Fad Diets
We live in a society where fad diets are anything but new. They have come and gone for years -- and years. So, as we approach a new decade, I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane. The truth is there are way more diets than I have shared below, but these are among the most popular and/or craziest over the past 100 years.
1920s -- The Cigarette Diet
As unusual as this might seem today with the present laws against cigarette smoking in public and health warnings, Lucky Strike, the cigarette company, introduced a campaign focusing on tobacco's ability to suppress one's appetite. Their tag line, "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet," suggested that a person simply grab a smoke instead of eating. Can't imagine this being popular today, but then again with the rise in e-cigarettes, nothing would surprise me.
[See: The 10 Best Diets for Healthy Eating.]
1930s -- The Grapefruit Diet
The grapefruit diet, also known as the Hollywood diet, is one of those diets that originated long ago. Yet many people today have heard of it. The belief was that there were enzymes in citrus that helped burn fat, therefore by eating a grapefruit with every meal you would subsequently lose weight. Even though this diet was never confirmed by science, it still exists today in a slightly different version, consisting of eating less than 1,000 calories per day.
1940s -- The Master Cleanse
What most people don't realize is that this juice cleanse, a combination of hot water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, was originally created by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s and then revived in his 1976 book, "The Master Cleanser." Its biggest resurgence, however, was in 2006, when Beyoncé touted it to be the key to her 20-pound weight loss for Dreamgirls. If it weren't for the rise in social media and the impact that celebrities have over their followers, this diet might have been forgotten. Too bad.
[SEE: The DIY Detox: How to Create the Healthiest Cleanse for You.]
1950s -- The Cabbage Soup Diet
Another oldie, but "goodie," the cabbage soup diet reigned for years. In short, the diet promoted quick weight loss, 10 to 15 pounds in a week, by simply eating mostly cabbage soup, with little amounts of additional fruit, veggie and meat. Just like the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet is still around today as basically another restrictive diet. Some people never learn.
1960s -- The Drinking Man's Diet
Mainly targeted towards men, hence the title, this diet recommended avoiding carbs, with the exception of drinking as much alcohol as you like. Alcohol was actually referred to as a "good carb." A typical meal might be a huge steak, salad with a creamy dressing, veggies and multiple cocktails -- a very early (and boozy) version of a high-protein, low-carb diet. As much as I'm the first person to suggest an extra dry martini, I'm not sure I can get on board with this plan.
1970s -- The Sleeping Beauty Diet
The 1970s really started to see a rise in diets, as well a popularity of diet pills, but the one that really caught my eye was the sleeping beauty diet. The gist of this one is that if you're sleeping, you can't be eating. Well, on one hand that does make sense, however, taking sedatives throughout the day makes absolutely no sense. I mean, what about everything else you need to do, like work?
[SEE: 7 Diet Tips You Shouldn't Follow.]
1980s -- The Scarsdale Diet
Probably the most popular diet of this decade was the Scarsdale diet, which promoted a 20-pound weight loss in two weeks. Created by cardiologist Dr. Herman Tarnower, followers of this diet would consume fewer than 1,000 calories per day, spending two weeks on the diet and then two weeks off. In a nutshell, once again a highly restrictive diet that could definitely lead to malnutrition. Shocker!
1990s -- The Atkins Diet
The 1990s were definitely a whirlwind of diets, from the Zone diet and Eat Right for Your Type, to probably the most popular of all three: the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet was originally created by Dr. Robert Atkins in 1972, but reached peak popularity in the 1990s. It may have been responsible for the start of the high-protein, very-low-carbohydrate movement we still see around today. What I have always found interesting with this diet is that it eventually does introduce more and more carbs. However, most followers interested in only fast weight loss choose not to listen.
2000s -- The Baby Food Diet
Who really created this diet is hard to say? It first became popular when Jennifer Aniston supposedly tried it to lose weight upon the suggestion of her trainer, Tracey Anderson. The diet consists of eating up to 14 jars of baby food per day in place of snacks and/or meals. There is no denying that this diet is low in calories and will instill portion control. However, adult nutritional needs are way different than a baby's. And that is why even toddlers have moved on.
2010s -- The HCG Diet
So many fad diets over this past decade that it was truly hard to pick just one. But at the end of day, I guess my all-time favorite pick for complete craziness is the hCG diet. The hCG diet combines daily injections of a fertility drug called human chorionic gonadotropin, and that is for both men and women, with a daily diet consisting of only 500 to 800 calories per day. You can't make this stuff up.
Bottom Line
I would love to say that we have learned a lot over the many decades in regard to weight loss, but that would be a lie. It seems that in many instances, history just keeps repeating itself. However, as we approach 2020, I am going to remain hopeful and optimistic. Because maybe, just maybe, we can finally learn as a society that in order to lose weight (and keep it off) we need to make sustainable lifestyle changes and not begin yet another fad diet.
