For as long as history goes back, there are all kinds of crazy diet trends that defined generations. Even back in 17th century Paris, enemas were given liberally through the day to keep those unwanted pounds off. In the last 50 years, there have been many diet trends that have come about to help people shed unwanted pounds. Here are some of the more famous diet trends over the decades.
1930’s and 40’s Most Popular Diet: Smoking and the Master Cleanse
Lucky Strike cigarettes ran a campaign during this time advertising to “Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet”. Maybe this is where models and celebs get the idea of cigarettes to help with quick weight loss. So back then it was acceptable to risk lung cancer and heart disease all in the name of being fashionably slender. In this era, another quick fix for dieting was the Master Cleanse. This was a diet developed by Stanley Burroughs that allowed you to only drink lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. Nearly 70 years later, Beyoncé reportedly used the same program to shed pounds for her role in 2006’s “Dreamgirls.” Other celebrities that admit to the master cleanse include Anne Hathaway, Brittney Spears and Gwyneth Paltrow.
1950s Diet Trend: Prayer
Losing weight can be frustrating, so was not surprising that in the 50’s, a faith based diet trend was sweeping the nation. The Christian dieting industry exploded after Reverend Charlie Shedd wrote the book “Pray Your Weight Away” after loosing 100 pounds himself. Pray for weight loss and it will just happen. Hmm that sounds like a great idea. His book was published in 1957 and others followed sending him to the top of the best seller lists. Even in the new millennium, the trend has not passed. In 2002, Don Colbert, M.D., published What “Would Jesus Eat?” and “The What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook.” There are not any celebrities that openly support this weight loss plan.
1960s Favorite Diet: Cabbage Soup
This is an all you can eat diet, but what you can eat it the catch. On this plan you can eat all of the cabbage soup you want. The recipe has many variations, but it includes vegetables, such as cabbage, onions and tomatoes seasoned with bouillon, broth our soup mix, and tomato juice. Several celebrities have been known to go on this diet to drop a quick 10 pounds in a week before a major awards show. Sarah Michelle Geller and Jaime Presley have been rumored to use this method of fast weight loss. Many people swear by this diet, but it does have side effects. This plan was rumored to be a hospital diet for preoperative weight loss, but hospitals deny any association with the cabbage soup diet.
1970s Top Diet Trend: Pills
This was an era of drugs and Disco, so why not some more pills? In the 70’s, the idea of the miracle diet pill came in to the spotlight. In the ’70s, doctors used to prescribe amphetamines (a.k.a. “speed”) that would speed up the body’s metabolism and burn calories fast. The down side was that patients became addicted. That’s not the only reason diet pills got a bad name. Even today, it seems that pills whether intended for diet or not are being used by today’s young Hollywood stars. At the moment, Adderall is the latest diet drug craze in Hollywood, and just about every female celebrity arrested – from Paris to Nicole, from Lindsay to Britney Spears – has had prescription Adderall in her handbag. It keeps you awake while killing the appetite.
1980s Calorie Count: Scarsdale Diet
The 1980s swung away from easy fixes and back to hardcore regulation with the Scarsdale Diet. It was a two-week high-protein, super-low-calorie diet. The diet is a very specific and planned diet that is to be done exactly per instructions for the first 14 days. Eating a grapefruit for breakfast each day is was the hallmark of this diet. The grapefruit was to help burn more calories while you were on a very lo cal diet. Protein constitutes about 43 per cent of the diet, but fats are restricted to about 25 per cent. Sugar, pasta, potatoes, and all bread (except a high protein variety) are excluded and between-meal snacks are restricted to carrots and celery. The goal of this diet is to lose 20 lbs in a week on a 700 calorie per day regimen. 1200 calories a day is considered a starvation diet, so this program goes to the extreme. Fans of this diet include Kylie Minogue and Brooke Shields
1990s High Protein: The Atkins Diet
Low fat and high carbohydrates were thought to be a healthy way to live in the 80’s. Red meat and bacon were out of style, and pork became the “other white meat”. Many people were getting fatter because of the high carb consumption, and then came Dr. Atkins with the answer. Though he was not new to the diet world, the release of his book “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution” in 1992 put him on the national radar. The Atkins Diet involves restriction of carbohydrates to boost the body’s metabolism by burning stored fat in stead of burning glucose as a body’s source of fuel. The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, fowl, eggs, and a little cheese. Though weight loss was quick, the pounds were easily put back on as soon as you went back to a normal diet. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker and Minnie Driver are followers of high protein diets.