17 Photos Of What Dieting Looked Like In The 1970s

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 01/30/2025 in wow

There is no substitute for losing weight. Healthy eating and an active lifestyle combine for a caloric deficit, until you've reached your target. It's hard, it's slow, and... God I just want a Reeses cup.

Companies have tried to capitalize on people's desires to cheat their weight loss for a long time, and few decades were worse at it than the 1970s.

Here are 17 images that show what it looked like to diet in the 1970s.

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1.
2. Tab
One calorie Coke, and it was awful.
3. Grapefruit Diet
This involved eating grapefruit with every meal, or even just grapefruit for a time. People thought grapefruit possessed fat burning enzymes. Needless to say this isn’t healthy.
4. Ayds
Vitamin and mineral candy, with an unfortunate name.
5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet
This involved eating nothing but Pineapple two days a week, helping you lose weight, and increasing your “drive.”
6. Shasta
Another diet soft drink.
7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters”
A Weight Watchers recipe, 1974.
8. The Israeli Army Diet
Read it for yourself, and eat like a soldier.
9. Ephedra
Mixing ephedrine and caffeine was supposed to reduce hunger. If only they’d waited for Ozempyc, they would have had much more success.
10. Figurines Diet Bars
The candy bar that helps you lose weight… (not).
11. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet involved eating nothing but cabbage soup for extended periods of time. Not only questionable, but gross!
12. Dexatrim
Advertised as an appetite suppressant, this drug was eventually pulled from shelves in 2000.
13. Crow Light
You just don’t hear about light whiskey anymore.
14. Egg and Wine
This diet appeared in Vogue in the ‘70s, and included lots of eggs, lots of wine, and nothing else. Sounds fun… for a day.
15. The Last Chance Diet
Seen here with its creator, this dangerous diet had users forego all solid food in place of protein drinks.
16. Big Sugar Ad
How did anyone diet in the 1970s with this kind of misinformation? 1971 ad.
17. More Sugar Ads
God, I want to cheat on my diet.

1.
2. Tab
One calorie Coke, and it was awful.
3. Grapefruit Diet
This involved eating grapefruit with every meal, or even just grapefruit for a time. People thought grapefruit possessed fat burning enzymes. Needless to say this isn’t healthy.
4. Ayds
Vitamin and mineral candy, with an unfortunate name.
5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet
This involved eating nothing but Pineapple two days a week, helping you lose weight, and increasing your “drive.”
6. Shasta
Another diet soft drink.
7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters”
A Weight Watchers recipe, 1974.
8. The Israeli Army Diet
Read it for yourself, and eat like a soldier.
9. Ephedra
Mixing ephedrine and caffeine was supposed to reduce hunger. If only they’d waited for Ozempyc, they would have had much more success.
10. Figurines Diet Bars
The candy bar that helps you lose weight… (not).
11. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet involved eating nothing but cabbage soup for extended periods of time. Not only questionable, but gross!
12. Dexatrim
Advertised as an appetite suppressant, this drug was eventually pulled from shelves in 2000.
13. Crow Light
You just don’t hear about light whiskey anymore.
14. Egg and Wine
This diet appeared in Vogue in the ‘70s, and included lots of eggs, lots of wine, and nothing else. Sounds fun… for a day.
15. The Last Chance Diet
Seen here with its creator, this dangerous diet had users forego all solid food in place of protein drinks.
16. Big Sugar Ad
How did anyone diet in the 1970s with this kind of misinformation? 1971 ad.
17. More Sugar Ads
God, I want to cheat on my diet.

17 Photos Of What Dieting Looked Like In The 1970s

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17 Photos Of What Dieting Looked Like In The 1970s

1.

2. Tab
One calorie Coke, and it was awful.

3. Grapefruit Diet
This involved eating grapefruit with every meal, or even just grapefruit for a time. People thought grapefruit possessed fat burning enzymes. Needless to say this isn’t healthy.

4. Ayds
Vitamin and mineral candy, with an unfortunate name.

5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet
This involved eating nothing but Pineapple two days a week, helping you lose weight, and increasing your “drive.”

6. Shasta
Another diet soft drink.

7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters”
A Weight Watchers recipe, 1974.

8. The Israeli Army Diet
Read it for yourself, and eat like a soldier.

9. Ephedra
Mixing ephedrine and caffeine was supposed to reduce hunger. If only they’d waited for Ozempyc, they would have had much more success.

10. Figurines Diet Bars
The candy bar that helps you lose weight… (not).

11. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet involved eating nothing but cabbage soup for extended periods of time. Not only questionable, but gross!

