Like anyone will base their consumption on his advice. It was a free ride. A little bit of publicity with no real cost by playing against type.

New Pizza Hut advert:
"Our pizza is better because even Papa John's founder says you shouldn't eat too much of HIS pizza."

5 or 6 slices of a product that mostly fat and bread? Which not? you could eat one slice, walk outside and get hit by a car. Enjoy life. You ain't gettin' another one.

Calling Papa John's pizza is an affront to actual pizza!
Here is real pizza:

@Plates: Ok, here is real pizza:

Pizza scientists now prove that eating one item exclusively is bad for you.

Next up beer CEO says you should also drink water sometimes. And the PR dept. that committed sepuku in response.

I remember being taught in school that pizza actually was healthy because it included so many food groups.. especially if you have toppings.

No wonder we're all fat.

I didn't need the founder of Papa John's to tell me that eating too much pizza is bad for you. No big deal.

I've got a better idea: don't eat Papa John's at all! Go get some real pizza!

@Kimaroo: Oh my god, I think I remember being told the same... bread, dairy, vegetables and meat. It's like the whole food pyramid without the sweets! It must be SUPER good for you!

It's the garlic sludge tastiness on the side that's taking me down.

@punkrawka: In moderation, my son. Everything in moderation.

@Plates: Labeling that old man real pizza is very degrading and mean.

I think I will start calling my grandmother-in-law "Real Pizza". No reason.

@Applekid:
Pizza Hut is way greasier (and less healthy looking) than Papa John's. Their Tuscani pastas are pretty good, though.

its the butter dipping sauce that makes it bad for you

I'd prefer to not eat Papa John's pizza at all, thank you very much. I'll stick to local pizza joints where the pizza is actually preferable to the box it comes in.

Maybe he said "you can't eat too much pizza". That one is a little harder to parse.

Well, anything not eaten in moderation or not in conjunction with a well-balanced diet is not good for you. Sooo...in a sense he's right.

@punkrawka: Well, it could be. Just use whole grain dough, less cheese, more veggies, and less fatty meats. That and don't eat half a pizza by yourself. It doesn't matter what you're eating at that point, it will be bad for you.

@Kimaroo:

Real Italian pizza is good for you. American pizza, with deep-fried crusts, "1 lb of cheese", and 3 deli meats is not.

@punkrawka: ! I remember being told that too!

@cabjf: Use good sauce that's low in sugars (IOW, make your own), and use low fat chicken instead of pepperoni. Pizza *can* be healthy, assuming you don't eat the entire thing yourself.

Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Dominoes....those don't count as healthy, particularly when you consider the amount of filler in their doughs and the low grade cheese they use. Add in the high sodium, lowest bidder toppings and boom, tasty heart attack.

@bbagdan: You sir, are correct.

Also I don't see an issue with what Schnatter said. A single piece of pizza isn't the worst thing nutritionally that you could have, but when you devour half a large on your own that's covered with toppings, you're overdoing it a bit.

Then again, sometimes when people are having pizza, the intent is to splurge.

I really think these comments are being over-reacted to.

It's still a load of bread and cheese no matter how you slice it (sorry).

I love seeing the "healthy" bandwagon rear its head over little stuff. "Tomato sauce is full of lutein!" or "Cheese has lots of protein and calcium"

Too bad a bunch of other stuff is along for the ride.

@Plates: Your pizza is burnt and has hedge clippings on it.

@aidenn: Papa John's is my favorite pizza completely based on that wonderful wonderful garlic sauce. I could anything* dipped in that garlic sauce.

*Anything edible

@stanner: You can't put oo much water in a nuclear reactor!

@savdavid: That logic taken to its natural conclusion would result in a society dominated by the obese and lazy.

Oh wait a second...

@Applekid: Papa John's may make crappy pizza that's not good for you, but I think Pizza Hut is actively hellbent on killing the human race with some of its products.

now everyone will do the opposite and EAT HIS PIZZA AT ALL TIMES!

@redskull: Sometimes the old references are the best.

@aidenn: Oh god yes! On a friday after a long week, BBQ Chicken and Bacon drenched in that garlic sauce is better than sex.

I'm sorry, Mr. Schnatter, I can't hear you over all the OM NOM NOM NOM sounds.

@stanner: +10 points for an old SNL skit!

@LeJerk: I was wondering what that green stuff was.

Don't eat Papa John's - if I don't like it nobody else should either! Go eat at [insert local pizza joint] and get some real pizza!

@Plates: Does the sign say the pizza is 20 dollars? When I need cheap i get Papa Johns. When I have extra cash I get a better quality pizza. They each have their place

@LeJerk: That is fresh cut basil. You obviously get your pizza made by some wage slave from a chain.

@bbagdan: Eh.. the teachers in school never said it like that.. It was always "Ok so we're going to talk about healthy eating.. who eats healthy?" And no one would say anything.. then "Well how many of you like pizza?" and everyone of course would raise their hands.. then she'd say "Well you all eat healthy food then because think about it, pizza includes all the food groups!"

The cafeteria ladies would say the same.. and I'm pretty sure that frozen government-issue pizza isn't Italian.

@Ash78: WWWWEEEEeeeeeee! Here comes the fats!!

@savdavid: Go outside? Why would I do that? Papa John's delivers.

@dragonfire81: That's the thing. When I get a pizza, I'm devouring the half the thing like manna from the heavens and loving every minute of it. I do the same exact thing with a number of tasty unhealthy things.

Once a month or so of going ridiculously overboard like that and eating something horribad for me isn't inherently wrong, nor is it going to make me balloon up like Violet Beauregarde.

@savdavid: Contrary to popular belief Pizza CAN be healthy. Plain Pizza is not bad at all, its the crap people put on it that makes it really bad.

@redskull: Ahem. That should have been "too," not "oo."

@calquist: Oh, yes. Its even better if you mix the garlic sauce in with the cheese sauce in one big puddle of delicious dipping goodness.

Eat 1-2 slices? Who eats 1-2 slices? I feel like I am limiting myself when I eat 5-6. "Oh no, I can't eat that 8th slice, I'm watching my weight".

Sure, each slice is 300-400 calories, depending on toppings but...mmmmm saturated fat.....

@Cam Jamieson: I see what you did there.

@Plates: That pizza really does not look very appetizing tho. Also I dont know what 'wage slave' has to do with pizza.

@Fresh-Fest-1986: I LOLed at this one. I shall start calling all elderly "Real Pizza."