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William Banting
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Letter on Corpulence Paperback – April 15, 2005

by William Banting (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 116 ratings
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In what's billed as the "world's first diet book," William Banting offered his strategy for losing weight. He ate four meals a day, didn't exercise much, drank alcohol, and swore off only a few foods. And, what's more, anyone familiar with current low-carb diets will find similar advice here -- advice given in 1864. William Banting was a carpenter in Victorian London whose weight spiraled out of control. His eyesight and hearing failed, he had weak knees, and he suffered an umbilical rupture, health problems he attributed to his weight. He consulted doctors but nothing helped. Then Banting discovered this diet and got results within just a few days. He ate lots of meat, a few vegetables, shunned some foods that he's previously overindulged in, and drank alcohol with lunch and dinner. He lost fifty pounds, and his health improved. He published this pamphlet detailing his diet and distributed the copies for free. By its third printing it had sold 63,000 copies, and the term "Banting" became synonymous with "dieting" in England.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    64 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Cosimo Inc
  4. Publication date
    April 15, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.15 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1596050853
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1596050853
  8. See all details
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From the Back Cover

In what's billed as the "world's first diet book," William Banting offered his strategy for losing weight. He ate four meals a day, didn't exercise much, drank alcohol, and swore off only a few foods. And, what's more, anyone familiar with current low-carb diets will find similar advice here -- advice given in 1864.

WILLIAM BANTING was a carpenter in Victorian London whose weight spiraled out of control. His eyesight and hearing failed, he had weak knees, and he suffered an umbilical rupture, health problems he attributed to his weight. He consulted doctors but nothing helped. Then Banting discovered this diet and got results within just a few days. He ate lots of meat, a few vegetables, shunned some foods that he's previously overindulged in, and drank alcohol with lunch and dinner. He lost fifty pounds, and his health improved. He published this pamphlet detailing his diet and distributed the copies for free. By its third printing it had sold 63,000 copies, and the term "Banting" became synonymous with "dieting" in England.

About the Author

WILLIAM BANTING was a carpenter in Victorian London whose weight spiraled out of control. His eyesight and hearing failed, he had weak knees, and he suffered an umbilical rupture, health problems he attributed to his weight. He consulted doctors but nothing helped. Then Banting discovered this diet and got results within just a few days. He ate lots of meat, a few vegetables, shunned some foods that he's previously overindulged in, and drank alcohol with lunch and dinner. He lost fifty pounds, and his health improved.

He published this pamphlet detailing his diet and distributed the copies for free. By its third printing it had sold 63,000 copies, and the term "Banting" became synonymous with "dieting" in England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cosimo Inc (April 15, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1596050853
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1596050853
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.83 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.15 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 116 ratings

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William Banting

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
116 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

C. Bruhn
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2023
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This is a direct copy of a pamphlet written in the late 1800s'. The book has wide margins so it is fast read. Truly enjoyable and somewhat enlightening that obesity was a concern that long ago.
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science reader
5.0 out of 5 stars he's the grand daddy
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013
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Those of us who overcame our own corpulence by finally comprehending the truth in this brave, generous "letter," (pamphlet or tract) from 1864 reread and revere it because it was written by our grand daddy in the endeavor. It is canon for us. Low carbers gratefully recognize a kind of communion of saints, beginning with our hunter gatherer ancestors, then our William Banting, then the researchers who before World War II were onto the truth with their low starch trials, more recently, the medical doctors who reported success with their patients using the same approach. They are listed and evaluated now at [...] along with stories of their successes. Among our current heroes is Gary Taubes, whom history will credit with articulating our truth for the twenty-first century and inventing one means to quantify it. One reviewer complains there is little to learn from this book. Perhaps, if you have read a lot of the more recent work, but it is delightful in its literacy and it holds a place in history and in our hearts. Buy it for old time's sake and enjoy.
11 people found this helpful
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rule870
5.0 out of 5 stars Banting Started It!
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2014
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This is effectively the beginning of the modern concept of the Carb-restricted diet, replacing carbs with fat contained in the protein-rich foods: meat, foul, fish and eggs, along with cream and butter.

