The 1970s were a golden age of questionable dieting advice, when celebrity endorsements and pseudo-science led to some truly outlandish weight loss schemes. From bizarre food combinations to dangerous supplements, these diet fads promised quick results but often delivered only disappointment. Let’s look back at some of the strangest eating plans that had us counting calories in the most unusual ways.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. The Sleeping Beauty Diet
- 2 2. The Grapefruit Diet
- 3 3. The Tapeworm Diet
- 4 4. The Liquid Protein Diet
- 5 5. The Cookie Diet
- 6 6. The Prolinn Diet
- 7 7. The Cabbage Soup Diet
- 8 8. The Last Chance Diet
- 9 9. The Calories Don’t Count Diet
- 10 10. The Drinking Man’s Diet
- 11 11. The Israeli Army Diet
- 12 12. The Sexy Pineapple Diet
- 13 13. The Egg and Wine Diet
- 14 14. The Cotton Ball Diet
- 15 15. The Watermelon Diet
1. The Sleeping Beauty Diet
This dangerous diet involved taking sedatives to sleep through most of the day, theoretically preventing eating. Elvis Presley reportedly tried this method, which doctors now warn could lead to serious health issues. Some practitioners would sleep up to 20 hours a day, believing they could literally sleep their way to a smaller size.
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2. The Grapefruit Diet
Based on the belief that grapefruit contained special fat-burning enzymes, this diet required eating half a grapefruit before every meal. Popularized by Hollywood celebrities, it promised up to 10 pounds of weight loss in 10 days. The strict 800-calorie meal plan that accompanied the grapefruit was probably the real reason for any weight loss.
3. The Tapeworm Diet
Perhaps the most dangerous fad ever, this involved deliberately ingesting tapeworm cysts to achieve weight loss. Marketed as “sanitized tapeworms” in pills, this potentially lethal diet was eventually banned. Some opera singers reportedly used this method to maintain their figures.
4. The Liquid Protein Diet
This dangerous trend involved consuming nothing but liquid protein derived from animal hides and tendons. After several deaths were linked to the diet, it was pulled from the market. The diet promised rapid weight loss but led to serious health complications.
5. The Cookie Diet
Created by Dr. Sanford Siegel, this plan involved eating specially formulated cookies throughout the day, followed by one real meal. The cookies contained a secret amino acid blend supposedly designed to suppress hunger. Each cookie packed about 90 calories and was meant to replace regular meals.
6. The Prolinn Diet
This controversial diet consisted of drinking a liquid made from slaughterhouse byproducts – ground animal horns, hooves, and bones. Marketed as a protein drink, it contained only 400 calories per day and zero carbohydrates. The FDA eventually intervened due to its dangerous nature.
7. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This seven-day plan centered around eating unlimited amounts of a specific cabbage soup recipe. Different days allowed different additional foods, but the soup remained the main component. While it did lead to quick weight loss, this was primarily water weight that returned quickly.
8. The Last Chance Diet
Another dangerous protein-based liquid diet that gained popularity in the late 1970s. The drink, called Prolinn, was made from uncleaned animal parts and had no nutritional value beyond its protein content. Several deaths were attributed to this diet before it was discontinued.
9. The Calories Don’t Count Diet
Based on a book by Dr. Herman Taller, this diet claimed you could eat as much as you wanted as long as you took safflower oil capsules with meals. The author was later convicted of mail fraud for promoting the diet and its supplements.
10. The Drinking Man’s Diet
This bizarre plan encouraged dieters to drink alcohol while following a high-protein, low-carb diet. It claimed that martinis and steak were perfectly acceptable diet foods. The diet gained popularity among businessmen who didn’t want dieting to interfere with their social lives.
11. The Israeli Army Diet
This eight-day diet involved eating only one type of food each day – apples one day, cheese the next, then chicken, and so on. Despite having no connection to the Israeli military, the name gave it an air of authority. The monotonous nature of the diet made it difficult to follow.
12. The Sexy Pineapple Diet
This diet claimed that pineapple had special enzymes that could boost metabolism and enhance romantic appeal. Dieters were encouraged to eat pineapple at every meal, along with specific food combinations. The diet’s name alone helped sell thousands of books.
13. The Egg and Wine Diet
This bizarre plan recommended starting each day with three boiled eggs and a glass of white wine. Lunch and dinner followed similar patterns. The diet claimed the combination would boost metabolism, though it likely just left people tipsy and hungry.
14. The Cotton Ball Diet
Perhaps the most dangerous fad, this involved dipping cotton balls in juice and swallowing them to feel full. Popular in the modeling industry, this potentially lethal practice could lead to serious digestive problems. The cotton balls weren’t even digestible.
15. The Watermelon Diet
This summer favorite involved eating nothing but watermelon for several days. While the fruit is healthy, the diet was extremely restrictive and nutritionally inadequate. Proponents claimed it would “flush out your system,” though any weight loss was primarily water.
