The History of Low Carb Dieting

Although Dr. Robert Atkins is by far the most well known proponent of low carb dieting, if you think Dr. Atkins started the low carbohydrate diet you would be wrong. The very first individual to write about low carb was William Banting. He wrote the first known low carb book in 1863, it was titled "Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public".
William Banting was a carpenter and an undertaker with no medical experience. He began to gain weight in his early thirties and after trying everything he and his doctor could think of, he began a low carb regimen. Within days he felt better and within year he had lost over 50 pounds and felt like a new man.

Banting decided to document his success at his own expense he wrote about his experience and his diet became known as “The Banting Diet.” Banting was criticized as being a flake, he had no medical experience and suffered extreme criticism of his findings. The fact is his diet was highly successful even in the 1800’s. The medical establishment recognized it worked but were unwilling to promote it.

William Banting lived to be 81 years old and never gained weight again by following his approach to eating. Many variations of the low carb diet and studies were done throughout the next hundred or so years.

Fast forward to present time, the low carb diet has been saddled with the term “fad diet” when in reality it has been in use successfully for over 150 years.

In the 1970’s Dr. Robert Atkins, a cardiologist wrote his first publication, the Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution”. He was called a “fad diet” doctor and was widely criticized for his low carb approach to dieting. Mainstream medicine held fast to the theory that low fat, low calorie eating was the only way to lose weight.

In 2000 studies were performed to support many of the early findings of William Banting and Dr. Atkins. These studies forced the low fat diet supporters to at least take a look at the low carb “fad”.

Since Dr. Atkins came along and drew attention to the benefits of low carb there have been many that have followed since with their own variations on his low carb diet.

Some of these include Protein Power, this version by Dr’s Mary and Michael Eades restricts carbohydrates and increases protein in a three phase plan. Another is Sugar Busters; this also has a popular version for children. This diet eliminates all types of refined sugar, flour, potatoes, white rice etc.

There are several other variations such as The South Beach Diet, this recommends getting all carbs from vegetables and some fruits. The Sonoma Diet, hailing from wine country also is fairly high in fat and protein and low in carbs. Then the lesser know Paleo-Diet (sometimes referred to as the caveman diet) and the Bernstein’s Diabetes Diet.

Whichever plan you choose to follow the premise is the same. Limit your intake of all sugar, white flour, high starch vegetables, such as potatoes and corn. Eat plenty of high protein meats, fish, and poultry. Limit alcohol and any type of sugary drink. Each plan supports getting all of your carbohydrates from green vegetables, bright colored peppers, tomatoes and other high nutrient vegetables.

As with any diet or exercise plan you should first consult your physician for advice.