Weight Loss Pills & Fat Diets over the Years

At any given time, at least 20% of Americans will admit to being on a diet. Whether that means going to the gym every day, taking weight loss pills, or just giving up on calorie-filled beverages, remains to be seen. Data aside, most would agree that a combination of diet and exercise, combined perhaps with a boost from meal replacement shakes, weight loss pills, or medical advice, is the best course to achieving your weight loss goals. But most dieters have tried some crazy things to lose that weight, right?

Throughout history, particularly in recent decades, many fad diets and wild ideas have flown around when it comes to losing weight. Take weight loss pills? Nah, just eat nothing but cabbage for two weeks! Sounds insane, right? Maybe, but many diet fads have taken hold over the years. Here are some that may just make you laugh out loud:

The Blood Type Diet—In the mid-90s, people believed that the best diet for losing weight could be determined by your blood type. There remains no data to support this claim.

The hCG Injections—There’s two parts to this story. One, hCG research doesn’t really support its use as a weight loss aid; and, two, those that promote this method recommend taking in 500 calories per day, which will equate to weight loss, but at the cost of near starvation.

The Cottonball Diet—That’s right! Some models have admitted to eating cotton balls to feel full, eat less, and thus, lose weight. With so many healthy weight loss pills available today, combined with the obvious health risks of consuming a non-food item, this method is just reckless.

The Cabbage Soup Diet—There’s no question: if you eat cabbage soup for every meal, you will lose weight. There are a few problems with this one, too, such as lack of vitamins and boredom. This may work for a short while, but you’ll be back to square one soon enough.

 And there are so many more! Some say that chewing food longer and eating more slowly will help with weight loss, and still others claim that consuming baby food over regular meals is a great idea. Crazier still, some have even gone to the extreme of ingesting tapeworms to lose weight.

You may find yourself chuckling at these silly weight loss ideas, but keep in mind, many can be very dangerous to your health in both the short and long term. Keep it real—use helpers, like weight loss pills—but stick to a medically advised plan of eating healthy and exercising to lose weight now and keep it off.