The Fad Diets Popular in the 20th Century

The low-carb, no-sugar, no-fat fad diets continually re-emerge despite insight into what actually works

Diets that aim to slim us down through radical food restrictions are nothing new. Yuriy Maksymiv/Shutterstock

Fad diets certainly aren’t a 21st-century obsession. In fact, they were also a popular way for people throughout the 20th century to slim down and improve their health. Though much has changed since then—including what we know about dieting and weight loss—many of the popular fad diets we follow today share similarities with those followed in the 20th century.

The Early 1900s

Regulating body weight became a significant concern in the 1900s, thanks to emerging evidence about the links between obesity and mortality. Like many diets today, early 20th-century diets emphasized low carb and no sugar.

One of the most popular diets in the early 1900s was the Banting diet, invented by English undertaker William Banting in 1863, who had used the diet to help him lose weight when he was obese. The diet appeared in many health manuals and women’s magazines, recommending people follow a high protein, low carbohydrate plan that avoided pork, beer, potatoes, and bread.