An article recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine analyzes letters between President William Taft and an English diet expert named Dr. Nathaniel E. York-Davies.  Beginning in 1905, President Taft sought Dr. York-Davies’ expertise in supervising a weight loss plan.  Over the next ten years, the President and the doctor corresponded extensively, carrying out the medical management plan by mail.  In analyzing the letters and publishing the article, the researchers hoped to shed some light on the treatment of obesity during the early Twentieth Century.  These letters are a rare source of clinical detail into obesity and its treatment, providing an intimate look at the obesity experience in the U.S. at the time.

President Taft is likely best known for being the largest leader of the U.S., weighing in at 314 pounds during his administration, reports CNN.  Concerned about how his weight would affect his health, and therefore his ability to serve, in December 1905, the then-future president wrote to Yorke-Davies for advice.  Taft was apparently uncomfortable with the symptoms of restless sleep and indigestion that resulted from his size.  He hired the doctor to help with his weight loss because “no real gentleman” should weigh more than 300 pounds, as Taft put it.

According to the White House website, President Taft was the 27th President of the U.S., serving from 1909 to 1913.  Taft enjoyed law, but never cared for politics.  Still, after a series of administrative posts and serving as Secretary of War under President Roosevelt, Taft found himself campaigning for the Presidency.  Taft lost the reelection to Woodrow Wilson and happily returned to law as a professor at Yale University.  During the Harding Administration, Taft got his dream job – Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

USA Today reports that the doctor gave Taft much of the advice that would be expected for overweight and obese patients even today.  For example, in one letter the doctor encouraged physical activity, including horseback riding, golf, and calisthenics with a personal trainer.  York-Davies even told Taft what he should be eating throughout the day.  The diet included fish, vegetables, and lean meats without any butter or wheat.  Taft was also given a list of permitted and prohibited foods.  The prohibited foods included sugar and other sweets.

Between 1905 and 1906, during the first course of the treatment, Taft dropped over 60 pounds.  Though it was not labeled as such, his diet resembled the low-carb diets that are still present in current medical advice.  However, Taft regained the weight, which researchers attribute to a problem even present today – patients do not always maintain healthy habits.