Unusual Diets

Because of America's obsession with thin, any diet that gets results becomes popular. It doesn't matter if the diet is healthy or not, as long as it is successful and gets results. According to Ask The Trainer.com, if you lose weight using unhealthy methods, the weight comes back faster than before, so unhealthy methods are counterproductive. Nevertheless, Americans continue to try some very unusual diets.

Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

A lemonade and cayenne pepper "tea" are the main ingredients for the master cleanse diet.

According to Allure Magazine, Heidi Klum and the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie have both used the apple cider vinegar diet. The plan is, you take a shot of apple cider vinegar before every meal to curb your appetite. An old wives' tale insists that the vinegar cuts through the grease in your tummy just like it does when you use it to clean, a claim disputed by Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the University of Pittsburgh Weight Management Center. Furthermore, there is no information to suggests that apple cider vinegar actually inhibits appetite.

The Freegan Diet

Those who avoid animals and animal products in their diet are called vegans.

The freegan diet is for those who want to lose weight by eating free foods and food that is "second-hand." They eat only vegan, or plant-based, food. They eat nothing that comes from animals. Furthermore, they consume foods that have been discarded, engaging in Dumpster diving for foods tossed out by restaurants, grocery stores and hotels. They also eat plant matter or fruit they come across in trees. Other than being what some people consider disgusting, doctors say it's not necessarily a bad diet plan.

The Raw Food Diet

Eggplant is one of the foods allowed on the purple-food diet.

The raw food diet is not all that weird, but it is unusual. Raw foodies believe that heating foods destroys their nutrients. Devotees eat raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Food can be heated, but never above 116 degrees. The raw food diet fad turned into a movement and has gone somewhat mainstream with exclusively raw food restaurants opening up in major cities across the United States. Raw food diets are healthy, but the diet is tough to stick to.

Other Unusual Diets

Cotton balls and water do not make a meal.

Other unusual diets include: the cotton-ball diet, in which people eat cotton balls and water; the purple-food diet, where only purple-hued foods are consumed; and the master cleanse diet where a brew of cayenne peppers, lemon juice and maple syrup is sipped throughout the day. Celebrities share the blame for the rise in popularity for many of these fad diets, and America's unhealthy obsession with thinness, not fitness, has caused people to take drastic measures in their quest to lose weight.