Community hub
0 subscribers8 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to William Banting.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
William Banting
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
William Banting (c. December 1796 – 16 March 1878)[1][2] was a notable English undertaker. Formerly obese, he is also known for being the first to popularise a weight loss diet based on limiting the intake of carbohydrates, especially those of a starchy or sugary nature.[3] He undertook his dietary changes at the suggestion of Soho Square physician William Harvey, who in turn had learned of this type of diet, but in the context of diabetes management, from attending lectures in Paris by Claude Bernard.[3][4]
Key Information
Professional career
[edit]In the early 19th century, the family business of William Banting of St. James's Street, London, was among the most eminent companies of funeral directors in Britain. As funeral directors to the Royal Household itself, the Banting family conducted the funerals of King George III in 1820, King George IV in 1830, the Duke of Gloucester in 1834, the Duke of Wellington in 1852, Prince Albert in 1861, Prince Leopold in 1884, Queen Victoria in 1901, and King Edward VII in 1910. The royal undertaking warrant for the Banting family eventually ended in 1928 with the retirement of William Westbrook Banting.[5]
Weight loss diet
[edit]Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public
[edit]In 1863, Banting wrote a pamphlet, called Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public,[6] which contained the particular plan for the diet he followed. It was written as an open letter in the form of a personal testimonial. Banting accounted all of his unsuccessful fasts, diets, spa and exercise regimens in his past. His previously unsuccessful attempts had been on the advice of various medical experts. He then described the dietary change which finally had worked for him, following the advice of another medical expert. "My kind and valued medical adviser is not a doctor for obesity, but stands on the pinnacle of fame in the treatment of another malady, which, as he well knows, is frequently induced by [corpulence]." (p24) His own diet was four meals per day, consisting of meat, greens, fruits, and dry wine. The emphasis was on avoiding sugar, saccharine matter, starch, beer, milk and butter. Banting's pamphlet was popular for years to come, and would be used as a model for modern diets.[4] Initially, he published the booklet at his personal expense. The self-published edition was so popular that he determined to sell it to the general public. Despite the success of the booklet, Banting opted to forgo profits from the self-published versions, instead donating the profits to charity.[7] The third and later editions were published by Harrison, London. Banting's booklet remains in print as of 2007,[citation needed] and is still available on-line.[citation needed]
"Banting" as a verb
[edit]The popularity of the pamphlet mentioned above was such that the questions "Do you bant?" or "Are you banting?", still occasionally in use today, refer to his method, and sometimes even to dieting in general.[3] In Swedish, "banta" is still the main verb for "being on a (weight loss) diet" and "bantning" the corresponding noun. Scientist Tim Noakes popularised Banting in South Africa when he named his high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet after Banting.[8][clarification needed]
Legacy
[edit]Gary Taubes' study of carbohydrates, Good Calories, Bad Calories, begins with a prologue entitled "A brief history of Banting" and discusses Banting at some length.[9] Discussions of low-carbohydrate diets often begin with a discussion of Banting.[10][11][12][13][14]
Personal life
[edit]Banting was a distant relative of Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin.[9] Banting is buried alongside his wife and daughter at Brompton Cemetery, London, England.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Crystal, David (2006). Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Books, Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-102715-9.
- ^ "William Banting". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1320. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b c Groves, PhD, Barry (2002). "WILLIAM BANTING: The Father of the Low-Carbohydrate Diet". Second Opinions. Retrieved 26 December 2007.
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 192–193.
- ^ Van Beck, Todd (October 2012), "The Death and State Funeral of Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, part II" (PDF), Canadian Funeral News, vol. 40, no. 10, p. 10, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2014
- ^ Banting, William (1864). Letter on corpulence : addressed to the public. New York.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kellem, Betsy Golden (25 April 2019). "The Portly Victorian Undertaker Who Launched the World's First Low-Carb Craze". Narratively. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Scientist lives as hunter-gatherer: Proves Tim Noakes' Banting diet REALLY improves health". BizNews.com. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ a b Taubes, Gary (2007). Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease. Knopf. ISBN 978-1-4000-4078-0.
- ^ Astrup A, Meinert Larsen T, Harper A (2004). "Atkins and other low-carbohydrate diets: hoax or an effective tool for weight loss?". Lancet. 364 (9437): 897–9. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16986-9. PMID 15351198. S2CID 24756993.
