William Banting, a London merchant, born in 1797, died in 1871. Owing to the wide circulation of his "Letter on Corpulence," published at first in 1863 in the newspapers, and subsequently in a pamphlet (6th ed., London, 1868; German translation, 10th ed., Leipsic, 1867), his name has been popularly associated with a dietetic method of curing corpulence. His prescriptions, however, are almost identical with those of Brillat-Savarin in his Physiologie du gout (1825). By the application of the method which he describes, under the guidance of William Harvey, a London surgeon, his weight was reduced from 202 pounds on Aug. 26, 1862, to 156 on Sept, 12, 1863, and to 150 in April, 1864, which latter weight he regarded as appropriate to his age and stature, 5 feet 5 inches. He considers the diet as the principal point in the treatment of corpulence, though the quantity of food may be safely left to the natural appetite. The Banting method consists in the use of a large proportion of nitrogenous food, and in the rejection of all substances which have an excess of carbon. His main principle consequently is abstinence from all farinaceous, saccharine, or oily matter, which is converted into fat in the human system.

He especially proscribes the use of bread, pastry, potatoes, butter, milk, beer, port wine, champagne, pork, herrings, eels, salmon, and the like; and recommends lean meat, poultry, game, fruit, dry toast, good claret, dry sherry, madeira, and green vegetables, permitting the moderate use of soft-boiled eggs and of cheese. In his dietary he first allowed the use of all vegetables excepting the potato, but afterward rejected parsnips, beets, turnips, and carrots. He had for many years tried bodily exercise, sea air, and bathing, and various other expedients and remedies; but only after the adoption of his dietetic system was he relieved from all symptoms of acidity, indigestion, and heartburn, and difficulties of locomotion, and enabled to dispense with knee bandages, which he had worn during 20 years. He rested well, with from six to eight hours1 sound sleep. He spent much money for the diffusion of his views, and is said to have left a legacy for the" endowment of an institution for the cure of corpulence.