The Shipwreck Diet

Studies conducted by the U.S. Army in the late 1940s sought to determine the minimum amount of food a person would need to survive if they were shipwrecked on a desert island.

One of the oddities the researchers discovered was that if, for some reason, the shipwrecked person had to choose between steak and water, they should choose the water: "Protein has the effect of drying up the body. Therefore eating a steak on a desert island with little or no water available would probably be worse than eating nothing, depending upon how long rescue took."

"Shipwreck Diet: One of eleven Army volunteers who for six weeks will live on biscuits and water at the Metropolitan Hospital, New York City, to determine a human survival ration."
Newsweek - Mar 15, 1948

Waterloo Courier - Nov 16, 1949

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 16, 2020 - Comments (4)
Category: Food, Nutrition, Experiments, 1940s, Dieting and Weight Loss

Sugar Doping

1924: Despite being fed sweet hot tea and peppermint creams in an experimental attempt to increase their energy, the Yale soccer team lost to the visiting team by 5 to 1.

Bridgeport Telegram - Nov 11, 1924

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 10, 2020 - Comments (0)
Category: Sports, Experiments, Junk Food, Nutrition, 1920s

Halloween Donut Party

Throughout the 1950s, the donut industry tried hard to make Donut Parties a Halloween tradition. Their PR men also claimed that donuts could help make Halloween "more nutritious."

San Bernardino County Sun - Oct 30, 1957

San Bernardino County Sun - Oct 30, 1957

Oct 23, 1955 - “Dos & Don’ts for Halloween Donut Party”

The Salem News - Oct 17, 1955

Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 31, 2019 - Comments (4)
Category: Food, Junk Food, Nutrition, Halloween

The Gandhi Diet

I'm surprised no one has yet cashed in on this and written a bestseller called THE GANDHI DIET.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 26, 2017 - Comments (0)
Category: Celebrities, Reformers, Do-gooders, Agitators and SJWs, Nutrition, Historical Figure, 1930s, India

Ice Cream as Health Food

Original ad here. (Scroll to the left.)

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 13, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Advertising, Children, Junk Food, Nutrition, 1930s, Australia

ABOUT [email protected]%N TIME

France has enacted a law limiting excessively thin models from working until their BMI reaches a minimum level set forth in the law. Fines and even jail time can be leveled against fashion houses and modeling agents trying to use models that are thinner than the law allows. Its about time we quit letting vanity destroy our little girls.

Posted By: patty - Sun Apr 05, 2015 - Comments (13)
Category: Addictions, Eating, Design and Designers, Fashion, Food, Nutrition, Health, Disease, Mental Health and Insanity

The First Dog Whisperer

Much iconography that was once taken for granted as part of our culture now means nothing to people. Does any youth of today understand that a Napolean hat = crazy?

Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 26, 2015 - Comments (4)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Nutrition, Dogs, 1960s

Nutritionally Questionable Diets

Oddee gives us a list of diets that are most likely not nutritionist approved. The All Man-Juice Diet sounds interesting. It seems like it should be followed more strictly than described at the link though.

Posted By: patty - Sat May 11, 2013 - Comments (3)
Category: Nutrition

Nutritional Advice from BOYS’ LIFE

Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 09, 2012 - Comments (17)
Category: Magazines, Candy, Chocolate, Junk Food, Nutrition, 1930s, 1940s

The Benefits of Placentophagy

In a recent article in the journal Ecology of Food and Nutrition, Mark Kristal argues that placentophagia (that is, the eating of afterbirth or placenta) could offer significant benefits for humans — especially considering that all other mammals (including non-human primates) do it. (link: ScienceDaily.com). These benefits might include increasing mother-infant interaction, increasing the effects of pregnancy-mediated analgesia in the delivering mother, and potentiating opioid circuits in the maternal brain that facilitate the onset of caretaking behavior. He acknowledges that these possible benefits don't warrant "the wholesale ingestion of afterbirth," but he does think the issue deserves further study.

The strange thing is that although all other mammals practice placentophagy, no human cultures do (according to Dr. Kristal) — except for Hollywood celebrities.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 09, 2012 - Comments (6)
Category: Babies, Food, Nutrition, Health