This is America! "Can I donate blood to lose weight?"

[FSogol]

Dear Cecil: OK, so I'm trying to lose some weight. My current plan, eat less and exercise more, is working pretty well, but I want to take it up a notch. So I'm wondering: How many calories are in a pint of blood? How often can you donate without making yourself ill? This could be a great thing for both humanity and myself. - ubernina from Wisconsin

Cecil's reply is pretty good:

Americans are so pathetic. A while back I heard from a guy who reasoned that: (1) beer is cold; (2) when I drink beer, my body warms it up to 98.6 degrees; (3) this burns calories; (4) therefore, drinking beer helps me stay thin. Then there was the genius who argued: (1) fat people carry more weight; (2) carrying more weight means doing more work; (3) work = exercise; (4) therefore, fat = good.

Your proposal continues this dubious tradition. Presumed advantages: (1) You get to lie on a couch! (2) You get to watch TV! (3) You get to eat Oreos and drink juice! The only disadvantages: (1) You have to tell a complete stranger whether you’ve accepted money or drugs for sex; (2) needles; (3) they drain the blood out of your body. OK, not all the blood, but that’s what it would take for this stupid plan to work.

Don’t get me wrong. Blood donation is a noble thing. Your columnist, not content to devote his intellect to global improvement, regularly contributes a pint of his blood too. But I don’t kid myself that I’m going to lose weight this way.

Rest of the reply at:

https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2441/can-i-donate-blood-to-lose-weight/

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Still donate blood though.

FEW things get the bang for the buck. It's a hugely noble endevor and the American Red Cross has it dialed down to a science. Give Blood...ESPECIALLY if you are a rare donor. Plasma can get you $ I think.

[NightWatcher]

2. Donate blood but keep your dna out of the gene pool.

[FSogol]

3. Too late. I spent many teenage nights trying to get my DNA into the gene pool.