Drinking Man's Diet Sold Millions

The Drinking Man's Diet became a 1960s ancestor of the Atkins and paleo diets, promoting meat, alcohol, and carbohydrate counting instead of calorie counting. A cosmetics executive and aerial photographer named Robert Cameron self-published the roughly 50-page book in 1962 after trying a diet a woman had given him and losing weight without abandoning martinis. Despite fierce criticism from nutritionists, the book sold 2.4 million copies in 13 languages. Cameron lived to age 98 and continued enjoying roast duck and Burgundy.

Previous Fact Next Fact