How many of these fad diets do you remember?
Food faddism, or fad diet, is the type of diet that involves odd and bizarre eating habits which typically focus on a specific food group. These fad diets usually promote quick, but short-term weight loss, without concern for the person’s long-term weight management and holistic nutrition.
Fad diets usually enjoy only temporary popularity, since the downsides are exposed by the users themselves. Fad diets come and go, and some have gained notoriety before disappearing into the abyss. Here are 5 forgotten fad diets that were popular back in the day:
Japan’s banana diet
A few years back, news came from Japan that thousands of Japanese men and women are stocking up on bananas, and as a result, there was a wide shortage of bananas in Japan. Retailers were unable to meet the demand, and before long, the news about the banana craze came to light. The banana breakfast diet is widely believed to be effective. The method is simple – eat a banana for breakfast, lunch, for dinner, and for your evening snack. Expect to consume around 4-5 bananas a day. Pixar’s Minions would surely love this diet, but does it really work?
According to experts, yes, it can be effective if used properly. Bananas are an excellent source of dietary fiber. Bananas are also a great source of energy for workout enthusiasts, and it acts as a natural appetite suppressant. However, since there are no guidelines about what you can eat with banana, it wasn’t effective for many.
Blood type diet
Remember when this fad diet made the rounds? Peter J. D’Adamo made quite a convincing case that made people believe that their blood type is somehow connected to the way their body burns fat, so people with a specific blood type can only eat a certain kind of food. For example, people with an O blood type can only eat lean meats, type Bs are supposed to avoid poultry, and A-types need to go vegetarian.
Recent studies about the blood type diet suggest that there’s no scientific proof to this diet, only making a faux scientific find that makes people eat low-fat food, which can gradually reduce fat anyway without taking their blood type into consideration.
Cabbage soup diet
This fad diet has been around for so long. It’s easy to follow, too. The idea is to eat fat-free cabbage soup 2-3 times a day with other low-calorie foods like bananas and milk. Anyone who eats cabbage soup with banana only can surely lose weight fast, but the diet is also the reason why it can’t be used for long-term weight management.
The cabbage soup diet lacks protein, the most important nutrient in preserving lean muscle mass. On a cabbage soup diet, you risk muscle catabolism if you’re working out. Lean muscle also improves your metabolism, and without it, your body goes into fat-storing mode all the time.
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