Dietary Trends

1905

• Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters advocates calorie counting as a way to lose weight
• Tobacco farmers advocate using "Lucky" cigarettes as a way to combat the temptation of eating sugar

1910

• Food scales become central to diet plans. "Without scales, no cure," written by the physician, Gustave Gaertner, the inventor of the food scales

1918

• As the nations rapidly growing obsession with dieting begins-so does the emphasis on calorie counting. Dr. Peters writes a book entitled "Diet and Health With a Key to the Calories"

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• Health-O-Meter & Detecto, private bathroom scales become a popular phenomenon in monitoring weight-loss
• Dr. William Howard Hay promotes a food-combining diet. He suggests that slow chewing along with keeping the starches, fruits, and proteins separated into different meals will help balance a body's pH levels, thus inducing weight loss
• Hollywood's 18-day diet keeps participants to a 585 calorie-a-day diet. The diet consists of mostly grapefruit, oranges, eggs and melba toast
• This era again sees a food-limiting diet with the lamb chop and pineapple diet
• (1928) Low-calorie diets hit an all time low for severely obese patients: 600-750 calories daily

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1932

• A meal substitute, a 'slimming powder,' goes on sale at beauty parlors, thanks to Dr. Stoll

1938

• Severely obese patients are now being prescribed a 400 calorie-a-day diet by their physicians

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1948

• TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is the first national dieting organizational group to be introduced. The founder, Esther Manz from Milwaukee, prescribed low-calories, scales, food diaries and mutual support for her members

1950

• The first dieter's cookbook is published, "Reducer's Cookbook"

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1960

• Mead Johnson's diet formula Metrecal starts a large national advertising campaign
• Many followers begin their imitation brand of Metrecal
• Dieting support groups expand
• Overeaters Anonymous is founded

1961

• "Calories Don't Count" by Herman Taller becomes a best-seller and gives advice about a high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet.
• Dr. Irwin Stillman publishes his book this same year "The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet," which promotes the same dieting ideas as Herman Taller

1963

• Jean Nidetch introduces Weight Watchers
• Dexitrim tablets introduced
• Popular diets of this time:
  • Pritkin
  • Beverly Hill
  • Three-Martini-Lunch
  • Open-Stomach-Surgery

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1972

• "Diet Revolution" is written by Dr. Robert Atkins, which advocates plenty of meat and fat; carbs are not allowed

1976

• "The Last Chance Diet" is written by Robert Linn, prescribes fasting and a liquid-protein drink made from animal tendons and hides. Fifty-eight deaths are associated with these diet drinks because they lack essential nutrients

1979

• Very-low-fat diets hit the stage with Nathan Pritkin's "Pritkin Program for Diet & Exercise"

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1981

• Judy Mazel, diet counselor and avid dieter herself, publishes "the Beverly Hills Diet," high in fruit. She claims that no weight will be gained if the foods are properly digested with abundant quantities of pineapple, mango, and papayas, consumed on a rotating schedule.
• The Cambridge Diet is introduced by Jack Feather and endorsed by a doctor at Cambridge University, which prescribes a very-low-calorie liquid-protein drink. Thirty people die before the drinks are banned

1983

• Jenny Craig weight-loss company begins

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1992

• Atkins publishes a new book, "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution"
• The food pyramid is introduced by the USDA

1993

• Low-fat diets re-emerge: "Eat More, Weigh Less" by Dean Ornish is a low-fat vegetarian diet

1995

• Low-carb, high-protein diets return with the publication of Barry Sears' "The Zone"

1996

• A revised version of Mazel's "The New Beverly Hills Diet" is released

1999

• A claim by Lord Byron resurfaces claiming that vinegar consumption burns body fat – abook also surfaces, "Lose Weight With Apple Vinegar"
• Again, Atkins publishes a revised edition of his book – his diet gains much more recognition and publicity

2003

• Miami doctor Arthur Agatston publishes "The South Beach Diet." His diet is a mixture of the low-fat, high-carb and low-carb, high-protein diets

2004

• The 'low-carb craze' begins to settle, leaving consumers to search for the next diet trend
• Grain Foods Foundation founded to help put common sense back into American diet, based on sound science the nonprofit organizations releases scientific proof that state bread and grains are not only good for you, they are essential for optimal health
• USDA prepares to release revised food guidelines to tackle rise in obesity and direct nation to make healthy daily food choice

2005

• The Grains for LIFE public education program launches to educate the American public about the time-honored equation for achieving well-being: consume fewer calories, get more exercise and follow common sense. As the "Bread. It's Essential." creative campaign goes up in New York City and Washington DC, Grain Foods Foundation spokespeople actively speak out about the myriad health benefits associated with bread and grain consumption.

Information obtained from: HealthyPlace.com & KeepMedia.com

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