acknowledge it...because you're a hack.
Actually, Nigel (I guess you didn't bother to read too closely), but there is nothing in that poster that indicates anything about price. Rather, it juxtaposes WHAT PHELPS EATS with WHAT JACOBSON SAYS ABOUT EATING. It isn't a criticism of Jacobson's prefered policies on food taxes; it's a criticism of his statements about the health of certain foods and diets.
Forgive me for being too much of a "hack" to make up things that aren't there in order to make idiotic arguments you like appear to be more intelligent than they actually are.
joe | August 15, 2008, 12:06pm | #
There isn't, by any chance, any UnusualSpacing in Corsi's book, is there?
R C Dean | August 15, 2008, 12:13pm | #
I hate it when the first post is a threadwinner.
Elemenope | August 15, 2008, 12:14pm | #
Joe, he *couldn't* be the Lonewacko. Corsi is just too well put together. Lonewacko rates, *at best*, as Corsi's research monkey.
And what a splendid job he did.
Nigel Watt | August 15, 2008, 12:16pm | #
While I'm laughing at joe's comment
So this Jacobsen tool wants everyone in the world to eat boring ass food. I prefer to actually enjoy life, and will gladly trade in my time from age 75 - 80 for that.
On the other hand, Jacobsen can eat a fat dick and revel in the fact that a hot load has a very low calorie content.
Inspired by Jamie Kelly.
I was a swimmer in high school and ate like a pig. Never gained a pound.
In college, well.....from 150 pounds to 172. Miller High Life and late night trips to 7-11 do that.
Swimming is the best exercise to do if you want to be able to eat a lot. I find it impossible to gain weight when doing it seriously.
Over react much joe?
joe is also very sensitive about being accused of not having a sense of humor.
joe, I was stating the obvious implication that everybody else but you got. If you take that as an attempt at a logical argument, it's moronic. No shit. But if you take it as a humorous jab at the ludicrous idea that everybody needs to be punished to keep people safe and at the asstriscuit promoting that idea, it makes perfect sense.
The boxing spoof is apt, as Jacobson has a face that's just begging to be punched.
joe appears to have left the thread.
And y'all have my thanks for driving him away.
KMW, I loved the chart. Fix the typos, put in on poster paper and I'll buy one. It will go well with my "Jim Fixx is dead and Keith Richards is still alive!" T-shirt
joe,
Claiming that Michael Phelps' situation is an argument against the common-sense observation that eating too many calories will make you get fat is idiotic.
Sure, but what constitutes "too many calories" is depends on the individual.
Claiming that Michael Phelps' situation is an argument against the common-sense observation that eating too many calories will make you get fat is idiotic.
It is idiotic! Fuck whoever said that!
Seems like the post, in typical (ahem) low-calorie KMW style, was emphasizing that "the obesity epidemic is just as much a matter of fewer calories burned in the form of exercise as it is more calories consumed in the form of Cheetos."
Also, I think the cartoon, and the post, point out that Phelps lobbies to tax whole milk, cheese, and butter. Booooo! May France hang this jerk by his ankles from the bow of the CdG.
von Laue, put down the coffee.
What kind of jerk off could seriously hate cheese??
KMW - why don't you stick it to Michael Jacobson and eat 12,000 calories a day of the same sorts of foods that Phelps eats? Heck - let's make it 4000. What? You don't want to get fat and sick? Commie!
What kind of jerk off could seriously hate cheese??
Maybe he's lactose intolerant? Did you ever think of that?
"Maybe he's lactose intolerant? "
Alright, besides people like that who could hate cheese?
If anything it should be subsidized!
"A five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes"
He goes to my local diner for breakfast? Who knew?
True story: Once I ordered the "Roast Duck" special that came with 2 vegetables, a potato, coffee, dessert, soup, a salad, and stuffing for $12.95. I thought, "meh. It's a lot of food, but I'm really hungry and I'll take some home." When it came out it wasn't roast duck - it was A roast duck - the whole blasted thing! 4 people could have eaten this meal!
The best part about joe is that he could prove his sense of humor (and humility) by saying, "OK, I read it wrong, har har, you guys got me", but he is constitutionally incapable of doing that.
And that is funny.
Seward,
Sure, but what constitutes "too many calories" is depends on the individual.
