VLCD – Very Low Calorie Diet – the vintage way

Whether it’s Beyonce’s maple syrup cleanse, or Uma Thurman’s aversion to cooked food – lots of celebrities take on some strange eating habits in order to shed some pounds, and their diets are a regular cause of controversy.

It’s a popular assumption that celebrity food crazes are a modern phenomenon, but the January 1929 issue of American magazine Photoplay, uncovered by Jezebel.com, proves that fad diets are nothing new.

The article, titled ‘The Menace of Hollywood’, warns women of the risks of Joan Crawford’s VLCD (very low calorie diet).

Back then, the typical Hollywood A-list menu for the day consisted of hot water for breakfast, a few tablespoons of consommé (a clear soup made from stock), a few crackers and some tomatoes for lunch, then a piece of pineapple, a spoonful of cottage cheese and a glass of buttermilk for dinner.

That’s 305 calories – that’s all that period celebs were consuming in a day in order to achieve the perfect figure.

However, we now know so much more about physical and mental health than we did in 1929, and while VLCDs are still one of the quickest ways to lose weight fast, the products are now nutritionally complete formulated liquid meals that provide less than 800 calories per day.

Find out more about VLCDs and whether it’s the right choice for you.

[1929 Photoplay image via Archive.org]