Restrictive weight loss plans are tough to like and tougher to follow. Nonetheless, they can be incredibly tempting if you're desperate to get thinner. Just ask William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States and someone who struggled to lose pounds so desperately that he went on an alarmingly scarce diet.

Even before he became president, Taft found his girth uncomfortable. At approximately 6 feet tall, he weighed well over 300 pounds, making him extremely obese by BMI calculators. To get trimmer, Taft sought the assistance of weight loss physician Nathanial E. Yorke-Davis. After corresponding with Taft (the two never met), the physician created a plan that helped Taft shed 60 pounds; unfortunately, Taft gained a third of it back. As a result, he endured cruel "fat joke" taun

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