It is essential to stay healthy and in shape, which is why so many people try diets every year. But not all diets are created equally. Some are really great, effective, and safe.

It is essential to stay healthy and in shape, which is why so many people try diets every year. But not all diets are created equally. Some are really great, effective, and safe.

But other diets are really not good for you and not even that effective in helping you lose weight. It is important to understand the science behind a diet before trying.

Many do not like the reality of losing weight safely, which means taking it slow and steady. So they risk trying dangerous diets, but these can come back to seriously bite you if they begin to cause health issues.

If you are looking for healthy ways to lose weight and want to learn about diets you should avoid, learn more about these 8 popular diets that are surprisingly bad for your health.

1. The werewolf diet
This diet does not sound very dangerous but more so ineffective: the boundaries dictate that you can only consume water, fruits and vegetables on the full moon or new moon. There is no evidence to suggest this is effective. And if dieters do not follow up with good eating practices after this 24-hour diet, the weight they lost will come right back.

2. The military diet
This diet is also known by some as the hot dog diet, and it is not the most effective for keeping weight off for the long term. It is focused on consuming low calories, which is supposed to speak up your metabolism. But this could possibly put your body into starvation mode and cause your body to hold on to more calories than it normally would.

3. The five bite diet
The Five Bite diet is seriously dangerous, and really shouldn’t be followed under any circumstances. This diet claims that you can skip breakfast, eat five bites of food for breakfast, and then eat five bites at dinner. Sources claim that the diet was created by a medical professional named Dr. Alwin Lewis, but doesn’t sound medically safe in the least bit.

4. The baby food diet
A diet where adults eat actual baby food? Yes, this fad diet actually exists. With this weird diet, you replace an actual meal at lunch breakfast and lunch with 14 jars of baby food. You choose low-calorie baby foods, which is supposed to also help you lose weight. But this is definitely an unsafe way to attempt losing weight.

5. The master cleanse diet
The Master Cleanse became popular when Beyonce publicized her success with it. Many people have seen success with this diet, but it is not the healthiest way to lose weight. It entails drinking a mixture of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, water, and maple syrup. The diet suggests you drink this 6 to 12 times each day you are on the diet. This is dangerous and does not give your body nutrients it needs. Also, after the cleanse, the weight will likely bounce right back.

6. The grapefruit diet
Grapefruit is a great source of nutrients, packed full of potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. But this is only good for you in moderation; too much of any good thing can end up being harmful for you. This fad suggests you only eat grapefruit for up to 12 days. This is a very scary road to travel, and experts say can cause serious health issues overall.

7. The cotton ball diet
This may be one of the most dangerous diets on the list. Not only are you not consuming substantial food with this diet, but you are ingesting foreign objects that are made with chemicals: cotton balls. With this diet, you dip five cotton balls into orange juice, smoothies, or some sort of liquid and eat them. Sounds appetizing, right? Avoid this diet at all costs.

8. The tapeworm diet
This tops the chart as the most dangerous diet listed, as it entails letting an actual tapeworm feed off of your body to lose weight. This goes without saying, but the TapeWorm diet is a grave mistake to undertake, and can actually lead to serious physical damage and even death.