Blog to be renamed: Things I Read on Wikipedia

In 1863 William Banting, an obese English undertaker and coffin maker, published "Letter on Corpulence Addressed to the Public" in which he described a diet for weight control giving up bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer and potatoes.  His booklet was widely read, so much so that some people used the term "Banting" for the activity usually called "dieting."