
80s Diets to Avoid or Embrace
by Jane Duncan, freelance writer
Aug 30th 2019
The Grapefruit Diet

The Elizabeth Taylor Diet
The book, 'Elizabeth Takes Off: On Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Self-Image, and Self-Esteem,' saw the top Hollywood actor giving women advice on how to look and feel good. Taylor suggested that her readers keep their diets secret so as not to bore friends. Her diet was strict on the one hand, and ultra indulgent on the other, comprising dry toast and fruit for breakfast, and weird concoctions like tuna, tomato pasta, mayonnaise and grapefruit for her main meals. She also downed peanut butter and steak sandwiches, and advocated for pig-out days, which she alleged helped her stick to her diet on other days. She felt that staying in shape was a matter of loving yourself, and in this sense, she certainly hit the nail on the head.
The Cabbage Soup Diet

Hmm,I think I'll stick to Crispy Pancakes - Mark (editor)
The Scarsdale Diet
This diet promised to help people shed 20 pounds in 14 days, and reviews of results were actually good. It followed quite a sensible approach, since it essentially required dieters to consume three meals a day, comprising 43% protein, 22.5% fat, and 34.5% carbohydrates. The only downside to this diet was how strict it was. Not only did it involve precise measurements/weight of food, but also demanded that food be prepared and garnished in a very precise manner.
The Scarsdale Diet was one of many that spread like wildfire thanks to celebrity support. Consumers think they are in a unique age of influencer marketing, yet the big diet boom of the 80s shows the extent to which people have always turned to ‘experts’ for dietary and health advice. Today, dieters generally embrace either the low-calorie or low-carb options, both of which have produced pretty interesting results. Interestingly, celebrities seem to talk much less about dieting, and much more about what Elizabeth Taylor espoused: building your self-esteem.