Fad Diets Throughout History: A 10-question Quiz

Question 1. In the earliest depiction of the human form, an artifact dating back to 35 000 BC, a woman portrayed as being voluptuous was what? 

Answer: B. Obese. The first depiction of the human form can be dated back to an artifact from 35 000 BC which portrayed an obese woman as voluptuous.¹

Question 2. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates prescribed which popular dietary item as food and medicine?

Answer: A. Garlic. Hippocrates made garlic a big part of his therapeutic armamentarium and many believed it could help with fertility and night blindness.²

Question 3. In the first centuries AD, many Christians, including saints, suffered from which eating disorder?

Answer: C. Anorexia mirabilis. Also called holy anorexia, this disorder became common because Christians believed that the physical body was the enemy of the soul. Many restricted their food intake, and some starved themselves, to achieve a holier state.³

Question 4. William the Conqueror instituted a fad diet in the 11^th century when he became overweight and went on a regimen of almost nothing but what?

Answer: B. Alcohol. William the Conqueror, or “King of the Liquid Diet,” stopped eating foods and consumed only liquor in perhaps the world’s first liquid diet, one that ultimately was unsuccessful.³

Question 5. In 1558, overweight Italian nobleman Luigi Cornaro wrote about his successful “Immortality Diet” and then lived to what age?

Answer: D. 102. In the first actual diet book, The Art of Living Long, Cornaro described his diet of just 12 oz of food and 14 oz of wine per day and advised others to do the same. By living until the age of 102, he lent credence to the diet’s nickname.^3,4

Question 6. When excess weight became more apparent in the 18^th century, Thomas Short observed that fat persons often live near swamps and offered them what weight loss tip?

Answer: D. Move away from the swamp. Short revealed his profound, yet simple, Avoiding Swamps Diet in The Causes and Effects of Corpulence.⁵

Question 7. In 1864, overweight undertaker William Banting published a diet book that was so popular the term “I am banting” became famous for what meaning?

Answer: C. "I am on a diet." In the book, Letter on Corpulence, Banting described the ailments he attributed to his former fatness and his dietary tips were to abstain from or greatly reduce consumption of bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, and potatoes and eat mostly meat, vegetables, and wine.³

Question 8. Which of the above were popular 20^th century fad diets?

Answer: E. All of the above. The Grapefruit Diet,Lemonade Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, and the Tapeworm Diet are all popular fad diets from the 20^th century.⁴

Question 9. The currently popular Paleo Diet is most reminiscent of the original caveman diet in what respect?

Answer: B. Emphasis on eating whole, unprocessed foods. The Paleo Diet has brought dieting full circle with a return to eating lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds-natural foods that were obtained through hunting and gathering thousands of years ago.⁶

Question 10. True or false? US News rated the Ketogenic Diet the best overall diet and Weight Watchers® the best for weight loss for 2019.