William Banting with a discussion of Banting. Banting was a distant relative of Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin. Banting's body is buried with those of his wife and daughter at Brompton Cemetery, London, England. William Banting William Banting ("c." December 1796 – 16 March 1878) was a notable English undertaker. Formerly obese, he is also known for being the first to popularise a weight loss diet based on limiting the intake of carbohydrates, especially those of a starchy or sugary nature. He undertook his dietary changes at the suggestion of Soho Square physician Dr. William Harvey, who in turn had
Frederick Banting eyesight. Banting successfully joined the army in 1915 and spent the summer training before returning to school. His class was fast-tracked to get more doctors into the war and so he graduated in December 1916 and reported for military duty the next day. He was wounded at the Battle of Cambrai in 1918. Despite his injuries, he helped other wounded men for sixteen hours, until another doctor told him to stop. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1919, for heroism. Banting returned to Canada after the war and went to Toronto to complete his surgical training. He studied orthopedic