Â鶹´«Ã½

From Gaynor Hamil

I don’t eat junk food or fast food, but when I heard of plans to sue the makers of it for causing obesity, I thought: “It can’t be as simple as that.”

However, I have recently learned three surprising things. First, Morton Spurlock managed to gain nearly 12 kilograms in 30 days, and made himself very ill, after eating three meals a day at McDonald’s for a month (31 January, p 12).

Secondly, a Christchurch boy ate only sweets and pies for two days, and measured his reading, maths and typing as 35 to 50 per cent slower (The New Zealand Herald, 4 February, p 15).

Thirdly, my children told me an athletic 20-year-old friend decided to eat only hamburgers for two months, and he put on 12 kilograms. Since he returned to his normal diet about five months ago he has lost 10 kilograms.

Perhaps it is that simple?

Auckland, New Zealand