100 Years of Fad Diets: Specialists Weigh In

Weight loss program traits have come and gone through the years. Some had been quirky, others had harmful restrictions. 

Who hasn’t heard of a celebrity-backed liquid cleanse or the promise of speedy weight reduction after adhering to unusual meals mixtures?

However which of those fads truly labored, and which do vitamin specialists in 2025 firmly discredit? 

To assist kickstart your New Yr’s well being targets, MyFitnessPal dietitians took a deep dive into the evolving historical past of fad diets to see if any had advantage.

In addition they supplied evidence-based suggestions for constructing a sustainable, wholesome way of life, targeted on nutrition for real life. 

Right here’s a decade-by-decade breakdown of essentially the most iconic food plan fads over the previous 100 years and their affect on well being, in keeping with specialists.

Nineteen Twenties–Thirties: The Grapefruit Weight loss program 

The Pattern 

Often known as the “Hollywood Weight loss program,” this fashionable method concerned consuming half a grapefruit earlier than each meal. The declare? Grapefruit contained enzymes that might “burn fats,” turning the fruit right into a shortcut for weight reduction. 

Dietitian Verdict 

“Including fruit to your food plan can truly be an effective way to assist with weight reduction! It provides fiber that will help you really feel full. It’s sometimes low in energy however excessive in quantity,” says Stephanie Nelson, MyFitnessPal’s Senior Lead Vitamin Scientist (1). 

However she emphasizes that grapefruit doesn’t burn fats. 

Including grapefruit to meals “with out making another adjustments to your food plan gained’t truly end in weight reduction,” says Nelson. 

Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Head of Vitamin at MyFitnessPal, agrees. She notes that grapefruit has a wide range of nutritional vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, which helps our immune programs (2). 

“However there merely isn’t any scientific proof to help fat-burning claims about grapefruit,” she concludes.

Jaeger additionally notes that some variations of this food plan restricted every day energy to 800. That isn’t sufficient to fulfill every day vitality wants (3).

She additionally warned that grapefruit and its juice work together with some drugs (4). So, this food plan could also be dangerous for some individuals. At all times discuss to your physician about meals it’s possible you’ll must keep away from when you take drugs. 

Skilled Takeaway 

Take pleasure in grapefruit as a part of a balanced food plan, however overlook the fat-burning claims. Wholesome, sustainable weight reduction requires a reasonable calorie deficit and a give attention to nutrient-rich meals (5).

Forties–Nineteen Fifties: The Grasp Cleanse 

The Pattern 

Trending within the Forties and fashionable once more within the early 2000s, The Grasp Cleanse, also called the Lemonade Weight loss program, concerned a largely liquid food plan routine. 

Throughout the primary cleanse section, dieters drank a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water for a number of days. They aimed to “detox” and drop a few pounds. 

In addition they drank a cup of laxative tea within the night to encourage bowel actions. 

Dietitian Verdict 

“Juice cleanses trigger weight reduction as a result of individuals who do this primarily starve themselves,” says Nelson (6).   

Notably, a lot of the burden misplaced throughout cleanses is probably going as a result of lack of water and muscle mass fairly than precise physique fats (7). 

She provides that “individuals who do this method are inclined to  achieve the burden again after the “cleanse” is over except they modify their food plan habits long-term (6).”

Nelson explains that individuals should change their food plan to drop a few pounds long-term, so this cleanse is ineffective.

Skilled Takeaway 

A liquid cleanse isn’t needed, and doing one could decrease your metabolism (8). Your physique already has efficient built-in detox programs—the liver and kidneys (9, 10)!

Taking laxatives once you don’t want them may result in problems like dehydration, as you lose fluid in your stools (11).  

General, Nelson advises, “it’s finest to skip this one!” 

Nineteen Sixties: The Sleeping Magnificence Weight loss program 

The Pattern 

Probably the most excessive model of this food plan suggested dieters to sedate themselves for as much as 20 hours a day. This was to keep away from consuming totally throughout these hours. 

Dietitian Verdict 

It is a very harmful food plan development, cautions Emily Sullivan, RD, Meals Knowledge curator at MyFitnessPal. 

Amongst critical well being problems, she warns that this food plan may result in malnutrition from not consuming sufficient, together with threat of dependancy to sleeping capsules (12, 13).

As a substitute, Sullivan advises getting the right amount of sleep, which is essential for weight administration and general well being.

She means that 7-9 hours of sleep per day is right, and in reality, some analysis exhibits that sleeping lower than 6 hours per evening can result in weight achieve (14). 

Alternatively, she notes that oversleeping, reminiscent of 9-10 hours nightly, has additionally been linked to weight achieve when in comparison with sleeping 7-8 hours (15).