- ^ Bliss M (2005). "Resurrections in Toronto: the emergence of insulin". Horm. Res. 64 Suppl 2 (2): 98–102. doi:10.1159/000087765. PMID 16286782. S2CID 40227605.
- ^ Bray GA (2005). "Is there something special about low-carbohydrate diets?". Ann. Intern. Med. 142 (6): 469–70. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-142-6-200503150-00013. PMID 15767625. S2CID 13083017.
- ^ Focardi M, Dick GM, Picchi A, Zhang C, Chilian WM (2007). "Restoration of coronary endothelial function in obese Zucker rats by a low-carbohydrate diet". Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 292 (5): H2093–9. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.01202.2006. PMID 17220180. S2CID 8267239.
- ^ Arora S, McFarlane SI (2004). "Review on "Atkins Diabetes Revolution: The Groundbreaking Approach to Preventing and Controlling Type 2 Diabetes" by Mary C. Vernon and Jacqueline A. Eberstein". Nutr Metab (Lond). 1 (1): 14. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-1-14. PMC 535347. PMID 15535891.
Further reading
[edit]- Banting, William (1864). Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public (3rd ed.). London: Harrison.
- Edwardes, Charlotte (14 September 2003). "Mr Banting's Old Diet Revolution". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- Critser, Greg (20 September 2003). "Legacy of a fat man". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
External links
[edit]- Works by William Banting at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
William Banting
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
William Banting (1796–1878) was an English undertaker and carpenter best known for popularizing the first widely adopted low-carbohydrate diet in the 19th century through his self-published pamphlet Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public (1863), which detailed his successful weight loss and sparked a cultural phenomenon known as "Bantingism."[1][2][3][4]
Born in December 1796 in Westminster, London, to carpenter Thomas Banting and his wife Ann, William Banting apprenticed in his father's trade before establishing himself as a skilled undertaker with a royal warrant, serving elite clients including the British monarchy and crafting the coffin for the Duke of Wellington in 1852.[1][4] He married Mary Ann Thurmott in 1818 and rose to upper-middle-class status, operating a parlor on St. James's Street in London.[1] By his thirties, Banting began experiencing progressive weight gain, which worsened over decades; at age 65 in 1862, he stood 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 202 pounds (92 kg), suffering from obesity-related complications including an umbilical rupture, failing eyesight, deafness, and mobility issues that confined him to the ground floor of his home.[1][2][3][4] Despite consulting over 20 physicians and trying various remedies, including Turkish baths and caloric restriction, he saw no sustained improvement until 1862, when he sought treatment for deafness from Dr. William Harvey, an aural surgeon at the Royal Dispensary for Diseases of the Ear.[1][2]
Under Harvey's guidance, Banting adopted a structured high-protein, low-carbohydrate regimen that eliminated bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, potatoes, and starchy vegetables while emphasizing lean meats, fish, poultry, non-starchy greens, and limited dry wine or sherry, totaling around 1,700 calories daily with meals portioned at 5–6 ounces of protein per sitting.[1][5][4] This approach led to dramatic results: between August 1862 and September 1863, he lost 46–50 pounds, reducing to 152–156 pounds, with improvements in hearing, vision, agility, and overall vitality that allowed him to resume activities like hunting and walking long distances.[1][2][3] Motivated to share his experience philanthropically, Banting self-published Letter on Corpulence in late 1863 with an initial print run of 2,500 copies (later editions cited 1,000 for the first), distributing the first two editions free to benefit the working class; priced at sixpence thereafter, it sold tens of thousands of copies across multiple editions through 1902, including translations and adaptations in British colonies like India.[1][5][6] Later editions, such as the third (1864) and fourth (1869), credited Harvey, included testimonials, and rebutted critics who accused Banting of profiteering, though he donated profits (over £225) to charity and emphasized his non-medical intent.[1][2]
Banting's work profoundly shifted Victorian perceptions of obesity, framing it as a treatable "disease" or "parasite" linked to moral failing and social degeneracy, while promoting slimness as a virtue of self-discipline and class privilege; the term "to bant" entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a synonym for dieting until 1963, fueling a transatlantic craze that influenced literature, public health discourse, and even royal figures like the Comte de Chambord.[1][6][3] His diet's emphasis on carbohydrate restriction prefigured 20th-century approaches like the Atkins regimen and modern low-carb protocols for diabetes management, validated by later studies such as the 1928 Stefansson experiment, though it was temporarily overshadowed by low-fat trends in the mid-20th century.[3][4] Banting retired to the suburbs, moderated his diet with controlled carbohydrates, and lived to 81, dying in 1878; his legacy endures as the "father of blockbuster diets," having democratized weight loss advice for the first time.[1][3][4]
