The 1980s were a wild time for weight loss fads. It seemed like every month there was a new “miracle” diet that promised instant results, whether it was drinking nothing but shakes, cutting out entire food groups, or eating in ways that defied common sense. Looking back, some of these trends were not just strange—they were downright dangerous. But back then, with flashy marketing and celebrity endorsements, they all seemed like the next big thing.
1. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This one was exactly what it sounded like—eat as much cabbage soup as you wanted, and the pounds would supposedly melt away. The diet claimed you could lose up to ten pounds in a week, which wasn’t exactly surprising since you were basically living on watery vegetables. The catch was that as soon as you stopped, the weight came right back, usually with a vengeance. US Health News emphasizes the importance of having a week-long plan for this diet.
People swore by it, probably because the extreme low-calorie intake did lead to rapid (but temporary) results. The biggest problem was that it was incredibly boring and left dieters feeling weak and miserable. After a few days, even the most dedicated followers found themselves dreaming of real food, and the endless bowl of cabbage soup quickly lost its appeal.
2. The Grapefruit Diet
The Grapefruit Diet had been around for decades, but it had a real resurgence in the ’80s. The idea was that grapefruit had a special fat-burning enzyme, so you had to eat half a grapefruit with every meal. Everything else on the menu was strictly low-carb and high-protein, making it one of the earliest versions of today’s trendy ketogenic diet. This diet continues to capture researchers’ attention, to the point Vanderbilt University conducted a survey back in 2006.
The problem? There was no scientific proof that grapefruit had any magical fat-melting properties. Sure, it was low in calories, but the real reason people lost weight was because they were barely eating anything else—and once they stopped, the pounds piled right back on.
3. The Beverly Hills Diet
Created by Judy Mazel, this diet insisted that weight gain was caused by eating foods in the wrong combinations. You had to start with a ten-day phase of eating nothing but fruit, then slowly add in other food groups—but only under strict rules. The diet claimed your body would digest food more efficiently this way, leading to effortless weight loss. For those still curious about this fad, WebMD hosts a thorough breakdown on everything to know about this diet.
In reality, it was just another starvation diet dressed up with pseudoscience. Eating mostly pineapple and papaya for days might make you drop weight, but it also left you feeling weak and deprived. The only thing effortless about it was regaining the weight as soon as you returned to normal eating.
4. The Cambridge Diet
This one was one of the most extreme liquid diets of the decade, pushing dieters to survive on just 330 to 500 calories a day. You drank prepackaged shakes and soups that promised to provide “all the nutrients you needed” while your body burned fat at an alarming rate. It was basically a starvation plan, and some doctors even warned that it was dangerous. As to whether it’s a safe, compelling idet option, Women’s Health took a deep dive into its pros and cons.
People did lose weight—how could they not, when they were barely eating? But the side effects included dizziness, weakness, and in some cases, heart problems. Not surprisingly, it was later reformulated to include more calories, but by then, the damage had been done for many.
5. The Scarsdale Diet
This was a high-protein, low-carb diet that promised rapid weight loss with a strict two-week eating plan. You had to follow an exact menu, eating lean meats, vegetables, and small amounts of fruit while avoiding anything considered too indulgent. If you wanted a treat, you were out of luck—this plan had no room for flexibility.
It worked, but not because of any special science—it just severely restricted calories. Once the two weeks were up, people tended to go right back to their old habits, undoing any progress. The diet eventually fell out of favor, mostly because it was so hard to stick with.
6. Slim-Fast
“Shake for breakfast, shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner!” That was the promise of Slim-Fast, which became a household name in the ’80s. These meal replacement shakes made dieting seem simple, and since they were packed with vitamins and minerals, they were marketed as a nutritionally complete alternative to real meals.
The problem? People got bored—fast. Drinking chalky, artificial-tasting shakes day after day was no way to live, and as soon as dieters stopped replacing meals, the weight crept back up.
7. The Sugar Busters Diet
This diet claimed that sugar—not fat—was the real culprit behind weight gain. The idea was to eliminate all refined sugar and high-glycemic foods to stabilize blood sugar and keep insulin levels in check. It was one of the early predecessors of modern low-carb diets.
It sounded reasonable, but the strict rules made it hard to follow long-term. Cutting out sugar meant saying goodbye to most processed foods, which was great in theory but difficult in a world where everything seemed to have added sugar. The diet had a solid foundation but felt nearly impossible to sustain.
8. The Rotation Diet
The Rotation Diet promised fast results by alternating between different calorie levels throughout the week. You’d eat 600 to 1,200 calories for a few days, then gradually increase before cutting back again. The idea was that your metabolism wouldn’t slow down because it never had time to adjust.
In reality, it was just another way to starve yourself. The low-calorie days were miserable, leaving dieters weak and hungry, and the “increase” days weren’t much better. It eventually faded into obscurity, mostly because it was just too complicated to follow.
9. The Hot Dog Diet
Yes, this was a real thing. One of the many bizarre meal plans floating around in the ’80s, this diet had people eating hot dogs, eggs, and grapefruit in a very specific combination. It claimed to help you lose weight fast, though nobody seemed to know exactly why it worked.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t. It was just another low-calorie diet disguised as something special. Most people abandoned it once they got sick of eating the same weird combination of foods every day.
10. The Herbalife Diet
Herbalife wasn’t just a diet—it was a whole business. The company sold protein shakes, supplements, and herbal weight-loss products, all promising to help you shed pounds effortlessly. It was marketed through multi-level marketing, meaning people were not only dieting but also selling the products to friends and family.
While some swore by it, many found that the shakes and supplements weren’t a magic bullet. The weight loss came from calorie restriction, not the products themselves. And once people stopped buying in, they usually gained the weight right back.
11. The Banana Diet
This diet made the wild claim that eating bananas—sometimes up to ten a day—could help you lose weight. The idea was that bananas were full of fiber and would keep you full longer while providing essential nutrients. Some versions even encouraged people to eat bananas and nothing else for several days.
The reality? While bananas are a healthy fruit, eating them exclusively is not a balanced diet. People lost weight simply because they were eating fewer calories, but they were also missing out on vital nutrients.
12. The Rice Diet
Another extreme diet, this one focused on eating mostly rice, fruit, and a few vegetables. It was ultra-low in sodium and fat, making it popular for quick weight loss and even for managing high blood pressure. However, it was also extremely low in protein and left people feeling constantly hungry.
People did lose weight, but at the cost of feeling weak and irritable. Like most of these extreme plans, it wasn’t sustainable. Eventually, most people just went back to eating normally—and regained the weight they had lost.
13. The Bread and Butter Diet
Believe it or not, some people in the ’80s were convinced that eating only bread and butter could lead to weight loss. The idea was that bread provided carbohydrates for energy while butter kept you feeling full, so you wouldn’t be tempted to snack. Some versions of the diet allowed small amounts of lean protein or fruit, but the foundation was endless slices of buttered bread.
It might have sounded appealing at first—who doesn’t love bread and butter? But eating nothing but carbs and fat wasn’t exactly a recipe for good health. People quickly found themselves feeling sluggish and unsatisfied, and any weight lost was mostly water weight that came right back once they returned to a normal diet.
Looking back, it’s wild to think about the lengths we went to in pursuit of weight loss in the ’80s. So many of these diets were just starvation wrapped in a new package, but at the time, they seemed revolutionary. While we’ve learned a lot since then, the diet industry still thrives on making weight loss seem effortless and new. Hopefully, we’ve learned to be a little more skeptical before jumping on the next big trend!
