Cabbage Soup Anyone? The 40 Most Ridiculous Diet Fads
A nationwide study has identified the silliest health and wellbeing trends of modern times, with the cabbage soup diet emerging as number one.
The cabbage soup diet gained popularity in the 1980s as a radical weight loss programme based on only consuming cabbage soup for seven days.
Considered a fad diet by experts and used for short term weight loss, fainting and flatulence are reported to be some of its less savoury side effects.
At number two came the baby food diet. The internet phenomenon, rumoured to have been started by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, to control portions and cut calories, saw relatively sane people replacing regular meals with jars of baby food.
We guess the benefit might be that it was easy to control portion sizes because who on Earth could stomach more than a couple of spoonfuls of baby food in one go?!
Prancercise, the holistic fitness method, developed by Joanna Rohrback in the 1980s, which saw people prancing around like horses, came third.
Close runners up included twerking classes – the dance work out that evolved from the viral internet sensation – which claims to strengthen muscles in every part of your body and burn 500 calories an hour. Raw diets, face yoga, and the widely discredited but still popular no-carb Atkins diet. Just make sure you carry a mouthwash with you at all times if attempting that one!
And when it came to the most entertaining fitness accessories we’ve dabbled in as a nation over the years, g-string leotards, sauna suits, and lycra cycling shorts all made the grade.
The study of 2000 UK adults also explored who we looked to for fitness inspiration before Instagram workouts and #fitspiration. Mr Motivator, Davina McCall and Jane Fonda led the race in that one.
When it comes to the diet and fitness trends Brits have actually tried themselves, at the top of the list was using fitness trackers, followed by Boxercise, then running weights.
Jamie Ward, CEO of flexible fitness network Hussle told Belle About Town: “This research gives a fascinating insight into the fitness trends of the past few decades. Today we live in an ever frenetic 24/7 world, with Brits now seeking for flexible and efficient fitness solutions that fit into their lifestyle.
“We partner with 2,700 gyms, pools and spas across the UK to give flexible access to fitness facilities allowing people to easily make fitness a part of their day, not a deviation . By having the freedom and flexibility to work out whenever and wherever they like, we hope people will be inspired to keep up their fitness regime.”
The study found that, on average, Brits will give up a new fitness trend just three days in.
We’re pretty sure that three days of cabbage soup and Twerking is three days too many for us!
MOST RIDICULOUS FITNESS AND DIET FADS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS – ACCORDING TO BRITS
- Cabbage soup diet: 32 percent
- Baby food diet: 31 percent
- “Prancercise”: 30 percent
- Twerking classes: 27 percent
- G-string leotards: 27 percent
- “Laughercise”: 26 percent
- The apple cider vinegar diet: 25 percent
- Mermaid swimming classes: 20 percent
- Raw diet: 20 percent
- Face yoga: 19 percent
- The Atkins diet:17 percent
- The grapefruit diet: 17 percent
- Vitamin drips: 16 percent
- Green tea diet: 15 percent
- Juicing diets: 15 percent
- “Pramercise”: 15 percent
- Sauna suit: 15 percent
- Leg warmers: 14 percent
- Vibrating ab belts: 14 percent
- Cycle karaoke: 14 percent
- Lycra cycling shorts: 13 percent
- Punk rock aerobics: 13 percent
- Shake weight: 12 percent
- Sweatbands: 12 percent
- The 5:2 diet: 11 percent
- The Paleo diet: nine percent
- Hot yoga: nine percent
- Belly dancing: nine percent
- Jazzercise: nine percent
- Hula hooping classes: nine percent
- Pole dancing: eight percent
- Boxercise: eight percent
- Aerial yoga: eight percent
- Thigh master: seven percent
- Ab rollers: seven percent
- Running weights: seven percent
- Abdominator: six percent
- Rollerblading: six percent
- Jane Fonda workout: six percent
- Body blade: six percent
