What Are Some Of The Weirdest Fad Diets?
There are many fad diets out there and some of them are completely insane.
In this post, we will go over five of the most outrageous fad diets and explain what they are all about.
So if you like to know more, keep on reading!
What is a Fad Diet?
A fad diet is defined as a diet that promises a quick and easy fix for weight loss or other health benefits, but it’s usually not sustainable long term. Also, some fad diets can be outright dangerous.
Fad diets often make amazing claims about how much weight you can lose in a short period of time, but these claims are often not true.
In addition, fad diets often promote unhealthy eating habits, such as binging or completely eliminating certain foods, which can have severe consequences for physical and mental health.
If you’re looking to live a healthy lifestyle and maybe shed some pounds, it’s best to steer clear of fad diets and instead focus on creating sustainable changes.
Top 5 weirdest fad diets:
Fletcherism
Fletcherism was a fad diet that gained popularity in the early 20th century.
The diet was named after Horace Fletcher, who advocated chewing each bite of food until it was completely liquefied before swallowing.
Fletcher claimed that this method of eating would result in better digestion and improved overall health.
While fletcherism did enjoy a brief period of popularity, it ultimately fell out of favor due to the time-consuming nature of the diet.
Today, fletcherism is largely forgotten, but it remains an interesting example of a fad diet from history.
Baby Food Diet
The baby food diet is a fad diet that involves replacing one or more meals with baby food.
The diet originated in the United States and gained popularity in the early 2000s.
Proponents of the baby food diet claim that it can help you lose weight by reducing your daily calorie intake and increasing nutrient absorption.
They believe that baby food gets absorbed easier and has fewer calories, therefore, will help you lose some pounds.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims.
In fact, the baby food diet may actually be harmful to your health, because most commercial baby foods are highly processed and lack essential nutrients like fiber and protein.
Additionally, the baby food diet is not sustainable in the long term and can lead to restrictive eating behaviors.
Air Diet
One of the most bizarre fad diets to emerge in recent memory is the air diet.
Also known as the breatharian diet, this plan claimed that it is possible to sustain oneself on nothing but air and sunlight.
While there are a few followers, the air diet is widely considered to be dangerous and unsupported by scientific evidence.
Critics point out that the human body is not designed to survive on air alone. Any weight loss experienced on the air diet is likely due to dehydration and malnutrition.
For these reasons, the air diet is best to be avoided.
The Vision Diet
The vision diet is a fad diet invented in the 1970s by John D. Miller. The diet is based on the idea that color associations can affect eating choices.
The vision diet involves wearing glasses with one brown lens and one blue lens.
The theory behind the diet is that the blue and the brown lens will make food appear less appealing, creating confusion in the brain and making you eat less and lose weight.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support the claims made by the creator of the vision diet.
To learn more about how to lose weight without exercising, click here.
Ear Stapling Diet
The ear stapling diet is a fad diet that has been around for several years.
This fad diet is based loosely on the principles of acupuncture, which involves stimulating specific points in the body using fine needles.
With acupuncture of the ear, the needles are typically left in place for only a short time.
Proponents of ear stapling claim that the staples stimulate pressure points that controls appetite, leading to weight loss.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim, and the risks of ear stapling far outweigh any potential benefits.
Ear stapling can lead to pain, infection, and permanent damage to the earlobe.
It’s also important to note that fad diets like the ear stapling diet are not sustainable in the long term.
Takeaway
Fad diets are unproven and often unsafe eating plans that promise quick and easy weight loss. Fad diets usually involve making drastic changes to your diet, such as cutting out entire food groups or severely limiting your calorie intake.
These changes are often not sustainable in the long term, and fad diets can lead to yo-yo dieting, which can be linked to various health problems.
If you’re looking to lose weight healthily and sustainably, it’s best to follow a well-balanced diet such as the ketogenic diet or the Mediterranean diet. These diets have been backed by scientific research and can help you lose weight safely and healthily. Thank you for reading!
References
Acupuncture and weight loss in Asians: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis: Erratum. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Dec;98(49):e18400. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000018400. Erratum for: Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Aug;98(33):e16815. PMID: 31804380; PMCID: PMC6919445.
Yao J, He Z, Chen Y, Xu M, Shi Y, Zhang L, Li Y. Acupuncture and weight loss in Asians: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Aug;98(33):e16815. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016815. Erratum in: Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Dec;98(49):e18400. PMID: 31415397; PMCID: PMC6831107.
