The Jared of McDonald's?

Move over Jared! According to an AP story, a Virginia man has lost 80 pounds eating only at McDonald's -- eschewing the fries and Big Macs and turning instead to the salads, wraps and apples with caramel dip -- except he didn't eat the dip. The 5-foot-8-inch man is down to 199 pounds.

The article doesn't say whether McDonald's had anything to do with his project -- he says he chose the eatery because it was convenient -- but you can imagine the company might now exhibit some interest in the chap. 

I could see one way this diet could work -- like many, it's restrictive, and the human body seems to crave variety. Studies by Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University, for example, have found that people offered sandwiches with four different fillings ate one-third more than when one type alone was offered, and that "study subjects ... ate significantly more when three flavors of yogurt (hazelnut, blackcurrant, orange) which were distinctive in taste, texture and color were offered than when offered just one of the flavors." Even different-colored and different-shaped pastas will increase our appetite. This craving for variety is presumably a reason why we are able to eat astounding quantities of food at buffets.

Restrict your diet, on the other hand, and foods just begin to feel ... blah. (I personally believe that the rule would not hold for lime-flavored potato chips, but to my knowledge this has not been tested in a lab setting.)

None of this explains, however, how that Virginia man was able to stick to his regimen -- which is, of course, the problem with every diet under the sun.

--Rosie Mestel

Photo: J.B. Reed / Bloomberg News