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Most of the world seems to think that America invented obesity sometime in the last century, but the truth is, fat has always been a part of life (witness Hatshepsut, one of the great ancient Egyptian queens who reigned in the 15th century BC—despite her svelte sarcophagus, modern archeologists believe that she was pretty obese and may have suffered from diabetes).
So it stands to reason that dieting has been around just as long.
Some historians credit William the Conqueror with starting the first fad diet. Having grown too fat to ride his horse, William went on a liquid diet in 1087—or, rather, a liquor diet, since all he did was drink booze. The story might be apocryphal—William, still fat, actually died after falling from his horse and there was no word on whether he was drunk at the time—but it’s a good one, and it sets the tone for the next 1000+ years of dieting. Throughout history, people have been looking for some kind of magic that will allow one to eat and live as one pleases, but still look emaciatedly gorgeous. And they’ve come up with some pretty dubious theories that somehow took hold in the public consciousness and became fads. Here are a few of our favorites.
Location, Location, Location
“The Causes and Effects of Corpulence” was a treatise penned in 1727 by one Thomas Short, in which he observed that larger people were more likely to live near swampy areas. His advice? Fat people should move to more arid climes.
Improbable Side Effects
The namesake of the graham cracker—ironically now an integral part of that deliciously fattening treat, the ‘smore—was a Presbyterian minister who claimed that overeating could not only make you fat, it could make you lecherous, too. In the 1830s, Sylvester Graham ran health retreats for like-minded parishioners featuring a strict meat-free, incredibly bland diet.
An Early Diet Guru
In 1864, William Banting pioneered the “I lost 50 pounds—ask me how” phenomenon by writing a pamphlet describing how he lost 50 pounds by eating a diet of lean meats, dry toast, vegetables and fruits. Dieting thereafter was referred to as “banting” by folks in the British Isles well into the 20th century.
Chew Yourself Thin
Horace Fletcher, a turn of the century San Francisco art dealer, became known as the Great Masticator after he claimed he lost more than 40 pounds by chewing his food until it was essentially liquefied and spitting out all the bits that weren’t. Fletcher’s scheme became incredibly popular—novelist Henry James and industry titan John D. Rockefeller were reportedly fans, as was John Harvey Kellogg. Kellogg, of the cereal fame, was a nutrition and health nut who ran a sanitarium in Michigan, where he encouraged his visitors to “Fletcherize” with a little song he wrote called “Chew Chew.”
The Parasite Diet
In the early part of the 20th century, the weight loss industry allegedly found a tiny little helper in the form of a tiny little parasite—the noble tapeworm. According to product advertisements of the day, tapeworms were being sold in pill form as a weight loss tool. While whether or not those pills actually contained a real live tapeworm is certainly debatable, however, there is evidence that jockeys, who frequently needed to lose a lot of weight fast, would try to induce tapeworms. Another favorite weight loss tool of the Lilliputian equestrians: Burying themselves in piles of horse manure, which acted as a kind of natural sauna.
Introducing the Calorie
In 1918, Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters introduced a new word to the world lexicon—“calorie” (may she be forever cured for it). Peters’ book, Diet and Health, With a Key to Calories, which helpfully included a phonetic spelling of the word “calorie,” as so many people were unfamiliar with it, sold more than 2 million copies and established calorie-counting as the framework of a good health. This diet regime wasn’t particularly dubious, but it did lend a potentially dangerous new tool to those looking for a way to quantify and reduce their food intake. Case in point: The Scarsdale Diet of 1979, a strict 700-calorie a day diet that works—because you’re starving.
The Goldfish Diet
OK, this one wasn’t so much about weight loss as it was fame gain, but in 1939, it was a fad that swept the nation. Like most good things, it all started with a bet—a Harvard University undergrad won $10 after swallowing an innocent fishy. The story spread from there, prompting a countrywide goldfish slaughter. Goldfish swallowing became so popular that not only were pet stores running out of the indigestible comestibles, but the New York Times published warnings from doctors that swallowing goldfish, which are known to carry tapeworms and other parasites, could be very harmful to one’s health.
