For centuries, people have gone to extreme—and sometimes downright disturbing—lengths to shed a few pounds. From sleeping off the weight with heavy sedatives to sewing plastic onto their tongues to make eating unbearable, the history of weight loss is filled with some truly bizarre choices.

In this episode of Evenline, Chase dives into the strangest weight-loss fads of all time, breaking down why they existed, what they promised, and why they (thankfully) faded away. We’ll also talk about how modern weight-loss drugs like Ozempic compare to these historical oddities, and Chase shares his personal experience with the medication.

Was the past just one long, misguided diet plan? And are we still falling for the same tricks today? Let’s find out.

🚨 DISCLAIMER: This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions.

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📌 Sources & References:

1. BBC News, “Elvis Presley’s weight woes” – Rumors about the Sleeping Beauty Diet

🔗 https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30696622

2. ABC News, “Doctor Stitches Tongue to Help Patients Lose Weight” – The Tongue Patch Diet

🔗 https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/lagreatweight/story?id=10863043

3. Kathleen Thompson, “A Beautiful Fraud: Obesity Soap” – A pamphlet debunking slimming soaps

🔗 https://archive.org/details/abeautifulfraud00thomgoog/page/n5/mode/2up

4. Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, “Pounds & Inches: A New Approach to Obesity” – The origins of the HCG Diet

🔗 https://hcgdietinfo.com/Dr-Simeons-Pounds-and-Inches.htm

5. U.S. Food & Drug Administration, “HCG Diet Products Are Illegal” – FDA warnings against HCG injections for weight loss

🔗 https://www.fda.gov/drugs/questions-answers/hcg-questions-and-answers

6. Edzard Ernst, “Acupuncture – A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews” – Ear Stapling & Weight Loss

🔗 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2058447/

7. The Guardian, “Living off air: the quest to prove that Breatharianism can work” – The extreme case of Breatharianism

🔗 https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jul/14/breatharian-inedia-jasmuheen-nutrition-interview

💬 Have you tried a weight-loss trend that, in hindsight, seems absolutely wild? Share your story with us on social media or email us at [your podcast email or website]. You might just inspire a future episode.

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