What is the Judy Garland diet?

In this article, we are going to discuss the “Judy Garland diet”. I will include some of the harsh diets that Judy Garland did in her early acting career, and how they led to the development of binge eating. I will also include the side effects of Judy Garland’s diet on her health.

What is the Judy Garland diet?

Judy Garland is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her role in Wizard of Oz as Dorothy Gale.

During her career and filming, she went on extreme diets at a young age which made her develop an unhealthy relationship with food. As young as 14 years old Judy was criticized and bullied for her weight as she was given diet pills by her mother and the studio she worked on.

At 16 of age, tobacco was introduced to her diet. Tobacco was used to reduce her appetite as she was filming The Wizard of Oz. She was monitored and watched constantly. Her diet was limited to soup and a plate of lettuce. Which was so low in calories and nutrients which does not provide any energy. 

When she reached 18 years old, her diet did not stop there, it continued. She was allowed only chicken broth and coffee as food. She was put on diet pills that suppress her appetite. The pills were given so frequently every 4 hours. 

The tobacco has not stopped, she has 80 cigarettes per day. Throughout Judy’s teen years she always went on a diet, with low calories, high tobacco content, and diet pills.

Due to the period of extreme food deprivation that Judy went on, she had an adverse reaction to food. She had developed binge eating and ate all types of food. She gained 100 pounds from the long period of food restrictions. 

She developed purging and binging and yo-yo diets. The diet Judy followed is unhealthy and led to many nutritional deficiencies. 

What are the side effects of Judy’s diet?

Nicotine 

Judy’s high amount of nicotine per day has many effects on her health. It depends on the type of cigarette, but one average cigarette contains 800 to 960 milligrams of nicotine. 

There is no upper limit to tobacco use, but only consuming 1 to 4 cigarettes per day leads to an increased risk of heart disease death. It also increases the risk of lung cancer. That comes from 4 cigarettes a day, imagine the effect it has on Judy’s health when she had 80 cigarettes per day.

Unhealthy eating patterns

Judy’s diet would lead to the development of unhealthy eating patterns. Low calories diets would make you develop a food disorder. Some would include binge eating. 

Eating a large amount of food in a short time is a result of a loss of control, and they can not stop eating at all. It would make you hate food and associate it with weight gain. On the other hand, it can lead to an opposite reaction to overeating after periods of deprivation.

Deficiencies 

The diet would also lead to many nutrient deficiencies. The diet lacks macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat), and micronutrients ( vitamins and minerals). 

That would lead to many health issues. Some include compromised immune systems due to the lack of vitamin C from the lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet.

The diet leads to compromised bone health due to the lack of dairy products in the diet. Lack of calcium in the diet will lead to a reduction in bone density. This will increase your risk of fractures.

It will lead to the development of anemia due to the lack of iron in the diet. Iron is needed for the production of red blood cells. Lack of iron would lead to anemia would cause fatigue, exhaustion, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Side effects of appetite suppressant 

Appetite suppressants are a drug that leads to a reduction in appetite. It can cause many symptoms some include blurred vision, dry mouth, sleepiness, irritability, and nervousness among other symptoms.

Conclusion 

In this article, we discussed the “Judy Garland diet”.I included some of the harsh diets that Judy Garland did in her early acting career, and how they led to the development of binge eating. I also included the side effects of Judy Garland’s diet on her health.

References 

Judy Garland Was Put on a Strict Diet and Encouraged to Take “Pep Pills” While Filming ‘The Wizard of Oz’ – Biography

Judy Garland’s diet will change how you eat – Reach a healthy weight (the10principles.com)

https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/14/5/315

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