Year of the diet.
Dr Robert Atkins publishes the New Diet Revolution, aka the high-fat, high protein, low carbohydrate diet. The theory is that high fat intake leads to a reduction in the body's insulin. The increase in production of ketone bodies (that replaces glucose in the body when carbohydrates are low) then leads to a decrease in appetite.
Beverly Hills Diet, devised by Judy Mazel, advocates the consumption of combinations of fruits prior to meals. Apparently the enzymes in certain fruits could help the breakdown of foods, but her "the more time you spend on the toilet, the better" mantra has a familiar nineteenth century feel to it.
The Cambridge Diet was also released in this year, a 320 calorie a day liquid diet. Described by the Washington Post as:
"one of most dangerous ever…Postal Service and FDA stop mail order sales after two months. Thirty people die after pyramid marketing scheme replaces mail order."
Chewing The Fat: Morsels From Dieting History. The Washington Post, Style Section, October 12, 1999