Banting's formula was simple to understand and holds true today: No Sugar, No Starch, No Bread, No Beer(Banting excepted spirits, which had no effect on Insulin, which wouldn't be known for some decades.). Cut through all the modern fussiness (Paleo, Primal etc) and hold to the principal of: NO S.S.B.B., and you won't go wrong.
6 people found this helpful
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THERESA VAN DER BYL
4.0 out of 5 stars Short , sweet and informative
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2015
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Short and sweet and informative, especially in support of Tim Noakes' challenge to our modern day diets
One person found this helpful
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Jamie Logie
5.0 out of 5 stars Go back to the classics
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2014
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This can be considered the worlds first diet book. And pretty much all modern diets and popular food movements have their origins in this book.
Banting shows how getting away from starches and breads and focusing on real meats and natural foods can help keep weight under control and help to fight of things like diabetes and heart disease.
I run a nutrition website called regained wellness.com and I refer back to these old works a lot along with Weston A. Price as these guys helped to lay the groundwork for the real food and paleo movements.
Even though books like these are all the information in them is more relevant than ever today
4 people found this helpful
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Dr Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2014
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This book is where Dr Atkins got the idea for the Atkins diet. If you have interest in being healthy Banting's book and advice is way better than DR Atkins diet because Banting was eating healthy food before we had the toxic chemicals of the 20 first century. This is not to say Atkins was wrong but Atkins never made a distinction from healthy protein and healthy fats. He also recommended soy protein that is GMO - Genetically modified organisms - that is destroying the health of animals and people primarily in the USA.
Dr Robert D bard, OD
2 people found this helpful
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Nobody Important
5.0 out of 5 stars 150 year old diet advice better than most today
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018
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Ridiculous how much resistance this king of proto-ketogenic diet got, I wish there were a history of the book along with it.
2 people found this helpful
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karen in venice
5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2009
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From both an historical perspective and a health perspective, this book is a marvel. It proves there is nothing new under the sun (just a greater understanding of those things). Anyone with an in interest in food history, diet history, or diets in general, should have this on their shelf.
18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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HansvB
4.0 out of 5 stars Een aardig boek, geeft je een blik in het verleden.
Reviewed in the Netherlands on November 30, 2019
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Dit is een eenvoudig, makkelijk te lezen boek. Verwacht geen wetenschappelijke of medische verhandelingen. Het zijn gewoon de ervaringen van een eenvoudige man. Zelf vind ik er ook geen kant en klaar dieet in, maar het is zeker het lezen waard.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Go back in time to see what works
Reviewed in Australia on July 29, 2023
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I loved this "letter". Its not keto, it's not low carb and not low fat. Its a higher protein lower carb eating regime that allows a little of everything in moderation except potatoes, beer, sugar & milk. I'm at a loss as to why keto diets claim it as theirs because fruit and bread was allowed in moderation with lean meat and a little booze.
It's a really good look into the first diet beliefs that still stand strong today, published and circulated freely in several editions by a kindly generous soul whose only hope was that we could all become as excited about our health as he was.
Bless him.
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EagerReader
5.0 out of 5 stars Mugged by "Big Food"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2014
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It's amazing that our ancestors knew that sugars and starches made us fat, but we have forgotten that and now face an Obesity crisis. This book isn't perfect, but it's very interesting to see what one very overweight Victorian achieved by reducing sugars and starches. If you want to feel better then have a good look at "Paleo Diet" "Ancestral Diet" "Low Carb High Fat". I have lost weight without self-denial and my energy level is better. AS USUAL DON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR!!!
3 people found this helpful
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William Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars The original low carbohydrate diet
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2018
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This is William Banting's original letter on corpulence re-published with a modern introduction. Banting introduced the idea that carbohydrates are the cause of weight gain. His original diet included four or five glasses of claret a day with a grog of rum,brandy or gin. In his case it undoubtedly worked. The original letter on corpulence was sold for 6d.
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Anne Chambers
5.0 out of 5 stars How a Victorian gentleman stumbled upon healthy eating and fixed his corpulence (obesity). History
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2017
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Where it all started, a London Victorian gentleman's pamphlets issued free to London's general public in the 1870's .Written in the manner of the time, if you are interested in the history of the obesity crisis, this is a good place to start. A personal journey to health.
2 people found this helpful
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