Early Life
Birth and Upbringing
William Banting was born in 1796 in Westminster, London, England, and baptised on 5 November 1796 at St Martin’s-in-the-Fields church.[7][4] He was the son of Thomas Banting, a cabinet maker and undertaker, and Anne East, who had married on 13 October 1793 at St George’s Hanover Square.[7] Thomas, baptised in 1774 in Bampton, Oxfordshire, was himself the son of a blacksmith, James Banting, reflecting the family's roots in skilled manual trades before establishing themselves in London's burgeoning furniture and funeral services sector.[7][8] Banting's upbringing occurred in a modest yet stable trade family amid the socioeconomic landscape of Georgian London, where the city was expanding rapidly as a hub of commerce and craftsmanship during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.[8] The family resided in central London, with the business centered in areas like Pall Mall, providing early immersion in the practical world of woodworking, cabinetry, and emerging funeral practices through his father's partnerships, such as with William France in the early 1800s.[7][9] This environment fostered hands-on learning, as the Bantings transitioned from humble artisanal origins to serving affluent clients, including eventual royal warrants that underscored the era's class mobility for skilled tradespeople.[8][10] Formal education for Banting was limited, emphasizing practical skills over academic pursuits, with no record of university attendance; instead, he developed self-taught expertise in the family trade through apprenticeship-like exposure during his youth.[7] This focus aligned with the opportunities available to children of trade families in Georgian London, where vocational training in workshops was prioritized amid the Industrial Revolution's early stirrings, enabling a seamless entry into the business upon reaching adulthood.[8]Family Background
William Banting married Mary Ann Thurmott on 20 January 1818 at St. Mary's Church in Newington, London.[7] The couple remained together until Mary Ann's death on 21 October 1862, at the age of 62.[11] Banting and Mary Ann had at least one child, their daughter Amelia, born circa 1825.[11] Amelia predeceased her father, dying on 31 May 1864 at the age of 39.[11] Banting came from a family long involved in the undertaking trade, inheriting skills and the family business from his father, Thomas Banting, a carpenter and co-owner of the firm France and Banting, which held the royal warrant for furnishings and funerals. He had an older brother, Thomas Banting II (baptised 17 August 1794), with whom he later partnered in the family business.[7] After William France's retirement in 1826, Thomas partnered with his sons William and Thomas II to form Banting & Son, continuing the family's role in providing elite funeral services, including to royalty.[7] This generational involvement elevated the family's status in London's middle class. Reflecting their professional and social standing, Banting maintained the family business premises at 27 St. James's Street in Piccadilly, and the couple later resided at No. 4, The Terrace in Kensington.[12]Professional Career
Undertaking Business
William Banting entered the family undertaking business in the early 19th century, inheriting and expanding the operations established by previous generations of his relatives, who had been involved in London's funeral trade since the mid-18th century.[13] By the 1820s, as a young man in his twenties, Banting had taken an active role, growing the firm into one of the most prominent in the city through its focus on comprehensive funeral services.[14] The business was based at 27 St. James's Street in the affluent Piccadilly area, a strategic location that facilitated access to elite clientele and central burial sites.[15] The enterprise specialized in high-end funerals, offering custom-made coffins tailored to individual specifications, such as elaborate designs with lead linings to prevent leakage and ensure dignified presentation.[13] Banting's firm provided full-spectrum services, including the arrangement of mourning coaches, hearse processions, and ceremonial elements like feathers and cloaks for pallbearers, all executed with meticulous attention to Victorian conventions of respect and ostentation. To support these operations, the business employed a team of craftsmen, carpenters, and assistants, enabling it to handle multiple funerals simultaneously and maintain a reputation for reliability and scale in a city where death rates were rising due to urbanization and industrial conditions.[14] Banting introduced practical innovations that enhanced the efficiency and decorum of funeral processions, notably fitting rubber wheels to hearses to minimize street noise during transports through London's bustling districts—a significant improvement over the clattering wooden wheels of earlier eras.[13] These advancements, combined with the firm's emphasis on quality materials and prompt service, contributed to its financial prosperity; by the mid-19th century, Banting described himself as having been "extensively engaged in the more lucrative branch of the trade, namely, funeral furnishing," allowing him to amass sufficient wealth for retirement in the early 1860s after nearly five decades in the profession.