Sure, to some extent. Pointing out that there is variance among people's metabolisms doesn't get you very far, however. If 4000-5000 calories per day is going to make 95% of the public fat, and some large number of people actually are eating like that, pointing out that some tiny number of people can eat they type of diet Jacobson criticizes doesn't mean Jacobson is giving people bad advice.
Am I really so interesting as to warrant a dozen posts on my sense of humor?
Why, yes I am. I know it, Episiarch knows it, and now you all know it.
Unintentionally funny doesn't count, joe.
Nigel -- man, what? Why?
Is it Brokeback Mountain in here, or is it just Episiarch?
"I wish I could quit you, joe."
"Am I really so interesting..." -joe @4:05.
I must say I find you're main function here (along with Weigel, Mr. Nice Guy, amongst others) is to continually provide positive feedback on my commitment to never ever vote for a Democrat for national office. Of course, that doesn't really have much impact since on the rare occasion I bother to endorse our election system by casting a vote it's pretty much straight libertarian, but oh well.
-K
Okay guys, as Nigel Watt mentioned above:
The comparison list and all its attendant typos is from CFF. I think all of the typos have been fixed on the original.
Keep trying, joe. You can't succeed if you don't try.
I think this is one of the better posts reason has put up in a while. Jacobson is a douchbag.
Is it just me or is Jacobson's preferred "diet" similar to what an Irish peseant would eat circa 1800?
I often wonder if there aren't two "joes".
I'd say that anyone who exercises regularly has to have some significant source of protein for muscle health (repair, etc.). An easy source of said protein is meat and other animal products.
I don't know about joe, but CCF has a pretty weak sense of humor.
Is it safe to say there are no 'vegan' world class swimmers?
They'd have to be consuming nuts and legumes at a pace that boggles the mind...
Know who else consumes nuts at a pace that boggles the mind?
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2008/01/25/nfl-star-tony-gonzalez-goes-vegan-sporting-world-shocked/
"Is it safe to say there are no 'vegan' world class swimmers?"
Not a swimmer but a 250 future hall of fame tight end became a vegan this year. You can do vegan if you are really careful or you mess up your health. It is not an easy diet to follow. The problem is that a lot of vegitarians and vegans in particular are not careful. Being a french fry vegitarian is not healthy.
Seward,
The bread, potato, and carrot diet has about 67 grams of protein, 240 grams of carbs, and about 1500 calories. (I was generous and let him have whole wheat bread.) Enough iron, VA and VC, although it's fairly low in calcium, B vitamins, and VE.
It also has a whooping 158% of your fiber. The shit-yourself-thin diet.
Nigel,
We're all sick of hearing stories about your mom.
He was talking about you, NutraSweet.
I think anything that calls CSPI out on its boatload of crappy beliefs and half-baked bullshit is just fine by me, even if the link is tenuous and a little silly.
and I'm glad we had another sterling example of joe's hackery. It's kind of sad when I know where he's going to come from on an issue before I even read the comments.
Is it safe to say there are no 'vegan' world class swimmers?
I would guess no.
All you vegan haters need to take it up with this guy...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/13/ultimate-fighter-is-vegan_n_106963.html
I often wonder if there aren't two "joes".
Must . . . restrain . . . self. . . .
Whew.
Dunno about you, but I'm hungry. Those buffalo enchiladas would sure hit the spot right about now.
The point is, bad diet doesn't exclusively make people fat. bad diet and bad exercise habits make people fat (and potentially bad genes).
give KMW a break - she's hot.
shit, no, scratch that hot part. i got her confused with Kerry Howley.
Must . . . restrain . . . self. . . .
Jew toes?
I am confused.
It was an open question, really.
I think once the promotional jillions start rolling in, that won't be much of a problem for Mr. Phelps--whom I had never heard of last week, and by next week I will likely be very sick of hearing about.
but mayo on white bread?!
I expect explosive diarrhea makes one swim faster.
Neu Mejican,
See the above link on Tony Gonzalez. You can be healthy and vegan. But remember Gonzalez and your ultimate fighter guy are professional athletes with dieticians. Without taking it very seriously and making sure you eat a very strict diet, being vegan can be a really unhealthy way to live.
SugarFree,
Is that enough to keep an active person going? A decent once a day workout burns 500 calories (or more) by itself, not to mention the higher rate of calorie burn (10%-20% or so) post-workout for 24-48 hours. As for protein, obviously the requirements depend on the type of exercise involved.
