Throughout the centuries, people have tried just about every diet going in the quest for a slimmer waistline and better health. However, fad diets are notoriously difficult to sustain – and in some cases, they can be dangerous (and even deadly). Here, nutritionist Angela Dowden rounds up some of the most eccentric, weird and risky diets from the 1500s to the present day, counting down to the most bizarre.

Click or scroll through our gallery to learn about some of the strangest and most gruesome diets from history, including some people still follow today.

We've based our ranking on the strangeness, danger and ineffectiveness of each diet, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Horrible historic diets you're glad you never had to try