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Introduction
Dieting, what is that you may ask? Dieting is the act of restricting certain types of food to lose weight so you can look your best and feel even better. Some diet for their physical looks others diet to get healthier but over the years dieting has drastically changed and not for the better. -
First Ever Diet
The first ever diet was encouraged by William Banting. This diet was targeted at men who “promoted a dietary regimen that featured foods associated with masculinity, wealth, and national and racial superiority such as red meat and alcohol.” (Vester, Par. 3) After men's dieting was encouraged, women also decided to follow this trend but they were urged to be more “plump if they wanted to look healthy and beautiful” (Vester, Par.3) instead of thin and sickly. -
What Women "Should" Look Like
“While men were advised to reduce their weight, publications for women were devoted to weight gain” (Vester, Par. 88) How to be “plump” was the hot topic. During this time many beauty manuals promoted weight gain and women against dieting. In the magazine article Women's Secret, Hammond writes “Most beautiful is the woman with “rounded limb and graceful curve.” ( Hammond, Par. 89) -
The Reaction Men Had To Dieting
What once was deemed beautiful is now considered alarming. In 1884 the “Anti-Fat” movement was created. During this time it was advised to exercise to reduce fat. Some of the following activities encouraged to do were: “rowing, boxing, fencing, and hunting.” (Vester, Par.45) The target audience for dieting during this time was white, male, and middle class. -
The Rebuttal
Because of this system many men had a problem with it and created the “Fat Mans Association” and only accepted men weighing more than 200 pounds. This club was to counteract what the American Constitution had to say about dieting. But this club became dangerous causing men to become weak, sick, and even die because of their eating habits. After that a “new diet appeared who called for a stricter and even more masculine regimen to demonstrate uttermost willpower via food intake” -
Everyone Can Diet Now
This time period is when dieting has now become culturally accepted for women. “The slender female body was associated with equality, strength, and liberty, but also with class and racial privilege, this being another important aspect that made dieting a successful practice among white, middle class women.” (Vestor, Par. 128)Newspapers and magazines were really pushing dieting for everyone, not just men. They believed that women should also be able to be healthy, not just men. -
Intense Dieting
Instead of dieting to be healthy women started dieting to become thin which even led to them being unhealthy. During this time dieting almost became a “disease” as so many women just wanted to be thin. Many stars at this time were doing special types of diets like the proto duncan diet. Many women believed that they needed to exercise more and eat less. It was also said at this time that women only ate “Celery and cigarettes.” (Obscura, P.1) -
Taking Dieting To The Extreme... Even With Kids
During this time frame this is when dieting started to get out of hand. Women turned to weight loss supplements trying to be as thin as they can. They believed you can never be “too thin”. Stars took it to the extreme. “San Francisco, 1942: The socialite Irma Schlesinger puts her chubby 12-year-old daughter on a diet. The girl, the future Nan Kempner, promptly takes up smoking as an appetite suppressant.” (Widdicome, P. 12) -
Low Cal, Less Carb, More Fun
During this time period low cal and carb was all the craze. Low cal, less carb, more fun. They recommended low-calorie and reduced carbs, and the Atkins and South Beach diet. This was the most popular diet method. If people did want to eat carbs then they would cut their food portion size by half. The key to dieting around this time was always eat less than the full portion to stay slim. -
Detox The Toxic
During this time frame detox was the new obsession. Not just eating healthy, but drinking healthy. That meant only drinking the purest cleanest water and making sure your fruits and veggies were not processed in bad ways. During this time diet pills were also coming back and becoming even more popular. To promote these pills they had celebrities pose with them for magazine covers claiming how effective they were. -
"Body Positivity"
During this time it was very hard for women to be confident because of the media. Countless media outlooks would publicly humiliate celebrities by calling them fat on magazine covers. During this time many celebrities and people developed eating disorders because the media portrayed “Thin flat stomachs” as the beauty standard. Many stars turned to drugs to suppress their appetite so they could stay thin. -
The Better Outcome
Dieting to be thin and unhealthy was now uncool and dieting to be healthy was the norm. Americans now realized that dieting to be skinny was not healthy and even dangerous. The new norm was body positivity and for real this time. For a dieting method people turned to doing “30 day challenges” where they would cut out high sugar foods, alcohol, and dairy. Weighing yourself was off the table. You are allowed to eat what you want and feel good and beautiful no matter what the “norm” was. -
Work Cited
Vester, Katharina. “Regime Change: Gender, Class, and the Invention of Dieting in Post-Bellum America.” Journal of social history 44.1 (2010): 39–70. Web. Miething, Alexander et al. “The Peer Context of Dieting: The Relationship Between Young Adults’ Dieting Frequency and Their Friends’ Weight-Related Characteristics.” International journal of environmental research and public health 15.12 (2018): 2744–. Web. -
Conclusion
Throughout the years we have had many different views on how a certain body should look and what to do to maintain that ideal body type. As we learned back then many beauty standards on our body were unhealthy, unrealistic, and even dangerous, we now have found peace and promote a healthy lifestyle encouraging all people to be healthy. Just because you are thin does not mean you are healthy, a strong mindset is now what is beautiful. -
Work Cited pt.2
Saarni, Suoma E. “Recurrent Dieting and Smoking among ... - Wiley Online Library.” Recurrent Dieting and Smoking among Finnish Men and Women. Karri Silventoinen, September 6, 2012. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2007.219. Schlossberg, Mallory. “Here's How Much the Dieting Industry Has Changed over the Years.” Business Insider. Business Insider, June 7, 2016. https://www.businessinsider.com/dieting-then-and-now-2016-6#sometimes-they-resorted-to-taking-pills-2. -
Work Cited pt3
News, CBS. “150 Years of Dieting Fads: An American Story.” CBS News. CBS Interactive, January 25, 2011. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/150-years-of-dieting-fads-an-american-story/.