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
William Banting is still available on-line. The popularity of the pamphlet mentioned above was such that the questions "Do you bant?" or "Are you banting?", still occasionally in use today, refer to his method, and sometimes even to dieting in general. In Sweden "banta" is still the main verb for "being on a diet". Scientist Tim Noakes popularised Banting in South Africa when he named his high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet after Banting. Gary Taubes' study of carbohydrates, "Good Calories, Bad Calories", begins with a prologue entitled "A brief history of Banting" and discusses Banting at some length. Discussions of low-carbohydrate diets often begin