[16] Despite this success, the undertaking trade in 19th-century London presented notable challenges, including intense competition from numerous rival firms in a market fragmented by small-scale operators and itinerant coffin-makers. Economic fluctuations, such as the depressions of the 1840s, compounded by periodic epidemics like cholera outbreaks that spiked demand but also strained resources, required constant adaptation to maintain profitability amid rising costs for imported materials like mahogany for coffins. Banting's strategic focus on premium services helped navigate these pressures, solidifying the family's multi-generational legacy in the trade before his retirement in the early 1860s.[13]Royal Connections
William Banting's family business, established in St. James's Street, London, received its appointment as undertakers to the Royal Household in 1811, marking the beginning of their exclusive role in handling royal funerals. This prestigious commission began with the funeral of King George III, whose body was prepared without embalming, wrapped in cerecloth, and sealed in a lead-lined coffin under the Bantings' supervision.[17] The Bantings continued to manage significant royal obsequies throughout the 19th century, including the funeral of King George IV in 1830, where an empty coffin was displayed in their showroom prior to the ceremony, and that of Prince Albert in 1861. Their services extended into Queen Victoria's era, culminating in the preparation for her 1901 funeral, which underscored the firm's enduring status despite Banting's personal retirement decades earlier. These engagements solidified the Bantings' position as the preeminent royal undertakers of the Victorian period.[17][13] The family was granted a royal warrant, a unique privilege that bestowed exclusive rights to royal funeral services and enhanced their professional prestige among the aristocracy. This warrant, held across generations, allowed the business to maintain its royal patronage even after William Banting's active involvement ended, with the firm continuing operations until its closure in 1928, when the warrant finally lapsed.[17][7] Interactions with nobility during these events further elevated the Banting family's reputation; for instance, during preparations for Queen Victoria's funeral, King Edward VII and Kaiser Wilhelm II personally intervened, dismissing some of the Banting staff to assist in the proceedings themselves, highlighting the intimate and trusted nature of the firm's royal ties. Such episodes not only demonstrated the Bantings' reliability but also cemented their standing within elite circles, where discretion and expertise were paramount.[17]Health Decline
Onset of Obesity
William Banting, born in 1796, first noticed a tendency toward corpulence in his thirties, around the 1830s, when he began experiencing gradual weight gain despite maintaining an active lifestyle in his undertaking business.[12] By his forties in the 1840s, this trend continued, with his physique becoming noticeably heavier, though he initially dismissed it as a natural consequence of aging, a view echoed by contemporary physicians.[12] His height of 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) accentuated the growing disproportion, but prosperity from his successful career led to little immediate concern over the changes.[12] Throughout the 1850s, as Banting approached his fifties and sixties, the weight accumulation accelerated, influenced by a diet rich in bread, butter, milk, beer, sugar, and potatoes—foods he consumed freely without perceiving them as contributors to his condition.[12] Sedentary elements of his business routines, combined with the physical demands of his work, failed to offset the caloric intake, and following his retirement in the early 1860s after nearly 50 years in the trade, inactivity further exacerbated the issue.[13] By August 1862, at age 65, Banting's weight had reached 202 pounds (91.6 kg), rendering everyday activities like bending to tie his shoes or ascending stairs increasingly laborious.[12] This progression from the 1840s to the 1860s highlighted the interplay of aging, dietary habits, and reduced physical exertion post-retirement, transforming what began as mild overweight into severe obesity that profoundly impacted his mobility and comfort.[12]Associated Medical Issues
William Banting experienced progressive deafness, which he attributed to the accumulation of fat around his ears and Eustachian tubes, severely impairing his ability to hear conversations and necessitating consultation with an aural surgeon in 1862 without improvement.[12] His vision also deteriorated, contributing to failing eyesight that compounded his daily challenges.[4] These sensory impairments were part of a broader pattern of health decline linked to his obesity, which at its peak reached 202 pounds at a height of 5 feet 5 inches by age 65.[12] In addition to sensory issues, Banting suffered from rheumatism, which caused joint pain and stiffness, as well as shortness of breath that left him puffing and blowing even with minimal exertion, such as ascending stairs.