Weight loss program traits have come and gone through the years. Some had been quirky, others had harmful restrictions.
Who hasn’t heard of a celebrity-backed liquid cleanse or the promise of speedy weight reduction after adhering to unusual meals mixtures?
However which of those fads really labored, and which do vitamin specialists in 2025 firmly discredit?
To assist kickstart your New Yr’s well being targets, MyFitnessPal dietitians took a deep dive into the evolving historical past of fad diets to see if any had advantage.
Additionally they offered evidence-based suggestions for constructing a sustainable, wholesome life-style, centered on vitamin for actual life.
Right here’s a decade-by-decade breakdown of probably the most iconic eating regimen fads over the previous 100 years and their impression on well being, in line with specialists.
Twenties–Thirties: The Grapefruit Weight loss program
The Pattern
Also called the “Hollywood Weight loss program,” this standard strategy concerned consuming half a grapefruit earlier than each meal. The declare? Grapefruit contained enzymes that might “burn fats,” turning the fruit right into a shortcut for weight reduction.
Dietitian Verdict
“Including fruit to your eating regimen can really be an effective way to assist with weight reduction! It provides fiber that can assist you really feel full. It’s sometimes low in energy however excessive in quantity,” says Stephanie Nelson, MyFitnessPal’s Senior Lead Diet Scientist (1).
However she emphasizes that grapefruit doesn’t burn fats.
Including grapefruit to meals “with out making another adjustments to your eating regimen gained’t really lead to weight reduction,” says Nelson.
Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Head of Diet at MyFitnessPal, agrees. She notes that grapefruit has quite a lot of nutritional vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, which helps our immune techniques (2).
“However there merely isn’t any scientific proof to help fat-burning claims about grapefruit,” she concludes.
Jaeger additionally notes that some variations of this eating regimen restricted every day energy to 800. That isn’t sufficient to satisfy every day power wants (3).
She additionally warned that grapefruit and its juice work together with some drugs (4). So, this eating regimen could also be dangerous for some individuals. At all times discuss to your physician about meals you might must keep away from for those who take drugs.
Professional Takeaway
Get pleasure from grapefruit as a part of a balanced eating regimen, however neglect the fat-burning claims. Wholesome, sustainable weight reduction requires a affordable calorie deficit and a give attention to nutrient-rich meals (5).
Forties–Fifties: The Grasp Cleanse
The Pattern
Trending within the Forties and standard once more within the early 2000s, The Grasp Cleanse, often known as the Lemonade Weight loss program, concerned a principally liquid eating regimen routine.
Throughout the primary cleanse part, dieters drank a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water for a number of days. They aimed to “detox” and shed weight.
Additionally they drank a cup of laxative tea within the night to encourage bowel actions.
Dietitian Verdict
“Juice cleanses trigger weight reduction as a result of individuals who do that primarily starve themselves,” says Nelson (6).
Notably, a lot of the load misplaced throughout cleanses is probably going because of the lack of water and muscle mass quite than precise physique fats (7).
She provides that “individuals who do that strategy are inclined to achieve the load again after the “cleanse” is over except they alter their eating regimen habits long-term (6).”
Nelson explains that folks should change their eating regimen to shed weight long-term, so this cleanse is ineffective.
Professional Takeaway
A liquid cleanse isn’t essential, and doing one could decrease your metabolism (8). Your physique already has efficient built-in detox techniques—the liver and kidneys (9, 10)!
Taking laxatives once you don’t want them may result in issues like dehydration, as you lose fluid in your stools (11).
General, Nelson advises, “it’s greatest to skip this one!”
Sixties: The Sleeping Magnificence Weight loss program
The Pattern
Essentially the most excessive model of this eating regimen suggested dieters to sedate themselves for as much as 20 hours a day. This was to keep away from consuming totally throughout these hours.
Dietitian Verdict
It is a very harmful eating regimen pattern, cautions Emily Sullivan, RD, Meals Information curator at MyFitnessPal.
Amongst severe well being issues, she warns that this eating regimen may result in malnutrition from not consuming sufficient, together with threat of dependancy to sleeping tablets (12, 13).
As a substitute, Sullivan advises getting the correct amount of sleep, which is essential for weight administration and total well being.
She means that 7-9 hours of sleep per day is right, and in reality, some analysis reveals that sleeping lower than 6 hours per evening can result in weight achieve (14).
However, she notes that oversleeping, akin to 9-10 hours nightly, has additionally been linked to weight achieve when in comparison with sleeping 7-8 hours (15).
