Feast, Famine, and Murder: The Shocking History of Diet's and a Murder

0:00 Welcome to the Strange History Podcast, the podcast where we dive deep into the weird, wild, and sometimes downright dangerous. From the absurd to the extreme, people throughout history have gone to great lengths to shed pounds and chase the elusive dream of the perfect body. Today, we're taking a journey through time, exploring the diets that have captivated and sometimes harmed those in search of a quick fix. So grab a grapefruit, chew your food thirty two times, and get ready for a history lesson you won't forget.

0:39 Our story begins in the early nineteenth century with Lord Byron, the brooding poet known for his romantic verses and his obsession with staying thin. Byron popularized what may be one of the earliest recorded fad diets, the vinegar diet. He believed that drinking vinegar daily would cleanse the body and suppress appetite. While it probably did curb his hunger, since consuming too much vinegar can lead to stomach distress, it also made him sickly pale. But in an era where thinness was equated with intellectualism and beauty, many followed his example, even if it meant sacrificing their health.

1:17 Historical accounts show that Byron's diet had widespread influence. In eighteen twenty, young women across England and France started following his example, leading to an uptick in reported fainting spells and malnutrition related illnesses. Physicians at the time even warned of byron Mania affecting young society women. Then there was Sylvester Graham, the man who gave us the Graham Cracker. You might think of them as the base for s'mores, but Graham's original version was anything but sweet. His strict vegetarian diet aimed to curb sinful desires, including lust.

1:53 His followers, known as Grahemites, believed in a diet free from spices, meat, and profit cessed flour. Sound familiar. Many of today's clean eating trends echo these ideas. In eighteen thirty seven, a group of Graham's followers established one of the first health food communes in upstate New York. However, the rigid dietary restrictions led to severe deficiencies, and many members abandoned the movement after suffering health problems. Fast forward to the nineteen twenties, a time of jazz prohibition, and believe it or not.

2:30 The cigarette diet ads encouraged people to reach for a lucky instead of a suite, promoting smoking as an appetite suppressant, and it worked. Nicotine does suppress hunger, but at what cost. The obvious dangers of smoking eventually led to a decline in this deadly diet strategy, but not before it hooked millions on tobacco. Hollywood actress Bette Davis was known to use cigarettes to maintain her thin frame, and many aspiring actresses followed suit. Some even reported fainting on set due to malnourishment caused by excessive smoking.

3:05 In the nineteen fifties, enter the cabbage soup diet the promise eat as much cabbage soup as you want and the pounds will melt away. But anyone who tried it quickly realized the side effects a bored palette and well, let's just say, an overly active digestive system. A famous case from the nineteen sixties involved a group of flight attendants who were placed on the cabbage soup diet by their airline to maintain appropriate weight standards. Several reported severe dizziness and fatigue, leading to policy changes regarding employee diets.

3:38 Hollywood always had a love affair with dieting, but the nineteen sixties took it to another level. Enter the Sleeping Beauty diet, where people were sedated to sleep through hunger pangs. Yes, you heard that right, sleeping instead of eating. Even Elvis Presley reportedly tried this one. Elvis Presley's physician, doctor George Nicopolis, was known to prescribe heavy sedatives to help him lose weight. Tragically, these medications contributed to his deteriorating health and eventual death in nineteen seventy seven.

4:12 Then the nineteen seventies brought us the Scarsdale Diet, a highly restrictive, low carb plan that promised dramatic weight loss in just two weeks. Its creator, doctor Hermann Tarnower, gained notoriety when his lover murdered him in a fit of rage, a diet scandal with a true crime twist. Doctor Tarnauer was not just known for his medical expertise. He was also infamous for his tumultuous personal life. He had been in a long term relationship with Jean Harris, the headmistress of the Madeira School for Girls in Virginia.

4:48 Two Their relationship spanned over fourteen years, but it was far from perfect. Tarnower was known to have multiple affairs, including one with his much younger secretary. On March tenth, nineteen eighty, Jean Harris drove from Virginia to Tarnauer's home in Purchase, New York. She carried a point three to two caliber revolver with her. Harris later claimed she intended to commit suicide after confronting Tarnower one last time. However, upon discovering evidence of Tarnawer's affair in his bedroom, an argument ensued.

5:24 According to Harris, Tarnauer dismissed her as crazy and demanded she leave. In the heat of the moment, a struggle over the gun occurred. Tragically, Tarnauer was shot four times at close range and died from his injuries. Harris was arrested and charged with second degree murder. The trial that followed captivated the nation. Harris claimed that the gun had discharged accidentally during their struggle. Despite her defense, Jean Harris, Tarnauer's lover, was convicted of his murder in nineteen eighty one, claiming she had endured years of emotional turmoil due to his obsession with dieting and other women.

6:06 The case dominated headlines and even inspired a TV movie. The murder of doctor Herman Tarnower remains one of the most sensational cases in true crime history. It serves as a stark reminder of how passion and betrayal can lead to devastating consequences. The nineteen eighties introduced liquid meal replacements like slim Fast and Oprah Winfrey's infamous Optifast journey, where she lost sixty seven pounds, only to gain most of it back after reintroducing solid food. The diet industry was booming, but so was diet failure.

6:42 Oprah's highly publicized weight loss on Optifast culminated in her nineteen eighty eight talk show episode where she wheeled out sixty seven pounds of fat in a wagon. However, she later admitted that liquid dieting was unsustainable, leading to a shift in how America viewed quick fixed diets. The nineties and two thousands saw the rise of low carb madness, first with the Atkins diet and later the Keto diet. Cutting carbs became the holy grail of weight loss, and while some found success, others experienced extreme fatigue and nutrient deficiencies.

7:19 Doctor Robert Atkins himself reportedly suffered from severe heart disease despite advocating for a high fat, low carb lifestyle. His critics pointed to this as a cautionary tale against extreme dieting. Then there was the Master Cleanse, a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Beyonce famously used it for rapid weight loss, leading fans to gulp down spicy lemonade in the hopes of achieving a bootylicious body. Many who followed the Master cleans reported severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

7:54 Several emergency room cases were linked to this diet, showing its potential dangers. And let's not forget the celery juice diet, the latest craze claiming to detox the body. Spoiler alert, your liver already does that. But hey, if you like celery, go for it. So what have we learned? Fads come and go, but balance, sustainability, and overall health should always be the goal. If a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Thanks for tuning in, hit subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what's the weirdest diet you've ever tried.

8:33 Until next time, eat well, stay informed, and don't believe everything you read on the internet.