The Nicotine Diet
By the middle of the 20th century, dieting had become such a major economic, social and cultural force in the Western world that cigarette companies, not wanting to miss the money boat, jumped on board promoting cigarettes as a weight-loss tool. It’s a belief that persists today—ask any supermodel.
The Master Cleanse
In the 1940s, nutrition guru Stanley Burroughs created the Master Cleanse, a fast during which the dieter subsists solely on a mixture of cayenne pepper, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and water. The Master Cleanse is still popular today, especially among anorexics and aspiring anorexics, despite the fact that most nutritionists and doctors say that “detoxing” is a nonsensical and potentially harmful idea.
The Sleeping Beauty Diet
Then there’s the Sleeping Beauty Diet, a regime that allows the dieter to literally sleep off the pounds while under heavy sedation for several days. Elvis was reportedly a fan of that one, right about the time when he was having a little trouble squeezing into those trademark white jump suits, as was a character in the landmark beach read, Valley of the Dolls.
The Monotony Diets
The 20th century also brought us back to a concept allegedly pioneered by William the Conqueror—the single food or drink diet. There’s the Grapefruit Diet, which alleges that eating a lot of grapefruit and drinking a lot of grapefruit juice, in conjunction, of course, with a very low-calorie diet, is the way to weigh less; the Cabbage Soup Diet, which is said to cause serious gas with a side of nausea; the Popcorn Diet, which is pretty much undercut by all the tasty things one puts on popcorn to make it palatable; and the Chocolate Diet, which, though tempting, is just plain silliness.
Memorable Dieting Paraphernalia
And let’s not forget about the gadgets that went along with these suspect food fads, like the Vision-Dieter Glasses, which made food look unappealing, or the Mini-Fork system, which encouraged people to eat smaller portions by supplying them with—you guessed it—smaller forks. Or how about slimming soaps, popular in the 1930s, which promised dieters that they could just wash the fat away? And then there’s the perennially popular vibrating machine, which promised to melt off pounds by a few minutes of intense body vibration—and which is actually enjoying a comeback now at gadgetry stores like Brookstone.
That’s just the barest tip of the billion-dollar dieting iceberg, and we know you readers have heard of quite a few more weird, wild and patently unbelievable diet fads. So let’s hear it—what’s the craziest diet or weight loss tool you’ve ever heard of, or possibly even tried?
We’re giving away five $10,000 scholarships. All you have to do is tell us, in 750 words or less, why you should win. But you have to tell us by January 31st. We look forward to reading your entries!
Comments (29)
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What a highly interesting article!!
Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.
Stumbled!
posted by Melanie Thomassian on 1-28-2009 at 10:51 pm
Banting actually doesn’t seem like such a bad idea– lean meats, bread, fruits & vegetables. One could certainly have a worse diet.
posted by L on 1-29-2009 at 12:55 am
I have tried the body vibrations idea which felt strange during, and with fading results in 2 days. I have also tried the ab vibrating thing which hooks up electrodes to different parts of your abs and makes them contract. It kind of hurts actually, and I didn’t notice anything the next day.
I’ve also tried being slathered with a specific lotion and covered in a heating blanket to sweat out fat, and even though I felt light-headed after, the effects wore off in a few days. So yeah, they don’t work.
posted by Anna on 1-29-2009 at 1:06 am
In monotony diets, there’s also the banana diet! It was probably no more than a year ago… Some Japanese pop star claimed she still lost weight while eating whatever she wants for lunch and dinner as long as she has a banana and two glasses of room-temp water for breakfast. Apparently it caused some banana shortage in Japan.
Caffeine diet. It’s similar to Nicotine diet…most of the diet pills today list caffeine as its major miracle worker.
posted by Gabi on 1-29-2009 at 2:09 am
First Off, ‘The Road to Wellville’ starring Matthew Broderick is about the sanitarium of Dr. Fletcher and the schemes of The Kellogg Brothers. Its one of my favorite movies, in fact!
