My Breathtaking Bride Program helps women lose weight for their weddings without crash diets and boot camps.

FORBES: You're Getting 'Married,' Not 'Weddinged'

Experts have since tried to pinpoint the dangers of crash diets (technically known as "very low calorie" diets).

CNN: How crash diets harm your health

The true extent of the risk posed by crash diets is unclear, however.

CNN: How crash diets harm your health

Experts have known for decades that extended crash diets can be dangerous -- especially when the diets become a fad.

CNN: How crash diets harm your health

Despite centuries of supposed weight-loss remedies from anti-obesity soaps, crash diets based on vinegar to even amphetamines, fads have failed.

CNN: Why isn't there a safe weight-loss pill?

However, he warned that crash diets during pregnancy would never be recommended as a means of increasing the chances of success.

BBC: Obesity 'raises miscarriage risk'

Fat Nation is aiming to acknowledge the need for a longer-term approach than mere crash diets, and will run over two years.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Magazine | Piling on the prejudice

While tales abound of models going on crash diets and Master Cleanses and publicists surviving on coffee, cigarettes and air kisses, for many like McCotry, it's a balancing act of limiting calorie intake while meeting basic nutritional needs.

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Once all the rage, liquid protein diets fell out of favor after some crash dieters developed fatal heart rhythms.

FORBES: Before... and After