How the heck did reason miss the biggest story of the week? Has anyone heard about the guys in Georgia finding a bigfoot?
joe
Claiming that Michael Phelps' situation is an argument against the common-sense observation that eating too many calories will make you get fat is idiotic.
Duh.
It's what's known as a humorous juxtaposition.
You really choose to live in MA, don't you?
Georgia the country, or Georgia the American state?
John, that's just Hogzilla in a King Kong outfit.
Georgia the American state. It was in the NYT. Check this out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15bigfoot.html?_r=1&sq=big%20foot&st=cse&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=1&adxnnlx=1218827576-JOvbPALdwIhUHxPsdg8uuw
Epi,
Hogzilla was real to. Don't ever underestimate the American redneck's ability to hunt a critter down.
John | August 15, 2008, 4:53pm | #
Neu Mejican,
See the above link on Tony Gonzalez. You can be healthy and vegan. But remember Gonzalez and your ultimate fighter guy are professional athletes with dieticians. Without taking it very seriously and making sure you eat a very strict diet, being vegan can be a really unhealthy way to live.
Your point?
The counter examples were provided in response to a conjecture that you couldn't be a "world class athlete" on a vegan diet.
That is a much higher bar than "healthy."
World class athletes take diet more seriously than healthy individuals. The gradient for those that are vegans is similar. Relatively serious = relatively healthy; somewhat serious = somewhat healthy. The same formula holds for non-vegan diets.
What's interesting about Phelps was that I heard he'd win many golds and likely break Spitz' record two years ago. He's that far beyond everyone else. Tiger Woods? Michael Jordan? Losers. Yeah, he's that good.
As for the comparison, just remember that one can scale it down from the Phelpsian heights. When I was a gym hound, I ate prodigious amounts of food (mostly healthyish, but with plenty of burgers, tons of pasta, and Ben & Jerry's, too) while maintaining a healthy 6'2, 190-pound physique. And my older farming family members almost all lived into their late eighties or nineties and spent at least 60% of their lives eating fried everything. With pork. Active lifestyle is the key.
Citizen Nothing, RC
I often wonder if there aren't two "joes".
Sort of. There's "This place must not become another echo chamber--I will issue a thoughtful, albeit poorly expressed contrarian opinion" Joe and then there's this one.
Pro,
What also amazes me about Phelps is that he has to know four different strokes at a world class level. Sprinting or distance running requires some technique but basically you either have it or you don't from birth. Swimming on the other hand takes a lot of coordination and being an arobic freak doesn't make up for a bad stroke. It would be like if they didn't just had a 100 meter sprint but ones that were ran frontwards, backwards and sideways and one guy one all of them.
A few years ago I took up swimming and would swim 2000 meters three times a week. I felt like a God. I couldn't believe how good of shape I was in. I heard the other day that Phelps' warm up swim the morning before an event is 2400 meters. I stand in awe of world class swimmers in general but Phelps is an alien.
Rhywun - You may very well be the last person on earth to have heard of Michael Phelps. This is his third olympics, and he won 6 gold medals four years ago. The promotional trillions have been in his pocket for several years now.
"Your point?"
There are a lot more gradients of healthy to a balanced diet than vegan. Vegan you either do it right or you miss some essential vitamin and it ends up being really unhealthy. I don't think most people should be vegans because being unhealthy as a vegan is a lot worse than being unhealthy on a more normal diet.
I think once the promotional jillions start rolling in, that won't be much of a problem for Mr. Phelps--whom I had never heard of last week, and by next week I will likely be very sick of hearing about.
There are plenty of other world-class swimmers that eat like this and won't make dime one in endorsements this year.
And there's the joe who can't close italics tags, and the one who is terrified of snakes, alligators, and various megafaunae.
joe - "doesn't mean Jacobson is giving people bad advice." If Jacobson would limit his actions to advising people on how to eat I wouldn't have a problem with him.
Instead he's trying to force his "advice" onto all of us through sin taxes. That's not so cool.
Hey joe
Don't forget the joe that killed the radio star, ProL. He can't rewind, he's gone too far.
Swimming has to tie track for the sport that best works out almost all parts of your body thoroughly.
This is what makes Phelps so fast:
"In the fly, Phelps was second at the first flip, then pushed it into another gear, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he literally sailed along atop the surface. He finished in 1:52.03, breaking his mark of 1:52.09 from the 2007 worlds." - AP
Most people need a boat to do that.
