Category: Diet history

In 1863, an undertaker published what is considered the first diet book, detailing his remarkable weight loss. That book described what was the original Banting diet, a pioneering low-carbohydrate eating plan that influenced modern dietary approaches and made 'Banting' a verb synonymous with dieting.

Developed in the 1920s by Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic, the ketogenic diet was originally made for treating pediatric epilepsy that did not respond to medication. The discovery mimicked the therapeutic effects of fasting, offering a new hope for managing intractable seizures in children.

First documented by American researcher Ancel Keys in the mid-20th century, the term *Mediterranean diet* was coined to describe the traditional eating patterns he observed in Southern Europe. This was based on the strikingly low rates of heart disease among populations in countries like Italy and Greece.

In 2010, the Mediterranean diet was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but its modern popularity stems from research in the 1950s led by American physiologist Ancel Keys. Keys is widely considered the founder of the modern concept, though the eating patterns he studied had existed for millennia.

The modern ketogenic diet, known as keto, was first developed for a medical purpose, not weight loss. Its name was coined almost a century ago by a Mayo Clinic physician who was seeking a therapeutic alternative to fasting for treating epilepsy. This historical context sheds light on the scientific reasoning behind its unique name.

The belief that restricting carbohydrates aids weight loss isn't a new phenomenon; it dates back to the 19th century with a figure largely forgotten today. While many credit Dr. Robert Atkins, the true history of who came up with the low-carb diet begins with a Victorian-era undertaker who documented his own personal weight loss journey.

The ketogenic diet was not originally designed for weight loss, but rather as a medical treatment for a neurological condition. This high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen was first developed in the 1920s at the Mayo Clinic to help control seizures in children with epilepsy, building upon the metabolic effects of fasting.

In the 1920s, famed bodybuilder Charles Atlas advocated for an 'exclusive milk diet' as a secret to building strength. He recommended consuming up to five quarts of milk daily in conjunction with his Dynamic Tension exercise program. This article explores what the Charles Atlas diet of milk was and whether it was truly as effective as he claimed.

In 1863, an English undertaker named William Banting published a self-help pamphlet that quickly became a sensation, pioneering the idea of a low-carb diet for weight loss. His publication, *Letter on Corpulence*, detailed a revolutionary eating plan that represented the definitive answer to the query, 'What was the fad diet in 1863?'.

Following the end of World War II rationing in the mid-1950s, a consumer boom meant more food and, for many, an increase in average body weight. This shift created a fertile market for weight-loss schemes, with magazines targeting women and promoting new ideals of a slimmer figure.