Second, Any person in the history of the universe to thinks that Americans are either A- The fattest country in the world or B- The diet capitol of the Milky Way Galaxy have CLEARLY never been to Italy. I’m an American who married an Italian and moved to Italy, and not only am I taller than 75% of the population, but I’m one of maybe 6 people in the entire country that qualifies the ‘Middle Ground’ at 150lbs. Here, you’re either 100lbs and you eat like a Man, or 200lbs and you’re on the famous ‘Mediterranean Diet’ which consists of Milk Bread, Pork Products, Fish, Cheap Red Wine and Citrus Fruit. Personally, I think if everyone here ate like normal human beings and walked through the open markets for fresh foods more often they’d all be a LOT thinner…
posted by Kate on 1-29-2009 at 2:51 am
There is nothing better than exercise and eating healthier foods. Stop eating fried foods and take Kate’s advice by getting fresh food from the market. Don’t be afraid to take 10-15 mins a day and go for a light run. You will be amazed at how great you feel and more importantly how you grow disgusted with unhealthy foods.
@ Anna –
First off, you most likely are not going to see noticeable results within the first day or two of trying something. I believe the electric shocking ab machine tells you on the commercials that you will see results in 30 days, not 30 mins. Secondily, you cannot sweat out the fat from a heating blanket. You sweat out the water in your body. The light-headedness came from dehydration. The result faded in a few days because you drank water because you need it to live.
posted by Jake on 1-29-2009 at 6:16 am
I once worked for an aging Broadway dancer who shared with me her secret to keeping a thin figure long after she ended her career:
“Stay nervous and smoke a lot.”
posted by Darling Nikki on 1-29-2009 at 8:10 am
The only thing I found that actually worked for me was gastric bypass! Tried all the fads, tried the reliable eat less and exercise more, didn’t work. The surgery worked.It’s definitely not a quick fix, and not for everyone.
posted by qt314159265 on 1-29-2009 at 9:25 am
RE Gabi… So THAT’S why Costco had no bananas for months on end :-D
I tried Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig years and years ago but what WORKED was, gasp, eating less and eating better stuff.
I don’t really exercise (walking would be the extent of it) but, after I found out I was diabetic about 10 years ago, I had to change my diet so I did slowly, tackling one part of it at a time like portion first and then choosing better foods, etc… and over the last 10 years I’ve lost 50 lbs.
It might seem like a long time for so little but take into consideration that I had to take a year off when I was pregnant and had my son and then after my husband’s death good nutrition was pretty much the last thing on my mind for a couple years.
posted by Sarah in CA on 1-29-2009 at 10:59 am
My mother was a professional ballerina in the 1960s – talk about dieting! She was 5′2″ tall and weighed 90lbs at the height of her career, and was considered ‘overweight.’ She talks about living for weeks on toast and carrot sticks in preparation for a show – and how the new ‘ideal’ body for a ballerina, just as she retired, became a 5′7″ (or taller) girl who weighed less than 100lbs. scary.
I don’t know if ballet is like that anymore, but does anyone know other professions (that is, besides ballet, and maybe modeling) that so openly demand an underweight body type?
posted by Elizabeth on 1-29-2009 at 11:08 am
To pick a nit:
In 1918, Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters introduced a new word to the world lexicon—“calorie” (may she be forever cured for it).
I imagine that wants to say “cursed for it.”
Unless, of course, you mean she was cured of whatever ailed her.
posted by Paul on 1-29-2009 at 12:00 pm
The Green Bean Diet! Eat nothing but green beans and clear liquids Monday through Friday – eat anything and everything Saturday and Sunday. This was popular when I was in college, probably because you could still drink on the weekends.
posted by Shannon on 1-29-2009 at 1:00 pm
One of the girls in my sorority was a rep for a vitamin company. She somehow convinced the entire order to take these colon cleansing tablets during rush to “get rid of that little belly pooch”. It was a complete disaster… No one could attend to the rushees due to either sever flatulence or diarrhea… Though we all lost 5+ lbs in 2 days. Yea dehydration!!!
posted by Lauren on 1-29-2009 at 1:26 pm
When I was a kid, my mom put a GREEN light in the fridge to make everything in there look unappetizing. Yuck. It worked.
posted by Jon on 1-29-2009 at 1:58 pm
Elizabeth,
I believe that professional jockeys are also encouraged to be abnormally underweight and I’ve read of them going to extremes to weigh as little as possible.