Credit due:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080813/D92HBVN82.html
I think once the promotional jillions start rolling in, that won't be much of a problem for Mr. Phelps
He's rich, so it's OK to make him pay more.
Yeah, my life pretty much consists of activities that ensure I wouldn't have heard of him. I pay no attention to sports whatsoever, except when the World Cup rolls around every 4 years I pay a little attention.
Well that isn't very fair is it? 🙂
Anyway, I was just being tongue-in-cheek.
LOL, I think I will take the olympic gold medalist diet! Sounds good to me.
JT
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
I'm darn sure Phelps doesn't consume two cups of coffee less than four-five hours before a competition. Caffeine is a banned stimulant.
I just read a article about the 'vegan' tight end Tony .He still eats fish and chicken.He's teammates also refuse to sit with him to eat.Seems he like top reach about their food choices.It always comes down to that.I'm better than you because of my diet.I've always thought being a vegan was more of a political statement than a diet.
John | August 15, 2008, 5:06pm | #
"Your point?"
There are a lot more gradients of healthy to a balanced diet than vegan. Vegan you either do it right or you miss some essential vitamin and it ends up being really unhealthy. I don't think most people should be vegans because being unhealthy as a vegan is a lot worse than being unhealthy on a more normal diet.
Your opinion is noted.
Most people who are interested in following a very strict diet, vegan or not, will end up more healthy than those who don't think much about what they eat. As a result, I would bet that the average vegan is healthier than the average non-vegan.
The dangers you allude to are primarily an issue in children who have much higher and more specific nutritional requirements. Parents who want to raise children on a vegan diet should have expert advice. I would hope most vegans know that.
Do any of you really believe that he eats 12,000 calories per day?
Yeah, my life pretty much consists of activities that ensure I wouldn't have heard of him. I pay no attention to sports whatsoever, except when the World Cup rolls around every 4 years I pay a little attention.
What is the "world cup"?
Am I evil for laughing out loud at Bags' picture several posts above?
On further reflection, I don't care.
Parents who want to raise children on a vegan diet should have expert advice. I would hope most vegans know that.
As a parent of three, I wish to say that parents who raise children on any diet should have expert advice, and not just on the subject of food.
I don't care one whit what diet someone follows, just shut up about it around me already. If I want to know, I'll ask.
😛
For Michael Pack,
Here's an article on vegan MMA fighter Mac Danzig...
http://www.themmadigest.com/2007/08/lean-mean-and-green%E2%80%A6vegan-fighter-mac-danzig-packs-a-punch/
And some comments by him about the diet
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=217678569&blogID=352971310
It always comes down to that.I'm better than you because of my diet.I've always thought being a vegan was more of a political statement than a diet.
It can be about both, of course. It is a choice that is typically motivated by a moral dilemma.
Dunno. I just checked it out and LMAO too.
As a parent of three, I wish to say that parents who raise children on any diet should have expert advice, and not just on the subject of food.
As a child development expert, I appreciate your business.
;^)
But seriously, the best "expert" for most parenting issues will be some community standard of practice. Unfortunately, our society has fractured many of the traditional systems for disseminating this kind of information...creating a need for an expert class to fill in the gaps.
Most people who are interested in following a very strict diet, vegan or not, will end up more healthy than those who don't think much about what they eat. As a result, I would bet that the average vegan is healthier than the average non-vegan.
i am with you on the first statement, but on the second - i've known and seen far too many really fat vegans to agree.
i appreciate beating up on the food nannies for a number of reasons but this chart was rather pointless.
dbcooper,
I suspect that might have been a peak amount rounded up, but you can defitely eat that much per day.
When I was doing my big bike trip I was consuming about 5000 calories per day.
FWIW,
I have found that I can maintain a healthy vegan diet as long as I supplement it with bacon, sausage, lamb, veal, pork, beef, fish, eggs, and shellfish.
No octopus or cuttlefish though, they are too smart to eat.
"omlet"?
Claiming that Michael Phelps' situation is an argument against the common-sense observation that eating too many calories will make you get fat is idiotic.
What ever happened to your tie dye fat pants?
Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek is a vegan, and that sport is probably the closest equivalent to swimming in terms of consuming mega-calories.
No, it isn't. Caffeine was removed from the list in 2004.
