The second worst weight-loss diet I have heard of was conceived by England’s William the Conqueror in the year 1087. He had apparently grown too large for his horse, so he locked himself indoors where he substituted food for alcohol in a desperate attempt to lose weight. The diet actually worked, but mankind never got a chance to see the long-term affects of it since he ironically died of complications due to a fall from his horse later that same year! Substituting food for alcohol? Isn't that the definition of severe alcoholism? And the guy had a country to run! Sad to say, but no wonder he fell off his horse...
"Eat, eat, eat and always stay thin – or so claims a promotional poster for The Tapeworm Diet" (See note below) This one gets my vote for the most unhealthy, disgusting, and desparate attempt to lose weight ever conceived by man. "All" you had to do to kick off this diet was swallow a worm-laced pill and watch as the worm dined off your food. (That's a picture of one in the top left-hand corner). "Besides the obvious ick factor associated with eating a worm, (not to mention the bloating, nausea, and diarrhea which came with their presence), there was 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. Thankfully, this terrible diet has died out… or has it? Although the worm in question – the taenia saginata cysticercus – cannot be legally purchased or transported in the United States, there are several internet sites available to teach you how to become infected with the worms." (IBID)
History gives us the reason behind King William's weight-loss program. But what could possibly have been the thought process behind eating tapeworms to lose weight? Behind actually advertising and marketing the "product"? I saw an episode of "1,000 Ways To Die" with my son that featured a young woman who died a horrible death after attempting this diet. It's the story from that very starnge show that stuck with me the most.
I know that it is not easy to change one's eating habits. Any habit is hard to break. But there are some wonderful people out there who have put a lot of effort into publications that provide options that make the transition from unhealthy to healthy eating relatively easy. Without them, I could have never lost the weight I needed to and kept it off. I have mentioned Cooking Light and Healthy Cooking magazines and have links to them both in the right column of my Blog. Not everyone has the time to cook a complicated meal every night, but these magazines contain "super fast" or "meals in minutes" segments, too. They also contain tips for packing healthy lunches and snacks for work. And if you find you have to eat out, the book "Eat This, Don't Eat That, Restaurant Guide" is a good one to keep on hand. The great thing about all these resources is that, in time, you learn the calorie and other counts for most common foods and it becomes easier to just "know" what to eat. Plus, when you get into the habit of eating healthy, you actually begin to develop a distaste for the unhealthy foods you may have once craved.
We can recoil in shock at the tapeworm diet or question the judgment of someone who would actually replace all food with alcohol. But continually overeating, or eating a very unbalanced diet, will have its repercussions as well. It's never too late to make a positive change - especially one you can live with.
Until next time, happy and healthy eating!
(Note: Information on the tapeworm diet obtained from Mark'sDailyApple.com, "Top 10 Craziest Diet Fads")
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