Skilled Takeaway 

Prioritize high quality sleep, however keep on with the beneficial every day vary. Over-sleeping or utilizing sedatives to keep away from consuming has no place in a wholesome way of life. If in case you have disordered consuming or hassle sleeping, attain out to a physician or psychological well being skilled for help.

Nineteen Seventies: The Egg & Wine Weight loss program 

The Pattern 

This three-day food plan concerned consuming eggs, black espresso, and wine for breakfast and lunch. Then, steak and wine for dinner. 

The thought was to scale back calorie consumption drastically however make weight-reduction plan extra “tolerable” by together with alcohol. 

Dietitian Verdict 

Jaeger says, “this food plan is low in nutrient-dense energy with a excessive focus of energy from alcohol — not the makings of a secure, balanced, nutrient-rich food plan.”

She notes that it lacks fruits, greens, entire grains, and wholesome fat. So following this food plan for a very long time could threat dietary deficiencies because of its excessive restrictions (16).

Additionally, the food plan’s reliance on alcohol raises well being considerations, from dehydration to impaired judgment (17, 18).

Alcohol has empty energy and promotes irritation (19, 20). This negatively impacts well being and weight targets.

General, Jaeger says that “fast fixes” and really restrictive diets don’t result in secure, efficient weight reduction or wholesome habits.

Skilled Takeaway 

This food plan displays the worst of quick-fix fads. It’s restrictive, promotes dangerous consuming behaviors, and does nothing for long-term well being or sustainability. 

Eighties: The Cabbage Soup Weight loss program 

The Pattern 

This week-long food plan allowed limitless cabbage soup. It paired the soup with modest parts of particular meals, like skim milk or fruit, on sure days. Like many fad diets, it promised speedy weight reduction.

Dietitian Verdict 

“Whereas recipes discovered on-line for making do-it-yourself cabbage soup for this food plan include a wide range of greens, this singular recipe doesn’t make for a balanced food plan,” says Jaeger. 

This food plan is extraordinarily low in energy and lacks protein, fats, and different important vitamins. Any speedy weight reduction is probably going largely water and lean muscle, not fats, and isn’t a long-term answer (7). 

Jaeger additionally emphasizes that this food plan doesn’t have scientific proof to help its weight reduction claims or to assessment its security.

She advises us to construct sustainable diets, avoiding fads that declare to assist us quickly meet our targets. 

Skilled Takeaway 

Purpose for selection in your food plan fairly than specializing in one meals or sort of meal. Addressing whole consuming patterns makes sustainable weight loss extra profitable. 

Nineties: The Blood Kind Weight loss program 

The Pattern 

This food plan claimed an individual’s blood sort (A, B, AB, or O) dictated which meals had been healthiest for them. 

For instance, sort O people had been suggested to eat a high-protein, meat-heavy food plan, limiting vegetarian proteins (21). In distinction, sort A people had been inspired to keep away from meat and as a substitute select extra seafood and vegetarian protein sources (21).  

Dietitian Verdict 

“The idea behind these diets is that a person’s blood sort is theorized to be their ancestral blood group,” says Brookell White, MS, RD, a Meals Knowledge Curator at MyFitnessPal.

Although the thought of this food plan appealed to many, there’s a lack of analysis to help its claims. 

One examine of this consuming fashion discovered potential advantages for physique weight and a few well being markers, like blood stress and ldl cholesterol (22).

However White factors out that the well being advantages in followers had been possible because of higher consuming habits (extra vegetarian meals) fairly than blood sort (22). 

“This appears to be the consensus for many research which have been achieved,” she says (23, 22). 

Skilled Takeaway 

There’s no want to find out your blood sort to eat healthfully. Give attention to evidence-based dietary patterns with loads of selection, such because the Mediterranean food plan. 

2000s: The Uncooked Meals Weight loss program

The Pattern 

One of many extra lasting traits, the Uncooked Meals Weight loss program, promotes consuming raw, unprocessed meals to retain pure vitamins and enzymes. Often, individuals following a uncooked meals food plan solely eat vegan, plant-based meals. 

Dietitian Verdict 

Daisy Mercer, RD, a Meals Knowledge Curator at MyFitnessPal says consuming uncooked meals like vegatables and fruits can have advantages. These meals present essential vitamins like fiber, antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and minerals (24). 

Mercer additionally says that consuming uncooked usually means consuming much less processed meals. It’s going to typically present us with extra fiber, and our our bodies will work more durable to digest them. That can result in higher satiety and fewer want to overeat.

Consuming a uncooked meals food plan may assist scale back consumption of sodium and saturated fat, she notes.

