I think the first 'diets' and 'food science' (I use the term loosely) started before the the turn of the last century (1800's). As people moved into cities during the industrial age, the quality of food available to them was terrible. No fresh produce regularly, everything canned. It led to so many digestive system problems, people started looking for solutions. I think that is when the Kellog Clan started the San (like in the movie Road to Wellville). The Kellog clan had a huge impact on what was considered 'healthy', created breakfast cereals, and advocated vegetarian diets. Given the food available to most people at the time, it probably was a big improvement.

While I was researching the Neanderthin diet, I found out that there was a whole other body of work about high meat/fat and low carb diets that I didn't even know existed. I guess the Kellog Clan and the like had better connections in Washington, D.C. The low fat/high carb diets won the media war, and suppressed and discredited all other research. That really made me angry. (Big Agriculture has a stronger lobby than Big Beef, I suppose )

Interestingly enough, the origin of the vegetarian, and rabid enviromentalist movement, had it's roots in Nazi Germany. Hitler (and some of his henchmen) was an ethical vegetarian/vegan. It's terrible when people worship 'Nature' to the point they would rather kill a human being than an animal. I think it stems from self-hatred, personally.

(Warning:I am waxing philisophical, be warned. )

I believe as science and technology advances, more and more people lose faith in traditional beliefs, i.e. God, family, community... We have become alienated from the very things that tie people and communities together. In the void left behind, many people have begun to 'worship' Mother Nature, or any other belief they can hang onto, like the Eastern Religions. Couple this with all the Western guilt, from being a rich country among other things, and you have the recipe for the modern Vegetarian movement (and rabid environmentists) It's not rational, it's a religion.

Of course, Big Government Subsidies and Programs didn't help. The Gov't got the farmers started growing soybeans, then had to create a market for the product. That story is the same for numerous other products, I'm sure.

Okay, I'll shut up now.