Live and Let Diet

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Archive on 4: Live and Let Diet

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Live and Let Diet

Fern Britton charts the history of diets undertaken by British slimmers over the decades.

Broadcaster Fern Britton charts the history of dieting in Britain over the decades, from the National Diet in the Second World War to Weight Watchers to soup and fasting diets.

With new diets and slimming plans coming and going on a regular basis, broadcaster and novelist Fern Britton takes us on a journey charting the history of diets taken up by people in the UK.

Weight loss diets have been around for centuries. In 1863, William Banting wrote Letter on Corpulence, addressed to the Public, where he advised the limiting of carbohydrates in order to lose weight. Still in print in the 21st century, it's hard to imagine that Banting's diet, which prescribes a "glass or two of good claret" to accompany your dinner, supper, and a night-cap if required, would pass muster with any registered nutritionists today. 

During the First and Second World Wars, the whole country was put on a diet as rationing came in. A period of food parity across the country saw us generally become a healthier nation, but what impact did rationing have? How did people react once they could eat what they wanted again? 

Fern hears how dieting started to become big business in the 1960s, as native New Yorker Jean Nidetch's Weight Watchers left her humble kitchen in Queens to make it across the Atlantic and around the world. And as the number of microwaves and freezers in kitchens increased in the 1970s and 80s, we saw the advent of the ready meal and an increasing number of fast food restaurants. Fern reflects on how food has become more processed over the years - and how that may have impacted weight.

But as food and shopping tastes changed, so did diets. Fern hears how the emphasis altered with many turning into diet with exercise plans in the 80s and early 90s, including the Jane Fonda workout.  

More recently, the Atkins' diet would go on to become one of the most famous and popular diets around the world. Originally published by Dr Robert Atkins in 1972, the low-carb diet became huge at the turn of the century with almost one in ten Americans claiming to participate in it. 

An array of guests talk about their experience of diets and dieting including former MP and Celebrity Fit Club survivor Ann Widdecombe, EastEnders and Goodness Gracious Me star Nina Wadia, TV cook Rustie Lee, and fitness instructor 'Green Goddess' Diana Moran. Rosemary Clooney CBE talks about her world famous low fat diet while psychologist Susie Orbach recalls her ground breaking book Fat is a Feminist Issue. There are also contributions from dietician and nutritionist Priya Tew and Professor of Diet and Population Health at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, Professor Susan Jebb OBE.

Finally, Professor Daniel Davis from Imperial College London talks about why personalised diets could be the future. 

Produced by Kurt Brookes
Executive Producer: Ashley Byrne
Actor: Jonathan Kydd

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