The Banting diet

Wiliam Banting, an English undertaker, invented a diet in 1863 to help him lose excessive weight. The diet appeared in many health manuals and magazines and recommended people follow a high protein, low carbohydrate plan.

This diet set the trend for other popular diets at the time, such as the dry-diet that stated users should drink one pint of fluid per day, no soups, sauces, or alcohol, and to avoid pastry, puddings, white bread, potatoes and sugar.