16 Things That Were Considered ‘Healthy’ in the ’80s
Here's a look back at 16 things the 1980s wrongly celebrated as the height of health and wellness.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
The 1980s were a decade obsessed with being healthy, but not necessarily being informed. From low-fat snacks and sugar-loaded meal replacements to flashy aerobics and questionable diet pills, many trends were more hype than substance. These examples remind us how much health wisdom has evolved and how easily fads can override facts.
1. Low-Fat Everything
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The 1980s launched a full-scale war on fat. Supermarkets were filled with low-fat cookies, snacks, and even dairy, promoted as the gold standard of healthy eating. What people didn’t realize was that these foods were often loaded with sugar to compensate for the lack of fat, making them anything but healthy.
2. Aerobics with Leg Warmers
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Jane Fonda made sweating stylish with her home workout tapes. Aerobics became the go-to fitness craze, with participants in neon tights and leg warmers jumping and stretching in unison. It was more about looking the part than understanding actual physical health.
3. SnackWell’s Cookies
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Introduced in the late ’80s, SnackWell’s fat-free cookies were marketed as guilt-free indulgences. People ate them in large quantities, believing they were healthy due to their lack of fat. Unfortunately, they were packed with sugar and calories, undermining their supposed health benefits.
4. Tab Diet Soda
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Tab was Coca-Cola’s first diet soda, sweetened with saccharin. Despite its metallic aftertaste, it was embraced by dieters who believed anything labeled “diet” was automatically better. Long-term health concerns over artificial sweeteners were largely ignored.
5. SlimFast Shakes
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SlimFast promised easy weight loss with its “a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner” slogan. The meal replacement trend seemed revolutionary, especially to busy people. However, the shakes were high in sugar and low in lasting nutritional value.
6. Artificial Sweeteners Like Saccharin and Aspartame
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Saccharin and aspartame gained huge popularity as sugar alternatives in the ’80s. These sweeteners were added to everything from coffee to diet snacks. Concerns over potential health risks like cancer didn’t stop people from using them liberally.
7. Rice Cakes
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Dry, bland, and virtually tasteless, rice cakes were hailed as the perfect low-calorie snack. Health enthusiasts munched on them thinking they were eating clean. In reality, they had a high glycemic index and offered very little nutritional value.
8. Frozen Yogurt
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Frozen yogurt shops started booming as a “healthy” dessert alternative to ice cream. With fewer calories and fat, froyo was marketed as a guilt-free indulgence. However, once sugary toppings were added, it often ended up just as unhealthy as traditional desserts.
9. Margarine Over Butter
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Butter was demonized, and margarine took its place on millions of breakfast tables. Touted as heart-healthy due to its lower saturated fat content, margarine became a household staple. Ironically, many margarines contained trans fats, which are now known to be worse than butter.
10. Grapefruit Diet
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The grapefruit diet promised rapid weight loss by eating a grapefruit before every meal. It was based on the myth that grapefruits contain a fat-burning enzyme. The restrictive nature and lack of balance made it an unhealthy choice in the long run.
11. Granola Bars
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Granola bars appeared wholesome with their oats and nuts, suggesting a natural, healthy snack. But many brands were loaded with sugar, corn syrup, and artificial additives. They were more candy bars in disguise than nutritional fuel.
12. Carob as a Chocolate Substitute
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Carob was sold as a caffeine-free, low-fat alternative to chocolate. Health-conscious parents and schools stocked it as a better choice for kids. Sadly, it lacked both the taste and health benefits people hoped for.
13. Dexatrim Diet Pills
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Dexatrim was a widely used diet pill containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA), believed to suppress appetite. For years, it was seen as a shortcut to weight loss. Later, PPA was linked to an increased risk of stroke and eventually banned by the FDA.
14. Low-Cholesterol Egg Substitutes
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Liquid egg products like Egg Beaters were pushed as heart-healthy alternatives to whole eggs. They were popular among those fearing cholesterol. Only later did studies show that whole eggs weren’t as harmful as once believed.
15. Bodybuilding Protein Powders
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Gym culture exploded in the ’80s, and protein powders became a staple for anyone chasing muscle gains. These products were often packed with artificial flavors and sweeteners. Not all were properly regulated, and many had misleading health claims.
16. Wheat Germ in Everything
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Wheat germ was added to cereals, smoothies, and even baked goods for a supposed nutritional boost. It was praised for being rich in vitamins and fiber. While not inherently bad, the trend overemphasized its benefits without considering overall diet quality.