High Protein, High Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diets: New Is Old - Really Old

The Atkins Diet. The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. The South Beach Diet. The high protein, high fat, low carb diet 'revolution' is commonly believed to have started with the publication of "Dr Atkins' Diet Revolution" by the late Dr. Robert Atkins in 1972. However, 110 years before 'Atkins,' William Banting -- an obese British mortician -- developed the first known formalized high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet plan. Banting's 'Letter On Corpulence' was self-published in London in 1862 and sold 63,000 copies in the UK alone. Today William Banting is regarded as 'the Father of the high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet.' Prior to developing his weight management approach, Banting had been trying unsuccessfully for 20 years to shed pounds and improve his overall health. He was treated by all the leading specialists of the time and desperately tried their suggestions without success. As he continued to grow more obese, his health increasingly deteriorated. He had to walk downstairs backwards and was unable tie his shoelaces. Banting eventually started going deaf and began losing his sight. Fate finally led him to Dr. William Harvey, a prominent ear, nose, and throat surgeon who stated that all Banting's ailments were caused by obesity. Dr. Harvey had some awareness of how various starches and sugars affected the body and contributed to weight gain. He gave Banting a diet to follow. Banting made his own modifications to the diet and lost a considerable amount of weight He eventually recovered from all the ailments and infirmities he had suffered related to his obesity. How did he do it? Banting's diet is what would now be described as "high protein, high fat and low carbohydrate, with no calorie restriction." Like the majority of the high protein, high fat, low carb plans we are familiar with today, Banting advocated one diet with two phases to be continued indefinitely. Banting's strict regulation of carbohydrates is exactly like the 'induction' phase of the Atkins diet, and Banting allowed a second phase when people are at or near their target weight. During the second phase, dieters may begin to add some carbohydrates back into their eating plan. Banting prohibits only 6 food items: bread, milk, butter, beer, sugar and potatoes. 4 moderate meals per day are recommended, rather than 3 larger ones. Banting did not consider exercise relevant, however; instead he believed that "excess weight can be removed by proper diet alone, without addition of active exercises." Banting identified sugar as the main cause of his own obesity, and warned strongly against it. Banting was not a physician, nor did he understand the science of physiology or how regular strenuous physical activity burns fat, builds muscle, and benefits overall health. Taking an empirical approach - one based on observing his body's reaction to the changes in his eating habits - Banting documented how he managed to lose the weight and regain his health. 'Banting's Diet' was created. Banting's 4th edition (1869) of 'Letter On Corpulence' included testimonials from a selection of over 1800 readers who wrote to him supporting his assertions and praising his diet. Interestingly, not unlike the continuing controversy surrounding today's 'Atkins Diet', the 'Banting Diet' created a bitter uproar within the medical community of its day. No one could deny that Banting's diet worked, but since he was a layman and the medical men were anxious to protect their position in society, members of the medical community felt it necessary to discredit Banting and his diet. Banting's publication was criticized solely on the grounds that it was 'unscientific'. Later, Dr. Harvey suffered professional difficulties due to his association with the diet. He knew the diet was an effective treatment for obesity; however, he did not have a convincing theory to explain it. Despite their inability to deny the efficacy of Banting's diet, the members of his profession ridiculed Dr. Harvey and his practice suffered. The Banting Diet controversy was settled when the diet was modified to limit the quantity of fats in addition to carbohydrates. All doctors had observed that protein was not fattening, only fats and carbohydrates made one fat. Therefore, 'meat' was interpreted to mean only lean meat with the fat trimmed off. Problem solved - the Banting Diet became a high protein diet with both carbohydrates and fat restricted. This altered, more balanced diet still forms the basis of many weight reduction diets. 'Letter On Corpulence' was the first of hundreds - if not thousands - of books that have been written detailing varying approaches to a high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet. Among them are 'The Eskimo-style Meat-Only diet' - Dr Blake Donaldson (1929), 'The Stone Age Diet (Eat Fat, Grow Thin)' - Dr Richard Mackarness (1958), 'The Atkins Diet' - Dr. Robert Atkins (1972; revised 2002 and released as 'The Atkins Diet Revolution'), The Zone (1996) - Barry Sears, and most recently 'The South Beach Diet' (2003) - Dr. Arthur Agatson. Despite the sheer number and availability of these books, the general consensus among the bodybuilding community is that although these diets are effective at losing weight, they are not appropriate for the long term. Instead of using 'Atkins' or a similar methodology, most bodybuilders and fitness competitors use a moderate to high protein, moderate carb, low fat approach to fat loss. It is also worth mentioning that if bodybuilders do use these high protein, low or moderate carb diets, they do so for brief periods for a specific purpose: to get shredded for competition. Bodybuilders eat much larger amounts of natural carbohydrates in the off-season when they want to gain muscle. They use BOTH DIETS when the season calls for it. They don't go on low carbs and call it a lifestyle. They understand the importance of training and dieting in cycles to reach a specific goal. And William Banting? Even if you never heard of his diet book, his name made it into the English language as a verb. Not long after Banting's 'Letter On Corpulence' was published, the verb 'to bant' entered the language -- people losing weight said they were 'banting'. The term remained in usage well into the Twentieth Century and one still hears it occasionally today. 2003 Femalemuscle.com