Whatsoever was the FATHER of a disease an ill diet was the mother

Insights

Multiple Causes

Suggests that most problems or ailments have more than one source; even if something else began the trouble, poor maintenance (here, diet) completes or worsens it.

Personal Responsibility

Implicates the individual’s lifestyle choices—especially diet—as a decisive influence on health, regardless of underlying predispositions or external causes.

Universal Principle

Applies more broadly: whatever external factors contribute to a problem, neglect or poor management often plays a critical role in its development.

Medical Wisdom and Folklore

The proverb encapsulates traditional medical views in which both heredity (the 'father') and daily habits (the 'mother') create disease. It reflects longstanding suspicion of indulgence and advocates moderation in eating and drinking.

Moralizing Tone

Like many health-related proverbs, it contains a subtle warning: blame may lie elsewhere, but neglecting self-discipline (through 'ill diet') is always part of the problem. It encourages self-control and vigilance over one’s habits.

Gendered Personification

By attributing paternity and maternity to causes of illness, the proverb draws on traditional gender roles—father as origin, mother as nurturer or enabler—making the message both memorable and culturally resonant.

Rhetorical Devices

Personification

The 'father' and 'mother' of disease metaphorically represent primary and secondary causes, giving the proverb a vivid, familial structure.

Antithesis

Juxtaposes any possible 'father' (origin) with the universal 'mother' (ill diet), underscoring the duality of cause.

Analogy

Compares the genesis of disease to parentage, helping listeners intuitively grasp the interaction of multiple causes.