Professional Takeaway
Prioritize high quality sleep, however persist with the really useful every day vary. Over-sleeping or utilizing sedatives to keep away from consuming has no place in a wholesome life-style. When you have disordered consuming or hassle sleeping, attain out to a health care provider or psychological well being skilled for help.
Nineteen Seventies: The Egg & Wine Weight loss program
The Pattern
This three-day eating regimen concerned consuming eggs, black espresso, and wine for breakfast and lunch. Then, steak and wine for dinner.
The concept was to scale back calorie consumption drastically however make weight-reduction plan extra “tolerable” by together with alcohol.
Dietitian Verdict
Jaeger says, “this eating regimen is low in nutrient-dense energy with a excessive focus of energy from alcohol — not the makings of a secure, balanced, nutrient-rich eating regimen.”
She notes that it lacks fruits, greens, entire grains, and wholesome fat. So following this eating regimen for a very long time could threat dietary deficiencies on account of its excessive restrictions (16).
Additionally, the eating regimen’s reliance on alcohol raises well being issues, from dehydration to impaired judgment (17, 18).
Alcohol has empty energy and promotes irritation (19, 20). This negatively impacts well being and weight targets.
General, Jaeger says that “fast fixes” and really restrictive diets don’t result in secure, efficient weight reduction or wholesome habits.
Professional Takeaway
This eating regimen displays the worst of quick-fix fads. It’s restrictive, promotes dangerous ingesting behaviors, and does nothing for long-term well being or sustainability.
Nineteen Eighties: The Cabbage Soup Weight loss program
The Pattern
This week-long eating regimen allowed limitless cabbage soup. It paired the soup with modest parts of particular meals, like skim milk or fruit, on sure days. Like many fad diets, it promised speedy weight reduction.
Dietitian Verdict
“Whereas recipes discovered on-line for making selfmade cabbage soup for this eating regimen include quite a lot of greens, this singular recipe doesn’t make for a balanced eating regimen,” says Jaeger.
This eating regimen is extraordinarily low in energy and lacks protein, fats, and different very important vitamins. Any speedy weight reduction is probably going principally water and lean muscle, not fats, and isn’t a long-term resolution (7).
Jaeger additionally emphasizes that this eating regimen doesn’t have scientific proof to help its weight reduction claims or to assessment its security.
She advises us to construct sustainable diets, avoiding fads that declare to assist us quickly meet our targets.
Professional Takeaway
Intention for selection in your eating regimen quite than specializing in one meals or kind of meal. Addressing total consuming patterns makes sustainable weight reduction extra profitable.
Nineteen Nineties: The Blood Sort Weight loss program
The Pattern
This eating regimen claimed an individual’s blood kind (A, B, AB, or O) dictated which meals had been healthiest for them.
For instance, kind O people had been suggested to eat a high-protein, meat-heavy eating regimen, limiting vegetarian proteins (21). In distinction, kind A people had been inspired to keep away from meat and as a substitute select extra seafood and vegetarian protein sources (21).
Dietitian Verdict
“The idea behind these diets is that a person’s blood kind is theorized to be their ancestral blood group,” says Brookell White, MS, RD, a Meals Information Curator at MyFitnessPal.
Although the thought of this eating regimen appealed to many, there’s a lack of analysis to help its claims.
One research of this consuming model discovered potential advantages for physique weight and a few well being markers, like blood stress and ldl cholesterol (22).
However White factors out that the well being advantages in followers had been doubtless on account of higher consuming habits (extra vegetarian meals) quite than blood kind (22).
“This appears to be the consensus for many research which have been carried out,” she says (23, 22).
Professional Takeaway
There’s no want to find out your blood kind to eat healthfully. Concentrate on evidence-based dietary patterns with loads of selection, such because the Mediterranean eating regimen.
2000s: The Uncooked Meals Weight loss program
The Pattern
One of many extra lasting traits, the Uncooked Meals Weight loss program, promotes consuming raw, unprocessed meals to retain pure vitamins and enzymes. Normally, individuals following a uncooked meals eating regimen solely eat vegan, plant-based meals.
Dietitian Verdict
Daisy Mercer, RD, a Meals Information Curator at MyFitnessPal says consuming uncooked meals like vegetables and fruit can have advantages. These meals present essential vitamins like fiber, antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and minerals (24).
Mercer additionally says that consuming uncooked typically means consuming much less processed meals. It’s going to usually present us with extra fiber, and our our bodies will work tougher to digest them. That can result in higher satiety and fewer want to overeat.
Consuming a uncooked meals eating regimen might also assist cut back consumption of sodium and saturated fat, she notes.
Moreover, uncooked plant-based meals could include extra nutritional vitamins and minerals (25). Some vitamins may be misplaced in cooking, Mercer factors out (25).
