From Fortean Times. I have friends who’ve been on the Atkins diet, megaprotein, zero carbs, avoid carrots and many other veggies, as they’re terribly starchy; each and every one of them swears it works. And each and every one of them is overweight. What do they teach them in school nowadays? (besides math)

June 28. Henry VIII, the king who destroyed the fabric of monastic England and most of its sacred shrines, was born today in 1491. It used to be thought that he died of syphilis, but it was malnutrition that did him in, according to historian Susan Maclean Kybett; specifically, he didn’t eat his greens. It seemed that scurvy, caused by vitamin C deficiency, is the only disease that fits his symptoms – ulcerated legs, bad breath, collapsed nose etc. There was a prejudice at the time that only lower orders ate vegetables; the rich could afford more exiting things like venison.

Thank god that particular fad is over. I’m a little tired of going to restaurants with people who smell like abatoirs and who insist on ordering three courses and then whining about how they can’t eat two of them.

On the bright side, I’ve much enjoyed the extra servings of dessert and even convinced one poor sap that Martinis are high in carbs…here, let me get rid of that so it doesn’t bother you. You can have the twist, though.