When it comes to burning calories, there’s no saying what some people won’t resort to. From synthetic food substitutes, acidic solutions to a spectacularly misplaced faith in the natural elements, there seem to be more and more whacky methods now to get that perfect body. Here are some of the world’s weirdest diets:
Apple Cider Vinegar diet: Heidi Klum is said to be following this diet, which is inexpensive, has no set meal plans and is pretty much guaranteed to put you off food forever. It is supposed to not only burn fat but suppress appetite. The diet recommends that you take one to three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before each meal. To get use to the taste of the vinegar, start with one teaspoon and gradually work your way up to three. There is no proof, of course, that this diet actually works.
Tapeworm Diet: This is actually quite simple. A tapeworm is introduced in your stomach, which attaches suckers to your body and sucks all food and life out of you. Although it is still used, this kind of diet is illegal in the US. Needless to say, it is also bad for your health. Statutory warning: Tapeworms can cause their hosts malnutrition, nausea, diarrhoea, anaemia and form cysts.
The Cotton Ball Diet: Again this is pretty much what it sounds like—cotton balls eaten dry or soaked in gelatin first. Presumably not for taste though. The idea is that cotton balls are low in calories but quite filling, so you won’t want to eat anything else that is fattening. It’s rumoured that a lot of swimwear models take this for their daily fibre intake.
Breatharian Diet: By far the weirdest diets in the world, the Breatharian Diet is a spiritual concept that asserts that you can survive entirely on air and perhaps some sunlight. So it’s also cheap. Australian Ellen Greve has become the face of the Breatharian Diet, otherwise known as pranic nourishment. Born in 1957, Greve, who goes by the name of Jasmuheen, claims to have not eaten real food since 1993.