5 of the Weirdest Fad Diets - Must Read!

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Fad diets are popular to those who want to lose weight. While some appear to be effective and convincing, there are also odd ones.

FamilyDoctor.org reported that fad diet is weight loss plan that promises dramatic results. Although you might see results in just a couple of days or weeks, these types of diets do not result in long-term weight loss. These strategies are also not very healthy. In fact, they can actually endanger your health.

Here are five weird fad diets in history from Paste Magazine.

1. Deal-A-Meal - this strategy helps the user create a daily balanced diet with a minimum 1,200 calories using a deck of cards. LiveStrong.com reported that this fad diet is about portion control and calorie control. Each card represents a serving from a food group that includes 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent proteins and 20 percent fats. All of the food groups include low-fat dairy, fruit, vegetables, starches and lean proteins.
2. SlimFast - this diet was launched in 1977. It is a meal replacement drink. Initially, this diet urges users to have a shake for breakfast and lunch, and a sensible dinner. However, its advocacy changed and they now offer a range of products including snacks and meal bars. This was not the first meal replacement in the market, but its timing was a better fit for busy people and in a general shift toward thinner body image.
3. Fletcherizing - Horace Fletcher popularized this fad diet in the 19th century. Fletcherizing, as it was known, is about chewing food about 100 times prior to swallowing it. Fletcher encourages this because he believes that the food needs to be properly and thoroughly mixed with saliva for proper digestion. "Nature will castigate those who don't masticate," he said.
4. The Hollywood Diet - This fad diet is also known as Grapefruit Diet. It encourages one to eat half a grapefruit at every meal. They believe that consuming a grapefruit prior to eating other food boosts one's body with fat-burning enzymes. However, science debunked that notion. If there's a reason one eats grapefruit that is because it is nutritious and very tasty.
5. Cabbage Soup Diet - Cabbage is a star in several dishes and in hundreds of cuisines. This fad diet claimed that one could eat as much and as often as he likes. However, you may not like this fact: "Weight loss is temporary and most people will re-gain any lost weight quickly. Because the Cabbage Soup Diet has such a low calorie intake and virtually no protein, almost all weight lost on this diet will be water and muscle, not body fat," said Scott Laidler.

What do you think of these fad diets? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.