[12] Skin irritations manifested as obnoxious boils and two severe carbuncles, while an umbilical rupture required the use of a truss for support.[4] Contemporaries, including medical advisors, diagnosed these ailments as directly resulting from excessive fat accumulation, viewing obesity as a systemic condition that overburdened the body's organs and structures.[18] The impact on Banting's daily life was profound; he could not stoop to tie his shoelaces without assistance, descended stairs backwards to spare his joints, and avoided public outings due to the physical discomfort of inadequate space in seating and unwanted attention from others.[12] This led to significant frustration and a sense of deprivation from the health and comfort enjoyed by others, isolating him socially and emotionally.[19] In the 1860s medical context, obesity was understood as a natural consequence of aging and overindulgence, predisposing individuals to a cascade of interconnected ailments like those Banting endured, though without recognition of underlying metabolic or endocrine factors that later science would identify.[18] Physicians emphasized physical encumbrance over biochemical mechanisms, often recommending symptomatic relief like baths or purgatives with limited success.[20]Development of the Diet
Consultation with Dr. Harvey
In 1862, William Banting, a prominent London undertaker, sought the expertise of Dr. William Harvey, an English surgeon practicing in London, for treatment of his persistent deafness.[21] During this consultation, the discussion shifted from Banting's auditory complaints to his longstanding obesity, which Harvey identified as the underlying cause of multiple ailments, including the deafness itself, by exerting pressure on internal organs and nerves. Harvey rejected conventional approaches like caloric restriction or increased exercise, arguing instead that the composition of food—specifically, the reduction of starches and sugars—was key to addressing corpulence without compromising nutrition or strength.[12] Harvey's recommendations were influenced by the physiological observations of French physician Claude Bernard, whose 1856 lectures in Paris had discussed the liver's role in converting saccharine matter into fat, particularly in relation to diabetes—a theory that resonated with emerging medical views on metabolism.[12] Drawing on this, Harvey advised Banting to eliminate bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, and potatoes from his diet, replacing them with lean meats, fish, and vegetables, while permitting moderate amounts of dry wine and tea without sugar. Initially skeptical of the proposed regimen, which diverged sharply from the prevailing medical consensus favoring moderation in all foods, Banting committed to a trial beginning in August 1862. Within the first month, he observed results, including a weight loss of 2 pounds, alongside improvements in his mobility, digestion, and even hearing, which encouraged him to continue the approach under Harvey's guidance.[12]Core Principles
William Banting's diet, developed under the guidance of Dr. William Harvey, emphasized the elimination of certain foods believed to contribute to fat accumulation, focusing instead on protein-rich and low-starch options. Forbidden items included bread of all kinds, butter, milk, sugar, beer, potatoes, and starchy vegetables such as parsnips, beetroot, turnips, and carrots, as these were seen as primary sources of starch and saccharine matter that promoted corpulence.[12] Allowed foods centered on lean meats like beef, mutton, and fowl; fish (excluding salmon, herrings, and eels); non-starchy greens; and limited amounts of eggs (not hard-boiled), cheese, and plain boiled rice.[12] Fats were derived primarily from the meats themselves, with no added butter, and sweets or beer were strictly avoided.[12] The daily meal structure consisted of five small, spaced-out meals to maintain steady energy without overeating. Breakfast typically featured 4-5 ounces of meat or fish with tea (no milk or sugar) and 1 ounce of dry toast; dinner included 5-6 ounces of meat or fish, non-starchy vegetables, 1 ounce of dry toast, and 2-3 glasses of wine such as claret, sherry, or Madeira; tea comprised 2-3 ounces of fruit, a rusk, and tea without milk or sugar; supper offered 3-4 ounces of meat or fish with 1-2 glasses of wine; and an optional nightcap of grog (without sugar) or wine.[12] This regimen avoided large portions and frequent indulgences, promoting moderation.[12] At its core, the diet operated on the principle that starch and sugar, rather than excessive calorie intake alone, were the main accumulators of fat in the body, particularly in later life, with overall calorie reduction emerging as a secondary effect of these restrictions.[12] Banting reported significant personal success, losing 46 pounds over one year—from 202 pounds to 156 pounds—while experiencing marked improvements in health, including restored hearing, enhanced mobility, and relief from joint issues.[12]Publication and Promotion
Letter on Corpulence
