10 Health Crazes That Should Have Never Taken Up Column Space
The world’s obsession with staying thin means that in some cases, some people really will try everything and anything to shed the pounds.
Unfortunately, most of the magazines and newspapers just lap these fads up, filling up columns with concepts that just border on the ridiculous.
It’s not just fat burning pills and equipment either, with any appearance-boosting product or technique immediately under the radar.
As the title suggests, we’ve scoured history to find our ten favorite health crazes that somehow managed to steal the world’s attention at some point. Let’s take a look at them.
The Acai Berry Diet
The problem with this first craze was where it came from. Some health fads come and go, but when one happens to be mentioned by Oprah it’s a different story in its entirety.
It’s actually still classed as a superfood, with some under the belief that it’s one of those miracle fat burning fruits that grow on trees. It’s meant to hold countless antioxidants and even guard against cancer but for us, the jury is most certainly still out.
The Botox Era
We call it an era, but some women are actually still in it. Botox has now been around for decades and one just has to question why.
When we spoke earlier about filling magazine columns, there’s no doubt that this health treatment does exactly that. After all, how many stories have you seen of women reporting botched lips, bloated cheeks and eyelids that look they have been on the receiving end of a Mike Tyson punch?
Of course, there are still some success stories surrounding Botox – hence its popularity. However, considering all of the horror stories that have donned the papers over the years, it certainly seems to be a craze that should have never been allowed to get this far.
The Urine Diet
That’s right – you read correctly. Here, we present the urine diet.
The fact that MMA fighters Luoto Machida and Luke Cummo both drink this “supplement” means that countless others have followed suit. Apparently, urine is something that can cure anything from allergies to forms of cancer.
While we’re happy to go with the “each to their own” strategy, one company in India has just gone a step too far. They’ve started to release cow-urine soda – with this now available at selected stores should you wish to reap the true benefits from this liquid!
The Original Powerplate
While some of the crazes noted in this piece are plain barmy, we can actually see some of the logic behind this next suggestion. In fact, we’d almost call it evolution – with vibrating belts being the “thing” back in the 1960s.
In our eyes, this was the pre-launch of the famous Powerplates which are now donning most gyms around the country. Unfortunately, the belts weren’t nearly as effective, with the mechanism hardly boasting much scientific backing. The belt would tie around the “larger areas”, before vibrating with the aim of rubbing the fat away.
Suffice to say, the gadget didn’t last long, and manufacturers were left to go back to the drawing board.
Oxygen on Tap
Imagine the day that you wander into a bar and order your favorite tipple… oxygen. That’s right, there are now bars around the country which are selling oxygen, with interested parties popping in and sucking on a pipe so they breathe the air in.
The bars are aptly named O2 and are currently based in numerous regions, including North America and Japan.
The thought behind the concept is that the famous gas can make you feel energized, powerful and somehow, popular. The fact that O2 is popping up in all sorts of places suggests to us that more and more people are (scarily) buying into this concept!
The Penis Massage
Ok, it’s not exactly as our heading sounds – but it’s just as disturbing. For years some cultures have followed the practice of removing the penis foreskin from newborn babies but unfortunately, things have gone a step further.
Now, this same skin is being included in countless cosmetic creams. If you’re not sure, take a look at some of them – the manufacturers blatantly label the “ingredient” as baby foreskin so you know exactly what’s being applied to your face.
Apparently, these creams are designed to tackle wrinkles and considering the obscene prices that these products are marked as, they must be hugely successful.
On a Similar Note…
The last craze leads us perfectly onto the next one; the placenta lunch. It’s another one of those moments where you may want to read the sentence again to confirm what you are seeing is correct.
Unfortunately, this fad came directly from Hollywood. Tom Cruise started it, with the Mission Impossible star opting to eat the placenta from his own child.
Obviously, Cruise didn’t do this without any provocation. He was inspired by Japan, with its people renowned for ingesting animal placenta – usually from a horse or a pig. Most of the time these placentas are formed into a liquid; creating quite the cocktail.
The benefits of placenta are very similar to a baby’s foreskin and revolve largely around anti-aging. Quite worryingly, it’s now even possible to buy placenta in pill form.
The Great Big Cleanse
Next, we’re onto the Master Cleanse. In short, this is one of those weird and potentially wonderful concoctions formed of cayenne pepper, lemon juice, maple syrup and water.
Those people who consume the mix claim that it’s one of the best detox diets out there and will burn fat at the same time.
The problem is that the health experts just don’t agree. Research has concluded that not only is the taste of this mix dreadful, but there is no evidence to suggest that it works. In short, starving yourself will be just as effective, and probably less painful.
Turning to Nature
Unfortunately, when we talk about turning to nature we don’t mean it in the normal sense. Just like everything on this list, this next suggestion is bordering on the unbelievable (and sickening, as a matter of fact).
Tapeworms have amassed a horrific reputation over the years, with several television documentaries highlighting exactly what they can do to your body.
This still hasn’t stopped some people from using them part as some sort of miracle-diet though. Unsurprisingly, when you do start to overindulge, the tapeworms sort any sort of weight gain problems out for you.
What’s also unsurprisingly, and definitely relieving, is that the FDA have taken issue with the practice. They don’t endorse this method of weight loss in any shape of form and any soul who does want to try it will have to obtain the worms via “other” means.
Another Contraption That Never Made it Into Commercial Gyms…
Last but not least is another device that can’t be found in a gym near you. Named the Thigh Master, this was released in the 1990s with the premise of toning your thighs.
Due to the immense commercial budget of the company behind the product (they had Suzanne Somers behind the infomercials) this fad actually sold bucket loads. However, science soon caught up with it and nowadays, you’d struggle to find one.
