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McDonald's, the popular fast-food chain, has been criticized over the past few years for carrying unhealthy food options. Researchers and experts have tied McDonald's meals to obesity. In 2004, the documentary titled Super Size Me followed a man who only ate the high-fat meals from the fast-food chain for an entire month. By the end of the experiment, the man's health deteriorated significantly. Despite this documentary and expert opinions, a science teacher from Iowa proved to critics that obesity is not tied to specific restaurants like McDonald's, but rather, to the choices individuals make. The teacher, John Cisna ate McDonald's for three months and successfully lost weight and reduced his cholesterol level.

Being a science teacher, Cisna was interested in experimenting with McDonald's meals. He asked his students to help him create a McDonald's diet that would total 2,000 calories per day. The compiled diet also keep other nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fat, cholesterol and proteins in line with daily-recommended values.

Cisna reported that for breakfast, he usually ate two egg white delights, one bowl of maple oatmeal and drank one percent milk. During lunchtime, Cisna had one of the salad options. For the last meal of the day, he ate a more traditional meal that had fatter options, such as a Big Mac and ice cream.

"It's our choices that make us fat," Cisna said according to TIME. "Not McDonald's."

At the end of three months, he lost a total of 37 pounds. His cholesterol fell from 249 to 170. Throughout the experiment, he kept an active lifestyle. Cisna walked for 45 minutes each day. Cisna's meals were all complimentary after he told the owner of the McDonald's in his local town about his experiment. Cisna's experiment shows that losing weight and remaining healthy is a choice and that McDonald's and other fast food chains are not the only culprits in causing obesity.