March 9, 2009

Diets through Ages

          March, National Nutrition Month®, is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

          In celebration of this year’s event, the American Dietetic Association compiled a listing of diet fads beginning in the 1800’s.  As you review this listing, you will see some similarities in their “quick –fix” attempts.

1820 - Vinegar and Water Diet - Made popular by Lord Byron

1825 - Low Carbohydrate Diet – First appeared in The Psychology of Taste by Jean Brillat Saverin

1830 - Grahams Diet – Only legacy was that graham crackers were invented

1863 –Bantings Low Carbohydrate Diet – “Banting” becomes a popular phrase for dieting

1903 - Horace Fletcher popularizes “Fletcherizing” – chewing food 32 times

1917 - Calorie counting introduced by Lulu Hunt Peters in her book “Diet and Health with a Key to Calories”

1925 – Cigarette Diet – Ad campaign of “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet”

1928 – Inuit Meat and Fat Diet – Promoted eating caribou, raw fish and whale blubber “

1928 – Hay Diet – Carbohydrates and proteins are not allowed at the same meal

1928 - Dr. Stoll’s Diet Aid – One of the first liquid diet drinks

1934 – Banana and Skim Milk Diet - Backed by the United Fruit Company

1950 - Cabbage Soup Diet – Noted side affect of gas and gas pains

1950   Grapefruit Diet also known as the Hollywood diet

1960 –Zen Macrobiotic Diet – Created by Japanese philosopher George Ohsawa

1961 – Calories Don’t Count Diet – The FDA filed a charge against this diet and its claims

1964 – Drinking Mans Diet – Substituted beer for food. The Harvard School of Public Health denounced this diet as unhealthy

1976   Sleeping Beauty Diet – Individuals were heavily sedated for several days and subsequently did not eat much

1976 – Liquid Protein Diet – Original liquid drinks were low in vitamins and minerals

1981 – Beverly Hills Diet – Only fruit for the first 10 days, but in unlimited amounts

1985 – Fit for Life Diet – Avoid combining protein and carbohydrates at the same meal

1985 – Caveman diet – Food from the Paleolithic era

1986 – Rotation Diet – Number of calories to be consumed rotated from week to week

1987 – Scarsdale Diet – Low carbohydrate, low-protein diet

1990 – Cabbage Soup Diet – The 1950’s diet resurfaces on the expanding Internet

1994 – Dr. Atkins – Another high protein, low carbohydrate diet

1995 – Sugar Busters Diet – Eliminated refined carbohydrates from the diet

1996 – Eat Right for Your Type Diet – Diet based on your blood type

1999 – Juice, Fasting and Detox – Several diet methods combine in one diet

2000 – Raw Foods Diet – Focuses on uncooked, unprocessed organic foods

2001 – High Protein, Low Carb Diet – Updated version of the 1994 version

2004 – Coconut Diet – Fats replaced with coconut oil

2005 – Cheaters Diet – Cheating on the weekend is required

2006    Maple Syrup Diet – Featured a special syrup and lemon drink