Main Entry: ban·ting

Pronunciation: \ˈbant-iŋ\

Function: noun

Usage: often capitalized

: a method of dieting for obesity by avoiding sweets and carbohydrates

Banting, William (1797–1878), British undertaker and coffin maker. A well-known obese Londoner, Banting increased in weight as his years increased in number. Finally, when he was 66, his bodily size reached the point where it was almost literally unbearable. After trying various remedies, all fruitless, he consulted William Harvey, who devised for him a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. The diet was a splendid success. Eager to spread the good word, Banting in 1863 published the pamphlet A Letter on Corpulence, in which he described the wonder diet. Soon “to bant” became a familiar phrase in British households, and banting immortalized a reduced man.