The First Diet Book “The Art Of Living Long” Was Written In 1558

Restricting yourself from your favorite foods can be difficult. That is why, on May 11, we celebrate National Eat What You Want Day! On this day, people are encouraged to treat themselves by giving in to their sweet tooth, carb-loading without having a marathon to run, and eating breakfast for dinner. Because on National Eat What You Want Day, no one can tell you what NOT to eat.

• 1558 – Considered the world’s first diet book, “The Art of Living Long” was written by Venetian nobleman Luigi Cornaro
• 1863 – English undertaker William Banting releases “Letter on Corpulence,” describing a strict low-carbohydrate regimen that becomes an early template for modern weight-loss diets and food restriction.
• 1918 – First Bestselling American Diet Book Promotes Calorie‑Counting. Physician Lulu Hunt Peters publishes “Diet and Health,” popularizing the idea of calorie counting and linking thinness to morality, which shapes restrictive diet culture in the United States.
• 1953 – Ancel Keys Helps Establish Modern Nutrition Guidelines. Physiologist Ancel Keys presents research linking diet, fat, and heart disease, influencing government and medical advice that often emphasizes control and limitation over the enjoyment of food.
• 1960s – Mother to six children, Florence Rappaport starts Eat Ice-Cream For Breakfast Day on a snowy winter’s day in Rochester, New York
• 1963 – Weight Watchers Brings Structured Dieting to the Masses. Jean Nidetch formalizes Weight Watchers as a company, spreading group-based weight-loss programs that focus on tracking, points, and restraint, and shaping mainstream ideas of “good” and “bad” foods.
• 1973 – “Comfort Food” Enters the American Vocabulary. The term “comfort food” appears in the Washington Post and other media to describe nostalgic, emotionally soothing dishes, highlighting the pleasure and solace of eating rather than strict nutrition rules.
• 1995 – Intuitive Eating Challenges Diet Culture. Dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch publish “Intuitive Eating,” promoting attunement to hunger and satiety cues and permission to eat all foods, directly challenging chronic dieting.
• 2010s – Although it was created in 1921, the very low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet only became trendy a century later.
• 2013 – Health at Every Size and Anti‑Diet Movements Gain Recognition. The Association for Size Diversity and Health advances the Health at Every Size approach, encouraging body respect, flexible eating for well-being and pleasure, and rejecting weight-focused restriction.
• Full ranking of foods Americans would eat every day (Data gathered by a top Vancouver Marketing Agency) :
  • #1: Pizza (13%)
  • #2: Pasta (12%)
  • #3: Burgers (11%)
  • #4: Ice cream (11%)
  • #5: Tacos or burritos (9%)
  • #6: Chocolate (9%)
  • #7: French fries (9%)
  • #8: Donuts (7%)
  • #9: Cake (6%)
  • #10: Chips (5%)
  • #11: Cheese (4%)
  • #12: Cookies (4%)
• Take the freedom to choose and have a fluffy stack of pancakes with a side of bacon before bedtime.
• The day was created for people to take a lighthearted break from strict dieting and food rules. It encourages you to relax, enjoy your favorite foods, and focus on balance rather than restriction.

Sources:

National Today

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