In 1863, William Banting self-published his pamphlet Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public as a 21-page open letter intended for wide dissemination among those struggling with obesity.[2] The work detailed his personal experiences and dietary regimen, with the first edition consisting of 1,000 copies printed at his own expense and distributed gratuitously to raise awareness of what he viewed as an overlooked health issue.[12] By 1869, a fourth edition had appeared, incorporating revisions based on reader feedback and additional endorsements, expanding the document while maintaining its core format. The pamphlet's structure begins with Banting's personal narrative, recounting the gradual onset and debilitating effects of his obesity from his thirties onward, including difficulties with mobility, sleep, and daily activities that persisted despite various medical interventions.[12] This is followed by a clear description of the low-carbohydrate diet prescribed by his physician, Dr. William Harvey, emphasizing meals composed of lean meats, fish, vegetables, and limited fruits while excluding bread, beer, potatoes, and sugars.[12] Subsequent sections include testimonials from contemporaries who adopted similar approaches with success, as well as appendices exploring physiological aspects of corpulence, such as digestive processes and the role of diet in metabolism, drawn from contemporary medical observations.[12] The initial editions were distributed free, with later editions priced at sixpence to cover basic printing costs, making it accessible to a broad audience.[12][22] Banting dedicated the letter to Dr. Harvey, crediting him as the key figure in his transformation, and expressed hopes that the publication would encourage others to seek similar relief without the trial-and-error he endured.[12] Key excerpts highlight the diet's benefits, such as restored vitality and elimination of symptoms like indigestion and joint pain; for instance, Banting noted, "I have not had for years the sensation of indigestion which I used to have after every meal... my nights are quiet and sleep sound."[12] He provided quantitative evidence of his progress through before-and-after measurements, reporting that over 38 weeks his weight decreased from 202 pounds to 156 pounds, with his waist girth reduced by 12¼ inches—demonstrating substantial physical reconfiguration without exercise or deprivation.[12] These details underscored Banting's conviction that targeted dietary restriction could address corpulence as a manageable condition rather than an inevitable aging process.[12]Initial Reception
Upon its publication in 1863, William Banting's Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public achieved rapid popularity, with the first edition selling out quickly and subsequent printings reaching tens of thousands of copies in the UK during the 1860s.[23] The pamphlet garnered endorsements from some physicians, including Banting's own consultant Dr. William Harvey, who had prescribed the low-carbohydrate regimen, as well as supportive testimonials from other medical professionals and public figures who reported successful weight loss outcomes.[19] British newspapers provided extensive media coverage, with outlets like The Morning Advertiser offering generally favorable reviews that highlighted the diet's simplicity and effectiveness, contributing to its widespread discussion in Victorian society.[15] Despite this enthusiasm, the diet sparked significant controversies within the medical establishment during the 1860s and 1870s, particularly debates over the efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate approaches to obesity treatment. Critics, including prominent journals like The Lancet, dismissed the regimen as unoriginal and potentially hazardous, arguing that it lacked scientific novelty and could lead to nutritional deficiencies or even fatal outcomes, while accusing Banting of promoting quackery due to his non-medical background and the pamphlet's commercial distribution.[24] Some physicians viewed it as overly commercial, given Banting's self-publishing and sales efforts, fueling accusations that it prioritized profit over evidence-based medicine, though Banting donated all profits (over £225) to charity.[13][1] By 1864, the diet had spread internationally to Europe and America, where it gained adherents on both sides of the Atlantic and inspired adaptations in contemporary health literature, such as modified low-carb plans in books addressing corpulence and wellness.[25] In response to the criticisms, Banting issued revised editions of his pamphlet—up to a fourth edition by 1869—incorporating letters from satisfied correspondents, additional confirmatory evidence from users, and direct defenses against skeptics, emphasizing the diet's practical benefits over theoretical objections.[26][15]Legacy
Term "Banting"