A lot of vegetarians - to say nothing of vegans - end up protein-starved, which creates cravings for sweets, hence the "fat vegan" phenomenon mentioned above.
joe is right, guys. If it's serious, it's stupid, and if it's intended as a joke, it's not very funny. Where have they taken the real KMW, and who is this person who replaced her?
obesity is part of diversity!
What's so lame is that there's ZERO indication that Jacobsen has said squat about Phelps' diet.
I mean, there might be a point to this post if Jacobsen had issued a fatuous press release condemning Phelps' eating habits. But he didn't.
Phelps is irrelevant to discussions of public health because he's such an outlier in terms of both energy usage and calorie intake.
zerg wrote: "The point is, bad diet doesn't exclusively make people fat. bad diet and bad exercise habits make people fat (and potentially bad genes)."
Bad diet and *typical* exercise habits (ie, none) make people fat.
Phelps, and others at his level of activity, are so many standard deviations from the mean that they are irrelevant.
Also, Phelps no doubt has world-class trainers telling him what to eat. Ted the sedentary car salesman from Toledo and Jeannie the sedentary dental tech from Sheboygan don't have that. If they're eating 4,000 calories a day it's probably because they don't know any better, and they almost certainly aren't doing enough to burn the calories off.
dbcooper writes: "Do any of you really believe that he eats 12,000 calories per day?"
It's probably pretty easy when he's competing, especially now, when he really has nothing else taking up his time.
I don't know if he has a competition season, but if he does, I bet his calorie intake drops during the off-season.
Right now, when he's been competing every day, he has every reason to keep himself loaded up with carbs and protein.
"joe, the point is that this douche wants to make being Michael Phelps more expensive because he thinks he can save the world."
I'm guessing the food is the least of Phelps' expenses.
I enjoy ridiculing the ridiculous as much as the next guy, but who cares about either of these people? One is going to get rich with product endorsements, (good for him), and the other is going to continue to make a living by sniveling about what other people eat.
How about covering something significant, like an update on Massachusetts' prospects for legalizing marijuana or abolishing their state income tax?
-jcr
I've always thought being a vegan was more of a political statement than a diet.
Not always. I know people who are vegan and don't make an issue out of it.
I also have one friend who's vegetarian, but he hunts. He has no issue with killing animals for sport, but he just doesn't like the taste of meat. He gives the deer he shoots away to people who like venison.
-jcr
Well technically, I'd say Phelps favorite event is the 400 Meter Individual medley, it is his best event and he is untouchable in that event.
Oh, and an FYI, Phelps has won 13 gold Medals and has tied Spitz's record of 7, and will likely break that with the 4x100 medley relay...that is Phelps is on the brink of becoming one of, if not the, greatest Olympian of all time.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080813/the-olympic-diet-of-michael-phelps
How can Michael Phelps eat 10,000 calories a day and still be so lean?
There is no doubt he packs away a ton of food, but it is unlikely that he actually eats that many calories a day, an expert believes. University of Pittsburgh Director of Sports Nutrition Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, says eating 10,000 calories a day is almost impossible. "To consume 10,000 calories a day, he would need to be eating all day long."
Bonci estimates that to support his 6-foot-4-inch, approximately 190-pound frame, Phelps' rigorous training regime requires roughly 1,000 calories per hour while he is racing or training; she suggests he probably eats closer to 6,000 calories per day.
Man he must dump like a Rhino.
Fried egg sandwiches with lettuce? ::gags::
People think so linearly.
The more exercise you do, the more you can eat.
Jacobson is right about most of what he says, in that some food also is garbage, and industry would rather churn out profitable garbage than quality food.
Follow the margins!
I love grits, with butter, milk and sugar.
I think all of the typos have been fixed on the original.
All except (as noted above) "omlet". Must be a phonetic diet.
White bread with mayo?
Why yes, its called a BLT.
What the fuck is a matter with you people?
what's going to be the next post, a forward from your grandma about obama hating the troops? when average americans start exercising like phelps does, THEN you can bitch about health recommendations being out of date.
Really badly done. How perfectly juvenile. And juvenile of Reason to link it. Any idiot knows this is a stupid comparison. Jeez.
Satire is stupid? Any idiot knows it isn't.
"Bonci estimates that to support his 6-foot-4-inch, approximately 190-pound frame, Phelps' rigorous training regime requires roughly 1,000 calories per hour while he is racing or training; she suggests he probably eats closer to 6,000 calories per day."
If I really had to bet, I think this is probably true. 12,000 calories sounds a little breathlessly out of the National Enquirer.