12. Dexatrim
Advertised as an appetite suppressant, this drug was eventually pulled from shelves in 2000.

13. Crow Light
You just don’t hear about light whiskey anymore.

14. Egg and Wine
This diet appeared in Vogue in the ‘70s, and included lots of eggs, lots of wine, and nothing else. Sounds fun… for a day.

15. The Last Chance Diet
Seen here with its creator, this dangerous diet had users forego all solid food in place of protein drinks.

16. Big Sugar Ad
How did anyone diet in the 1970s with this kind of misinformation? 1971 ad.

17. More Sugar Ads
God, I want to cheat on my diet.

1.

2. Tab

3. Grapefruit Diet

4. Ayds

5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet

6. Shasta

7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters”

8. The Israeli Army Diet

9. Ephedra

10. Figurines Diet Bars

11. The Cabbage Soup Diet

12. Dexatrim

13. Crow Light

14. Egg and Wine

15. The Last Chance Diet

16. Big Sugar Ad

17. More Sugar Ads

Share This Image

0 Comments

eBaum's Picks

1.

2. Tab One calorie Coke, and it was awful.

3. Grapefruit Diet This involved eating grapefruit with every meal, or even just grapefruit for a time. People thought grapefruit possessed fat burning enzymes. Needless to say this isn’t healthy.

4. Ayds Vitamin and mineral candy, with an unfortunate name.

5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet This involved eating nothing but Pineapple two days a week, helping you lose weight, and increasing your “drive.”

6. Shasta Another diet soft drink.

7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters” A Weight Watchers recipe, 1974.

8. The Israeli Army Diet Read it for yourself, and eat like a soldier.

9. Ephedra Mixing ephedrine and caffeine was supposed to reduce hunger. If only they’d waited for Ozempyc, they would have had much more success.

10. Figurines Diet Bars The candy bar that helps you lose weight… (not).

11. The Cabbage Soup Diet This diet involved eating nothing but cabbage soup for extended periods of time. Not only questionable, but gross!

12. Dexatrim Advertised as an appetite suppressant, this drug was eventually pulled from shelves in 2000.

13. Crow Light You just don’t hear about light whiskey anymore.

14. Egg and Wine This diet appeared in Vogue in the ‘70s, and included lots of eggs, lots of wine, and nothing else. Sounds fun… for a day.

15. The Last Chance Diet Seen here with its creator, this dangerous diet had users forego all solid food in place of protein drinks.

16. Big Sugar Ad How did anyone diet in the 1970s with this kind of misinformation? 1971 ad.

17. More Sugar Ads God, I want to cheat on my diet.

1.

2. Tab

3. Grapefruit Diet

4. Ayds

5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet

6. Shasta

7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters”

8. The Israeli Army Diet

9. Ephedra

10. Figurines Diet Bars

11. The Cabbage Soup Diet

12. Dexatrim

13. Crow Light

14. Egg and Wine

15. The Last Chance Diet

16. Big Sugar Ad

17. More Sugar Ads

Share This Image

0 Comments

eBaum's Picks

2. Tab
One calorie Coke, and it was awful.

3. Grapefruit Diet
This involved eating grapefruit with every meal, or even just grapefruit for a time. People thought grapefruit possessed fat burning enzymes. Needless to say this isn’t healthy.

4. Ayds
Vitamin and mineral candy, with an unfortunate name.

5. The “Hot” Pineapple Diet
This involved eating nothing but Pineapple two days a week, helping you lose weight, and increasing your “drive.”

6. Shasta
Another diet soft drink.

7. “Crown Roast of Frankfurters”
A Weight Watchers recipe, 1974.

8. The Israeli Army Diet
Read it for yourself, and eat like a soldier.

9. Ephedra
Mixing ephedrine and caffeine was supposed to reduce hunger. If only they’d waited for Ozempyc, they would have had much more success.

10. Figurines Diet Bars
The candy bar that helps you lose weight… (not).

11. The Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet involved eating nothing but cabbage soup for extended periods of time. Not only questionable, but gross!

12. Dexatrim
Advertised as an appetite suppressant, this drug was eventually pulled from shelves in 2000.

13. Crow Light
You just don’t hear about light whiskey anymore.

14. Egg and Wine
This diet appeared in Vogue in the ‘70s, and included lots of eggs, lots of wine, and nothing else. Sounds fun… for a day.

15. The Last Chance Diet
Seen here with its creator, this dangerous diet had users forego all solid food in place of protein drinks.

16. Big Sugar Ad
How did anyone diet in the 1970s with this kind of misinformation? 1971 ad.

17. More Sugar Ads
God, I want to cheat on my diet.