Original Low-Carb Diet

The Atkins plan may be the most famous low-carbohydrate diet, but it was not the first. More than 100 years earlier, in 1869, William Banting published "The Letter on Corpulence," which extolled the virtues of avoiding heavy carb consumption. Banting penned his description of how to lose weight easily after reportedly dropping 50 pounds on a diet recommended to him by his throat surgeon, Dr. William Harvey.

Before the Program

An undertaker by trade, Banting reportedly weighed in at 202 pounds while he stood only 5 feet 5 inches tall. He was in ill health and sought out a doctor to examine his dwindling ability to hear clearly. Apparently, the rolls of fat on his face were pressing on his ear, causing hearing loss. His physician promptly pronounced him obese, not deaf, and recommended a slimming program that would quickly drop the weight and solve his hearing problems.

The Diet Plan

Harvey's recommendations featured three meals of beef, mutton, kidneys, broiled fish, bacon or cold meat accompanied by a small biscuit or an ounce of dry toast. All vegetables were encouraged except potatoes, parsnips, beets, turnips and carrots. Lunch and dinner allowed a glass or two of claret, sherry or Madeira, but no champagne, port or beer. Interestingly, the USDA reports that table red wine contains 1.75g of carb per serving; sweet dessert wines contain 14g.

Program Results

Less than a year later, Banting weighed in at 156 pounds, almost 50 pounds less than his previous weight. He reported that his sight and hearing were normal and that he had never felt better. He claimed the amount of food he consumed was not less than before, but that the quality had drastically changed. His previous diet had consisted of "bread and milk for breakfast; meat, beer and much bread and pastry for dinner; more bread and milk at tea time; and a fruit tart for dinner."

The First Book

Six years later, Banting wrote the first commercial low-carb diet book, "The Letter on Corpulence." Forbidding all foods made with sugar and flour, and allowing protein, fat, alcohol and "roughage," it went into four printings in England, selling more than 63,000 copies. The fourth edition carried more than 1,000 testimonial letters and his rebuttal to copycat diet pushers.

Modern Comparisons

The Atkins diet, first published in 1972, launched a franchise selling more than 21 million copies, according to the New York Times. In its various iterations, it features protein, vegetables and fat while nixing potatoes, grains and sugar. Scores of low-carb diets that have come out since then--Biggest Loser, Curves, Diabetes Diet, Fat Flush, GO-Diet, Paleo Diet, Rosedale Diet and South Beach follow the same basic formula.