The term "banting" entered the English lexicon in 1863–1864 as a synonym for dieting or reducing weight, specifically referring to the low-carbohydrate regimen popularized by William Banting's pamphlet Letter on Corpulence.[27] This neologism arose from widespread media coverage of Banting's success, with early newspaper mentions appearing in British publications like The Times in 1864, marking its first recorded use as a noun for the diet itself.[27] By 1865, it had evolved into a verb form, "to bant," as suggested in The Pall Mall Gazette, which proposed it as a shorthand for engaging in weight-reduction practices.[28] Dictionary entries formalized the term's origin, with the Oxford English Dictionary attributing it to 1864 and deriving it directly from Banting's proper name.[27] In literature, "banting" appeared as slang for dieting, such as in William D. Howells's 1887 novel The Minister's Charge, where characters discuss weight loss efforts using the term.[28] Cartoons further embedded it in popular culture, with Punch magazine satirizing dieters through images like "A Case for Mr. Banting" (1864), depicting a portly cabman advised to adopt the method, and "Banting Be Blowed" (1865), mocking familial pressures to slim down.[29] These examples highlighted the term's association with self-denial and social ridicule of obesity. Usage peaked during the Victorian era and persisted into the Edwardian period (1901–1910), when concerns over health and body image amplified interest in weight control, as seen in ongoing references in novels by authors like George Gissing in The Whirlpool (1897).[30] By the mid-20th century, however, "banting" had largely declined in mainstream English, supplanted by new dietary fads and medical skepticism toward low-carbohydrate approaches, though it endured in niche contexts like Swedish slang for any weight-loss diet.[28][30] Regional variations reemerged in the 2010s in South Africa, where exercise scientist Tim Noakes revived "Banting" (capitalized) for a low-carb, high-fat plan, drawing on Banting's original principles to promote it as a sustainable lifestyle.[31] Noakes's 2014 book The Real Meal Revolution sold over 200,000 copies and sparked a national movement, with social media groups amassing hundreds of thousands of followers advocating the approach across diverse communities.[31][32]Modern Influence
Banting's low-carbohydrate dietary approach has significantly influenced 20th- and 21st-century low-carb movements, notably serving as a foundational inspiration for Robert Atkins' popular 1972 book Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, which adapted Banting's principles of carbohydrate restriction while emphasizing high-fat and moderate-protein intake to promote weight loss.[33][34] This connection is evident in Atkins' own experimentation with low-carb regimens, mirroring Banting's success in reducing body weight through similar exclusions of sugars, starches, and breads.[33] The diet's core elements also parallel modern ketogenic (keto) diets, which prioritize very low carbohydrate intake to induce ketosis for fat burning, and paleo approaches that focus on whole foods while limiting processed carbs and grains, both echoing Banting's avoidance of modern starches for metabolic health.[23][35] Post-2000 scientific reevaluations have revisited Banting's methods amid growing evidence supporting low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) for obesity and type 2 diabetes management, with studies demonstrating superior short-term weight loss and glycemic control compared to low-fat diets.[36][37] For instance, a 2003 randomized trial in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an LCD led to approximately 4% greater weight loss over six months than a conventional low-fat diet, attributing benefits to reduced insulin responses and improved fat metabolism.[36] Similarly, a 2021 BMJ meta-analysis reported higher diabetes remission rates (57% vs. 31% at six months) with LCDs versus control diets, highlighting their role in lowering HbA1c levels.[37] Science journalist Gary Taubes' 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories prominently cites Banting in its prologue to challenge the prevailing low-fat paradigm, arguing that carbohydrate restriction addresses root causes of metabolic disorders rather than calorie counting alone.[38][39] In the 2010s, Banting's diet experienced a cultural revival in South Africa through the "Real Meal Revolution" movement, led by professor Tim Noakes, which rebranded low-carb, high-fat eating as "Banting" and popularized it via books, meal plans, and online programs emphasizing whole foods over processed carbs.[40][41] This initiative drew direct inspiration from Banting's 1863 pamphlet, adapting it for contemporary audiences with phased plans for weight loss and health restoration, and it gained widespread media attention in books and articles promoting its simplicity and efficacy.[42][43] Recent discourse has addressed gaps in historical narratives by affirming LCDs' metabolic benefits, such as enhanced insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation, while critiquing 20th-century "fat-phobia" for overshadowing Banting's high-fat success and promoting unbalanced low-fat guidelines that contributed to rising obesity rates.[44][45] Taubes' analysis, for example, underscores how Banting's approach prefigured evidence-based shifts away from vilifying fats, supported by post-2000 trials showing LCDs' advantages in lipid profiles and body composition without long-term cardiovascular risks.[38][46] As of 2025, research continues to validate Banting's principles, with a September 2025 systematic review in Cureus confirming the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission, achieving rates comparable to bariatric surgery. The Noakes Foundation, founded by Tim Noakes, hosted the World Nutrition Summit in 2025 to advance low-carb advocacy globally.[47][48]References
- https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography%2C_1885-1900/Banting%2C_William