Winter Edition  2012
Losing weight is a commitment. And as with all of life’s great accomplishments, it can be a long, difficult process.
We all know that the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight are numerous. Yet we also live in an impatient society, one
that values quick-fixes and instant gratification. As a result, fad diets, which trumpet their ability to melt off pounds with
minimal effort, have flourished.
Palm readings, astrology hotlines and the weight loss industry share one business model, selling hope to desperate
people. Americans squander $40 billion a year on weight loss products and programs, many of them fad diets. The diet
industry’s wild success is largely a reflection of the country’s weight loss obsession. Ironically, the population continues to
get heavier. Coincidence?
Fad diets, the meat and potatoes of the diet industry, are best compared to a sort of a one-hit-wonder. Out of the blue,
they explode to fame, only to dissipate in the wake of the next revolutionary product or diet, one that promises better
results, with less effort, in a shorter amount of time.
Here are some of the more questionable one-hit-wonders to have taken the weight-loss industry by storm:
1. The Grapefruit Diet
Time Period: 12 days
Sample Meal: Grape fruit, a scrap of toast, an egg
Promises: To lose 10 pounds in 12 days
Does It Work? Well, yeah, when your daily intake hovers at 600 calories a day, you’ll lose weight. But as soon as
the dieter returns to normal food, the lost weight will rebound.
2. The Lemon-Aid Diet
Time Period: 4 to 14 days
Sample Meal: 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grade-B organic maple syrup, 10
teaspoons cayenne pepper mixed into 10 ounces filtered water. Repeat at least 6 times a day.
Promises: Lose up to 20 pounds in 10 days
Does It Work? Of course you’re going to lose weight when you stop eating. But this kind of diet can also be
dangerous, as the lemon aid concoction is deficient in all the essential nutrients: calories, vitamins,
minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat.
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3. The Cabbage Soup Diet
Time Period: 7 days
Sample Meal: Cabbage soup and a piece of fruit
Promises: 10 pounds of weight loss within a week
Does It Work? Because the soup is high sodium, most the weight lost is water, so it’s certainly not permanent.
Medical experts have since issued a host of health cautions, citing the diet’s extremely low levels of
protein coupled with high sodium content. Sadly, the cabbage diet, and variations thereof, will
probably continue to exist for as long as cabbage roams this earth.
4. The Cookie Diet
Time Period: However long the dieter wants
Sample Meal: You may eat up to four hunger-controlling cookies a day, in addition to a strict healthy eating plan. A typical meal may consist of lean protein, a salad and less than 40 calories worth of dressing.
Promises: Up to 15 pounds a month
Does It Work? Yes, but it’s of no thanks to the cookie. It’s the otherwise, very-healthy diet plan of lean meats,
veggies and low-sugar.
5. The Chocolate and Pasta Diet
Time Period: However long the dieter wants
Sample Meal: 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, 2/3 cup whole wheat pasta, 1 cup leafy greens 1 cup fresh
mixed vegetables, 1 tbsp low fat dressing. Note that a typical meal doesn’t include chocolate.
Promises: None
Does It Work? Yes, but like the cookie diet, it works because of its very healthy eating plan. It masks itself behind
promises of chocolate and pasta, yet it only allows for one ounce of chocolate and a very limited
amount of pasta per day. In reality, the bulk of its eating plan consists of veggies and lean proteins.
6. The Five-Bite Diet
Time Period: Ongoing
Sample Meal: Five bites
Promises: Lots of weight loss
Does It Work? Yes, depriving yourself of food will make you lose weight. But five-bites of lunch and dinner
(breakfast is basically ignored) will not meet all your nutritional needs. For the long-term, a person
cannot sustain themselves on the five-bite diet, and this sort of “crash” diet will cause your
metabolism to slow.
7. The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet
Time Period: Ongoing
Sample Meal: Before meals, add 2-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a large glass of water.
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Promises: Apple Cider Vinegar will torch fat, raise metabolism, increase energy, decrease bloating and
suppress your appetite.
Does It Work? Any weight loss can likely be attributed to the big glass of water that is required before each meal.
Drinking large quantities of water, especially before meals, has long been attributed to weight loss.
8. The Genotype Diet
Time Period: Ongoing
Specifics:
This diet classifies everyone into one of six genetic types: The Hunter, The Gatherer, The Teacher,
the Explorer, the Warrior, and the Nomad. A person’s legs, torso, index finger and ring finger
measurements, as well as their fingerprint pattern, blood type and family history determine their
genotype and the meal plan they should follow.
Sample Meal: Depends on your type. The Teacher, for example, should stay away from all poultry except for emu,
ostrich, squab and turkey. The Teacher should also note that while artichokes, arugula, kale,
dandelion greens, escarole, fiddlehead ferns, grape leaves, kelp, and turnip greens are fine,
spinach is OUT OF THE QUESTION.
Promises: Drop weight, reach and maintain the weight your body is supposed to be.
Does It Work?
Sure, it works, and the weight loss is likely attributed to the diet’s exercise and healthy eating
plan, and not to the dieters ability to turn their “bad genes off.”
Healthy Answers’ Ridiculous List Of Fad Diets!
Yes, there are diets that actually make this list. Some of these diets are actually banned in the USA, all of them should
never be attempted. The reason why they are included in this paper is simply to illustrate how far some folks will go to lose
weight. Obviously, they are foolish diets that don’t work and could actually make you very ill. Please do not try these at home.
The Cotton Ball Diet
Nothing like eating a generous heap of cotton balls to fill you up before each meal. Cotton may be the fabric of our
lives, but eating it isn’t going to make you thin. As surprising as this may be to some, cotton has no nutritional value
and is not meant to be eaten. Even worse, it can cause serious digestive problems.
The Tapeworm Diet
First off, this diet has been banned in the U.S. But, if you can get past that roadblock, this diet is as simple as they
come: swallow a worm-laced pill, sit back, and let the worm feast on your stomach’s contents.
The idea is that if a worm is digesting your food, you’re not. But eating tapeworms- a parasite that can be
unintentionally caught through raw, contaminated meats-does not usually bring to mind images of glowing health.
Despite the obvious grossness associated with eating a worm, this diet has much more severe consequences: bloating,
nausea, and diarrhea, and a very real danger that the worms could lay eggs in other tissues, such as the nervous
system, which could cause seizures, dementia and meningitis.
The Alcohol Diet
Centuries before the concept of the “calorie” was ever created, there was William the Conqueror, who apparently got
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so fat he had trouble staying on his horse. He created his own weight loss technique; drink only alcohol, no food, just
alcohol. The alcohol-only diet was born. This diet didn’t go so well for him (and it won’t for you either). When he died
in 1087, he was so obese, clergy had a hard time fitting him in his coffin.
In modern times, this diet is still practiced by college students, most who probably have beer guts and bad grades.
Conclusion:
The list of diets goes on and on. With the exception of a few, diets will work, but only if you make a commitment to
do what you are supposed to do. Unfortunately many people want a quick fix, so they are easily taken in by any new and
different diet to hit the streets, only to find the pounds quickly go back on when the diet stops. The real secret to losing
weight lies in the number of calories you consume in relation to the amount you burn.
If you have been an inactive person, and you combine a low calorie diet with an increase in exercise, you have the
formula for success. Just by beefing up your activity and watching your calories, you should see the scale begin to move in
your favor.
Remember, fad diets are called that for a reason. They come and go like bell-bottom jeans, but if you learn to eat well
and exercise a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day, you’ll adopt a healthy lifestyle that will last a lifetime.
We are committed to helping you.
Visit HealthyAnswers.com and let us help support you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We offer natural health
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