Moreover, uncooked plant-based meals could include extra nutritional vitamins and minerals (25). Some vitamins will be misplaced in cooking, Mercer factors out (25).

For instance, sure cooking strategies, like boiling, can vastly scale back the water-soluble vitamin content material, like vitamin C, in vegatables and fruits (26). It could be finest to prepare dinner high-vitamin C meals extra shortly, with much less warmth and water, reminiscent of by steaming (26).

However analysis means that a mixture of uncooked and cooked meals within the food plan could also be finest for our well being (25). 

A uncooked vegan food plan, with over 90% uncooked meals, won’t be secure long-term (25). It could trigger micronutrient deficiencies and different well being points (25).

Mercer cautioned {that a} uncooked meals food plan may turn out to be harmful when uncooked or undercooked meats are concerned, posing a threat of foodborne sickness (27). 

Skilled Takeaway 

Consuming extra vegatables and fruits is an effective way to help your well being. As a substitute of worrying about whether or not they’re cooked or uncooked, give attention to consuming a wide range of plant-based meals as a part of a balanced food plan.

2010s: Juice Cleanses

The Pattern 

Juice cleanses are once you eat nothing however juice from vegatables and fruits for a time frame, usually from in the future to 1 week. It turned fashionable as a “detox” methodology, with supporters claiming it “resets” the physique.

Dietitian Verdict 

Like every liquid fad food plan, juice cleanses may cause speedy weight reduction (28). 

“That is largely because of not consuming sufficient energy,” Mercer factors out, fairly than any particular impact of the juice cleanse on weight reduction (28). 

And, as soon as once more, when you don’t make wholesome, sustainable adjustments to your food plan, you’ll possible achieve the burden proper again (28). 

Mercer notes that consuming unsweetened, 100% fruit and vegetable juices sparsely can enhance your vitamin and mineral consumption (29). 

Simply take into account that juice lacks fiber. This results in fast absorption of pure sugars, which might act like refined sugar and trigger short-term blood sugar spikes (30).  

Moreover, we regularly eat extra juice than we might entire meals, leading to additional energy (31). 

Juices with decrease pure sugars and energy, like celery or cucumber juice, could also be higher for managing physique weight. 

Skilled Takeaway 

Unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices will be a part of a balanced food plan in small quantities. Simply don’t depend on them for vitamin or pointless “cleaning” of the physique. For wholesome weight reduction, select entire fruits and veggies most frequently, and use juice splashes to taste your water!

2020s: The Carnivore Weight loss program

The Pattern

This food plan promotes consuming like some early ancestors who solely consumed animal merchandise, together with meat, eggs, and a few dairy. It goals for weight reduction and claims to have anti-inflammatory results.

Dietitian Verdict 

Proponents of this food plan declare it improves illnesses and aids in weight reduction, says White.

However, she provides, “there isn’t any proof that implies that is true. The truth is, proof appears to counsel {that a} different food plan is finest usually (32).” 

She warns that the Carnivore Weight loss program lacks fiber and key nutritional vitamins, particularly C and E.

These vitamins are discovered virtually solely in vegetation (33, 34). They’re essential for all the things from intestine well being to immunity and most cancers prevention, she says (35, 36, 37).  

Plus, White says that “animal merchandise are excessive in saturated fats, which can enhance your threat of coronary heart illness (38).”  

“Crimson and processed meats are one other concern,” she says, noting that the Worldwide Company for Analysis on Most cancers considers processed meats carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and crimson meats ‘most likely carcinogenic’ (39).” 

Skilled Takeaway

Whereas the carnivore food plan could result in weight reduction, it’s restrictive and lacks important vitamins and scientific help. For the perfect long-term well being and weight outcomes, keep on with a balanced food plan wealthy in plant-based meals.

Find out how to Strategy “Fad Diets” of the Future (Spoiler: Don’t) 

Wanting again at 100 years of weight-reduction plan fads, one factor is evident—essentially the most sustainable weight reduction methods don’t reduce corners or depend on “miracle” options. 

Relatively, they promote nutrient-rich, balanced consuming mixed with train and different wholesome habits. 

“We encourage striving for progress, not the idea of perfection,” says Jaeger. 

So, she advises, as a substitute of making an attempt the most recent fad or revisiting an outdated development, attempt:

• Tracking your meals
• Constructing consciousness of your nutrition habits
• Know the place you stand along with your well being

And Jaeger concludes, “most significantly, don’t let any food plan get in the best way of actual life.” 

“You’ll be able to select to take pleasure in a facet of fries when eating out with mates or have a slice of cake at a celebration, and skip the food guilt,” she says.

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