posted by Larriann on 1-29-2009 at 2:05 pm
Don’t forget the uncanny drug problem sweeping the nation. A lot of people only do Meth to lose weight…
posted by Robert on 1-29-2009 at 5:26 pm
“indigestible comestibles” NICE.
posted by The Queen on 1-29-2009 at 6:25 pm
Let’s not forget Phen Fen (or was it Fen Phen?) I lost sooo much weight with that and did not have the nasty side effects that caused it to be banned. But as soon as I stopped taking it I gained it all and more back. To be thinner and healthier requires a change of lifestyle. Pay attention to what you eat, limit fat, exercise a little and you’ll be healthier and weigh less.
posted by Pam on 1-29-2009 at 6:35 pm
I was on another blog about losing weight and someone mentioned that she was able to lost a lot of weight by restricting her calorie intake to 500 per day. I imagine she was also very weak and malnourished! Don’t EVER drop that low! Most places will tell you that you need at least 1200 calories or so a day to function properly.
posted by CK on 1-29-2009 at 6:59 pm
@ Anna – My mom saw a commercial for one of those electrode things one time and told me that when she had undergone physical therapy at one point she’d had to use one and she said it was awful…and definitely didn’t make her any skinnier (although it did help with the whiplash, in conjunction with a bunch of other things).
posted by Fruppi on 1-29-2009 at 7:03 pm
Kafka apparently was also a fan of Hoarce Fletcher’s mastication diet.
posted by Ocap on 1-30-2009 at 2:23 am
this site is a find. tapeworm diet is gross. I stumbled you.
posted by Cyber Rainbow on 2-23-2009 at 5:20 pm
The dumbest diet idea I’ve ever heard is called the Warrior Diet. Essentially, you starve yourself during the day and then binge dangerously during the evening; supposedly it simulates the eating habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
IMO, the only successful diet is the old-fashioned diet…exercising and eating healthy.
posted by Rory on 7-12-2009 at 3:28 pm
Im laughing my ass off about the warrior diet. “stimulates the eating habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors” haha.
Throwing up works! although long term bulimia leads to serious tooth decay and other health issues. Hence on the part ‘Longterm use’
posted by vick Von on 7-17-2009 at 12:27 am
The most ridiculous (and probably very dangerous) diet I’ve ever heard of is sniffing sulfur. Apparently the smell of the poison takes the edge of starving oneself, but isn’t noxious enough to kill a person.
posted by Olivia on 8-2-2009 at 7:51 am
My grandmother has been 5′2 and 100 lbs for her entire life. She isn’t incredibly strict about it, but she does mostly try to keep to what I’ve heard referred to as the “Caveman Diet.” A lot of raw fruits and veggies, perhaps some salt, perhaps some whole wheat breads, milk, lean meats… but nothing a caveman couldn’t make. Sugar on strawberries, okay. Strawberry donut, not quite.
posted by Stephanie on 9-8-2009 at 12:17 pm
How about in the other direction? In the 18th century, skinny men would pad their stomachs to look rounder. Today’s “spare tire” was referred to as a “prosperity”
I’ve also seen an add in an old newspaper that proves two things: people have always cared about weight and the pitch never changes. It was from 1902, but could be an add for the accacai diet – in reverse. It was a miracle pill that promised to “flesh out skinny girls”
posted by Hastings on 9-16-2009 at 3:31 pm
To all the stick-thin calorie counting idiots out there: it’s cool to be thin but it’s stupid to starve yourself. And to those morons who induce tapeworms: they can only be removed surgically.
posted by Claire on 9-30-2009 at 8:28 am
DNP — 2,4-Dinitrophenol — is an industrial chemical that was used for a time as an insecticide until it was banned for being too toxic. In the 1930s, it was used as a weight-reduction drug and sold over the counter. It works by kicking the metabolism into serious overdrive by disrupting the usual functioning of the cells’ mitochondria. It’s an effective weight-loss drug, too, if you don’t mind chronic fever, chills, jaundice, mood swings, copious yellow-orange sweat, severe hunger with an inability to keep food down, cataracts, inability to sleep, liver damage, and death. Incredibly, this crap is still around and used by some athletes.
posted by David on 10-4-2009 at 4:39 am