One might say that fad diets have been around as long as there have been humans who believed that food might in some way be related to health. Over the centuries, and across many cultures, some outrageous things have been ingested with the intent of having an impact on an individual's health and well-being. For the sake of this discussion, fad diets will be considered in terms of the current preoccupation with weight loss. When thinking of trying a fad diet in the hope of shedding some extra pounds, any individual may want to consider the following before heading off to the market with a new shopping list and best-selling weight loss book in hand.