Rare is the human being who hasn’t felt the urge to drop some unwanted pounds at some point in his or her life. For the most part, we’d like to do it in a minimum of time, and with a minimum of work and discomfort. Hence the popularity of celebrity/fad diets. Here are 6 of the wackiest we’ve come across:
1. Facial Analysis Diet
Developed by scientists in Germany, this diet proposes the theory that your face is a strong indicator of what is going on in the rest of your body. By determining what type of face you have, and therefore knowing whether your body is controlled by your thyroid, liver, prostate, etc., you are given a lists of foods to eat and a list of foods to avoid. Proponents say that not only will you lose weight quickly, but your overall health will improve. Kate Winslet reportedly uses this method.
2. The Baby Food Diet
Yup, just what it sounds like. The thinking behind this diet is that not only will that little jar of baby food provide a nice small portion size, but also that it is free of additives and full of vitamins. Potential downfalls include the possibility of binge eating later to make up for portion size designed for, well, a baby. Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston have been linked to this diet.
3. The Grapefruit Oil Diet
Stars like Jennifer Lopez and Carmen Electra are known to carry a vial of grapefruit extract with them. Why? Supposedly, it gives off an aroma that activates liver enzymes that break down fat and promote weight loss.
4. The Fish Facelift Diet
If you’re up for eating salmon three times a day, you can achieve a natural facelift without going under the knife of the plastic surgeon. Already proven to ward off heart disease, the Omega-3 acids found in the fish also are said to stimulate nerve function, flush out the skin and get rid of wrinkles and sagging. Celebrities such as Kim Cattrall and, again, Jennifer Lopez are said to be proponents.
5. The 7 Day Color Diet
Some people might call this OCD, but this diet promotes eating only foods of a particular color per day of the week. Each color is said to have properties and benefits that, when comprehensively combined throughout the week, promote overall wellness. Colors include: Blue – to aid in healthy aging (eat blueberries, raisins, etc.); Purple – similar to blue (eat blackberries, grapes, etc); Green – cancer prevention and visual health (eat pears, all green vegetables, etc.); White – heart and bone health (eat white peaches, cauliflower, etc.); Yellow – heart health and healthy immune system (eat bananas, yellow tomatoes, etc.); Orange – skin health and vision (eat carrots, peaches, etc.); Red – maintain memory and urinary tract health (eat apples, tomatoes, etc.). Christina Aguilera has been linked to this diet.
6. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This is a classic fad diet, in that it claims significant weight loss in a short time with no long-term commitment. This diet claims you can lose 10 pounds in a single week, through ingestion of a low-calorie soup, which, in its most common incarnation, includes onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery and cabbage. Since experts on nutrition claim it is nearly impossible to lose that much fat in one week, most believe the majority of weight lost is water weight, meaning it will easily be gained back. Celebrity fans are said to include Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jamie Pressley.
