15. Judy Garland
Not all celebrity diets have been chosen by the celebrities themselves. During the heyday of the studio system, the movie studios often controlled nearly every aspect of their actors’ lives — right down to what they ate. CBS News reports that “no matter what Judy Garland ordered at MGM Studios cafeteria, the staff was instructed to serve the actress only chicken soup with matzo balls.” Garland referred to the imposed diet as her “prison menu.”
16. Joan Crawford
The worry over the dangers of following extreme celebrity diets is nothing new. Jezebel unearthed a 1929 article warning readers not imitate the eating habits of the stars. The article’s author, Katherine Albert, discusses Joan Crawford’s diet specifically: “I have seen Joan Crawford make an entire luncheon on a few tablespoons of cold consomme, a dish of rhubarb and a half a dozen crackers thickly spread with mustard, And this a day after day performance.”
17. Elvis Presley
The king of rock and roll was known for his eccentric and often opulent tastes. Later in life, he struggled with obesity and other health issues aggravated by unhealthy living and substance abuse. According to Insider, the rock-and-roll legend used sleep as a means of weight loss. It is rumored that an “unknown doctor of ill-repute was…to have gone as far as using a medically-induced coma to help Presley shed some pounds.”
But don’t chalk these strange celebrity diets to celebrities. Some of the brightest minds also suffered…