10 Dangerous Diets That Can Lead to Tragic Consequences 0 11

Moreover, without modern transportation, people were more active (not everyone had a cart or a horse) — so it was difficult to gain weight. Overweight individuals were extremely rare and mostly found among the wealthy classes: hence the fashion for plumpness as a symbol of wealth and power. For example, Russian empresses were deliberately fattened before marriage, as the nobility did not approve of excessive thinness. Eastern dancers were not considered attractive without a little belly.

In those times, diet was perceived as a means of treatment — it was even mentioned by Hippocrates, but no one aimed for weight loss. It was only those who needed an active lifestyle for their profession who first thought about consciously losing weight. And they came up with all sorts of ideas.

Wine Instead of Water

By 1087, English King William the Conqueror had become so overweight that he could not mount a horse. Instead of food, he decided to drink… wine, to "wash away the excess fat": water was considered a drink for commoners at that time. This absurd diet is considered one of the first in the world. Historians argue, the internet is buzzing. And by the way, the king eventually died — he fell off his horse. He was probably drunk.

Vinegar Diet

Lord Byron, a 19th-century poet who dreamed of pale skin — to look more noble — lost weight on vinegar. He believed that extra pounds did not add to his romantic image. Byron drank vinegar diluted in water and soaked all his food in it, hoping that the acid would break down excess fats in his body. He did indeed become pale, but died at 36. An autopsy revealed that all of the poet's organs were exhausted.

Hello, Worms

Seriously? Yes, indeed. People swallowed tapeworm eggs so that they would interfere with digestion and absorption of food, thereby reducing appetite. Of course, appetite can disappear just from the thought that there is a 9-meter worm inside you. And there were also side effects: diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, rashes, nausea, intestinal bleeding, meningitis, dementia. Among those who lost weight with the help of worms was the great 20th-century opera singer Maria Callas, and the cause of her death remains unknown.

Fat Explosion

After World War I, the image of a slender woman with a boyish figure became fashionable. Everyone began to strive for weight loss. In the 1930s, doctors noticed that men working with explosives and pesticides were inexplicably losing weight. It was found that the harmful substance dinitrophenol was the cause. So what if it’s harmful, the main thing is — they are losing weight! That’s what chemists decided and began adding the herbicide to weight loss products. As a result, 100,000 people were harmed, most of whom were poisoned or lost their sight. Fatal outcomes also occurred.

Chew, But Don’t Swallow

American nutritionist Horace Fletcher believed that every piece of food should be chewed 32 times until it turned to liquid: “Whatever is left, spit it out.” Horace himself lost 20 kilograms and earned the nickname — The Great Chewer from his followers. His followers included high society figures: magnate John Rockefeller, writers Henry James and Mark Twain. However, modern nutritionists do not approve of this method: it can lead to bulimia. And spitting is considered impolite.

Eat Cotton Balls

We thought it was a joke — but no. Several well-known models, including Bria Murphy, daughter of Eddie Murphy, confirmed that many models lose weight on cotton balls. They dip them in orange juice and eat them to feel full. When they want variety, models replace cotton balls with paper napkins. All these girls suffer from anorexia (and seem to be mentally impaired).

Only Cabbage

If you eat only cabbage for a week — for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, fried, stewed, and fermented — you can lose 4 kilograms. However, you will feel dizzy, nauseous, and excessively bloated. Who needs that? This applies to all mono diets.

Energetic Diet

A young mother from New Zealand was unsuccessfully trying to lose weight. Suddenly, she had an idea: I won’t eat, I will only drink — but not water, rather energy drinks, to stay alert. The woman drank 10 to 14 cans of energy drinks a day, lost 45 kilograms, had a heart attack, and nearly left her children without a mother. This is not a good idea.

Sleep Well, Pounds

This method is harmful — doctors have proven it, yet it is still practiced. It’s very simple: sleep as much as possible. Sleeping means not eating. Elvis Presley practiced this diet, taking handfuls of sleeping pills. What was the result? Obesity and early death.

Revert to Childhood

This idea came from Hollywood (what won’t they think of?): eat 14 jars of baby food a day, washed down with breast milk — and you will lose weight. Where to get breast milk is unclear. And nutritionists are horrified: people on this diet will catastrophically lack protein. Come on, they are not infants.

We strongly recommend not to revert to childhood and, in general, to extremes. If you really need to lose weight, there are time-tested (and doctor-approved) diets that do not promise magical slimness in a week, but help lose weight at a proper pace, with effort (as you would expect?) and — most importantly — safely for health. Because losing weight and dying is tragically foolish.