For instance, sure cooking strategies, like boiling, can drastically cut back the water-soluble vitamin content material, like vitamin C, in vegetables and fruit (26). It could be greatest to prepare dinner high-vitamin C meals extra shortly, with much less warmth and water, akin to by steaming (26).
However analysis means that a mixture of uncooked and cooked meals within the eating regimen could also be greatest for our well being (25).
A uncooked vegan eating regimen, with over 90% uncooked meals, won’t be secure long-term (25). It could trigger micronutrient deficiencies and different well being points (25).
Mercer cautioned {that a} uncooked meals eating regimen may grow to be harmful when uncooked or undercooked meats are concerned, posing a threat of foodborne sickness (27).
Professional Takeaway
Consuming extra vegetables and fruit is an effective way to help your well being. As a substitute of worrying about whether or not they’re cooked or uncooked, give attention to consuming quite a lot of plant-based meals as a part of a balanced eating regimen.
2010s: Juice Cleanses
The Pattern
Juice cleanses are once you devour nothing however juice from vegetables and fruit for a time period, typically from at some point to at least one week. It grew to become stylish as a “detox” technique, with supporters claiming it “resets” the physique.
Dietitian Verdict
Like every liquid fad eating regimen, juice cleanses could cause speedy weight reduction (28).
“That is principally on account of not consuming sufficient energy,” Mercer factors out, quite than any particular impact of the juice cleanse on weight reduction (28).
And, as soon as once more, for those who don’t make wholesome, sustainable adjustments to your eating regimen, you’ll doubtless achieve the load proper again (28).
Mercer notes that ingesting unsweetened, 100% fruit and vegetable juices moderately can increase your vitamin and mineral consumption (29).
Simply remember that juice lacks fiber. This results in fast absorption of pure sugars, which might act like refined sugar and trigger short-term blood sugar spikes (30).
Moreover, we frequently devour extra juice than we’d entire meals, leading to further energy (31).
Juices with decrease pure sugars and energy, like celery or cucumber juice, could also be higher for managing physique weight.
Professional Takeaway
Unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices may be a part of a balanced eating regimen in small quantities. Simply don’t depend on them for vitamin or pointless “cleaning” of the physique. For wholesome weight reduction, select entire fruits and veggies most frequently, and use juice splashes to taste your water!
2020s: The Carnivore Weight loss program
The Pattern
This eating regimen promotes consuming like some early ancestors who solely consumed animal merchandise, together with meat, eggs, and a few dairy. It goals for weight reduction and claims to have anti-inflammatory results.
Dietitian Verdict
Proponents of this eating regimen declare it improves illnesses and aids in weight reduction, says White.
However, she provides, “there isn’t any proof that implies that is true. The truth is, proof appears to recommend {that a} diversified eating regimen is greatest most often (32).”
She warns that the Carnivore Weight loss program lacks fiber and key nutritional vitamins, particularly C and E.
These vitamins are discovered nearly solely in crops (33, 34). They’re essential for the whole lot from intestine well being to immunity and most cancers prevention, she says (35, 36, 37).
Plus, White says that “animal merchandise are excessive in saturated fats, which can improve your threat of coronary heart illness (38).”
“Purple and processed meats are one other concern,” she says, noting that the Worldwide Company for Analysis on Most cancers considers processed meats carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and pink meats ‘in all probability carcinogenic’ (39).”
Professional Takeaway
Whereas the carnivore eating regimen could result in weight reduction, it’s restrictive and lacks important vitamins and scientific help. For one of the best long-term well being and weight outcomes, persist with a balanced eating regimen wealthy in plant-based meals.
Methods to Strategy “Fad Diets” of the Future (Spoiler: Don’t)
Trying again at 100 years of weight-reduction plan fads, one factor is evident—probably the most sustainable weight reduction methods don’t reduce corners or depend on “miracle” options.
Reasonably, they promote nutrient-rich, balanced consuming mixed with train and different wholesome habits.
“We encourage striving for progress, not the idea of perfection,” says Jaeger.
So, she advises, as a substitute of making an attempt the newest fad or revisiting an previous pattern, strive:
- Monitoring your meals
- Constructing consciousness of your vitamin habits
- Know the place you stand together with your well being
And Jaeger concludes, “most significantly, don’t let any eating regimen get in the way in which of actual life.”
“You’ll be able to select to take pleasure in a facet of fries when eating out with associates or have a slice of cake at a birthday celebration, and skip the meals guilt,” she says.
Research present that individuals who monitor their meals usually tend to obtain their weight targets.
MyFitnessPal empowers you with vitamin data that you might want to succeed.
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