Culture
If you think that “star” diets for weight loss are something relatively new, then you are deeply mistaken. Lord Byron, a world-famous English romantic poet who worked in the 19th century, was one of the first authors of the “star” diet and one of the first idols to influence the diets of thousands of fans, says historian Louise Foxcroft.
George Gordon Byron was prone to obesity, which disappointed the poet a lot. The famous romantic poet made a lot of efforts to combat obesity. While studying at Cambridge University, Byron was intensively boxing and swimming, and in order to lose weight, the poet ate potatoes soaked in vinegar, drank seltzer water and wore strange an outfit consisting of several layers of woolen clothing. This garment increased perspiration and helped the poet lose weight. Byron weighed himself very often to control his weight. Sometimes the poet broke his diet and ate prohibited foods. In such cases, he took a large dose of magnesia, which is a laxative.
In 1806, Byron weighed 88 kg, but by 1811 his weight had fallen to 57 kilograms. This information has survived to this day because Byron was regularly weighed at Berry Bros & Rudd, a wine trading company. At that time, there were no floor scales; floor scales appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century.
According to Berry Bros & Rudd records, Byron was weighed there more than 40 times between 1815 and 1822.
Byron's diet
So what did Lord Byron's “star diet” consist of? In 1816, the poet lived at Villa Diodati on the shores of Lake Geneva. During this period, Byron ate a slice of bread and a cup of tea for breakfast. For lunch, the poet ate a light vegetable salad with a bottle of seltzer water diluted with wine. In the evenings, the poet drank green tea. By 1822, due to constant diets, the poet's health had deteriorated significantly. Byron himself admitted that constant restrictions have led to many health problems. In addition, in order to suppress hunger, the poet smoked cigars.
The poet's example was followed by many of the poet's fans, who began to eat rice and vinegar in order to be thin and pale, like the heroines of Byron's romantic poems. Byron himself believed that “no one should see a woman while eating or drinking.” According to the poet, in public, a woman could only eat lobster and drink only champagne, because “only this food is truly feminine”.
Interesting facts about diets
– One of the first books on low-carb diets was authored by Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. The book was published in 1825.
– In the 18th century, slimming powders contained ingredients such as strychnine, lard, and soap
– The scientific approach to weight loss diets appeared in the 19th century
– In 2009, sales of non-drug weight loss products reached a record $1.4 billion
– The “weight loss industry” in North America is valued at $50 billion. Americans spend more than $1.6 billion each year on weight loss supplements
Source: Calories and Corsets, a book published by the University of Exeter and Plymouth.