Why were Americans of all ages so thin during the 1960s and 1970s?

[Anonymous]

"Coffees" that are basically milkshakes (frappucino, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Much less eating at restaurants.
Much less drinking calories (not alcohol but fancy coffees etc).
Cigarettes.
No snacking, or very little.
Portion size.

[Anonymous]

They weren’t thin but normal size. If you visit other countries, you’ll see that most people are “thin”. They only look “thin” to you because the majority of Americans are overweight/fat and that is the norm here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complex question. I know.

Please share your theories as to why.

All of the hormones and hormone-like substances we get from plastic, can linings, fire retardants, food additives, etc.

Many people ate horribly in the 1960s and 1970s, and plenty of people had air conditioning.

The difference is that, even if we were more polluted with lead, we were less polluted with artificial hormones.

+1. I posted up thread about a variety of factors (diet, exercise, etc,) but the. Was thinking about the fact that I am heavier than my mom at this age, although I eat a lot more fresh food and am a lot less sedentary. I do think the antibiotics and chemicals we are swimming in play a role.

[Anonymous]

Agree that 60s/70s were not perfect like everyone is saying.

I actually think there are two "Americas"....

The lower or working middle class who are heavier and more sedentary, this fatter.

And, the middle/upper middle who are just as active and eat healthier than anyone ever did in the 60s/70s!

Children in my child's school bring in homemade meals for lunch, gluten free this, sugar free that, chia seeds, God knows what else. This probably happens in many of your children's schools as well.

Not all children are overweight today. There were very few in fact in the various schools my kids have attended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complex question. I know.

Please share your theories as to why.

All of the hormones and hormone-like substances we get from plastic, can linings, fire retardants, food additives, etc.

Many people ate horribly in the 1960s and 1970s, and plenty of people had air conditioning.

The difference is that, even if we were more polluted with lead, we were less polluted with artificial hormones.

+1. I posted up thread about a variety of factors (diet, exercise, etc,) but the. Was thinking about the fact that I am heavier than my mom at this age, although I eat a lot more fresh food and am a lot less sedentary. I do think the antibiotics and chemicals we are swimming in play a role.

Eh. Not much fewer antibiotics and chemicals in places like the wealthy suburbs of DC, as compared to say, West Virginia. But dramatic differences in obesity rates. I mean you can't explain every single case, but I think as far as the statistics are concerned, the drivers have been food intake (both total calorie intake, and, to a lesser extent, shifts to simple carbs) and sedentary lifestyles.

Note, AC existed then, but was less widespread. And more people had physically demanding jobs. And fewer households had more than one motor vehicle.

[Anonymous]

Middle aged adults seemed to look a lot older back then than they do now. I think that's because they ate more refined carbs and drinking cocktails in the evening was pretty standard. There was a lot more smoking, too.

Kids had way less screen time back then and they walked/rode bikes everywhere - to the store, the pool, the neighborhood, friends' houses. When I think back to some of the distances that my friends and I used to walk and bike to....it's pretty amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged adults seemed to look a lot older back then than they do now. I think that's because they ate more refined carbs and drinking cocktails in the evening was pretty standard. There was a lot more smoking, too.

Kids had way less screen time back then and they walked/rode bikes everywhere - to the store, the pool, the neighborhood, friends' houses. When I think back to some of the distances that my friends and I used to walk and bike to....it's pretty amazing.

Do you bike for transportation now?

[Anonymous]

I'm 48 and grew up in Fairfax County. Out of my huge high school grad class, I can think of less than 12 classmates who were considered "fat" and in retrospect, they weren't remarkably obese, just flabby or chubby.

One of the girls famously (because she was a neighbor and all the moms talked about this) was sent to a faraway "fat camp" and returned slimmer and continued to lose the rest of high school.

Our moms smoked or were former smokers.

I was terrible at team sports, but spent childhood running around outside, climbing trees, riding bikes, playing flashlight tag,kickball, swimming, roller skating, tv was late night if at all.

We weren't eating all of the time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Snack at the pool would be A single Whatchamacallit chocolate candy bar OR a giant Sweetart OR a small popsicle or candy lipstick from the ice cream man.

Girl Scouts had a homemade snack at meetings - one homemade rice krispy treat or one homemade chocolate chip cookie per girl. Every birthday party at home or in school was one piece of birthday cake and one Dixie cup of Hawaiian Punch.

Sodas in glass bottles or cans. No Big Gulps. Sodas were for special occasions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged adults seemed to look a lot older back then than they do now. I think that's because they ate more refined carbs and drinking cocktails in the evening was pretty standard. There was a lot more smoking, too.

Kids had way less screen time back then and they walked/rode bikes everywhere - to the store, the pool, the neighborhood, friends' houses. When I think back to some of the distances that my friends and I used to walk and bike to....it's pretty amazing.

Family hobbyist genealogist here, and so much of this was societal expectations. Generations ago, "school girls" looked a certain way, and grandmothers did, too.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's just hormones and antibiotics in the foods, though.

My super crunchy SIL raised her 3 kids where they went from breastfeeding to predominately raw vegans. No tofu or soy-based products as meat substitutes. Their dites are 95% plant-based and she and her husbands are 100% (the wiggle room is for allowing them to have some non-vegan candy/treats when at school and birthday parties).

Her son has always been a little chubster since birth. He's 14 now and still chubby. There's distant obesity on her husband's side of the family (think like the cousin of his parent-no one closely related).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Complex question. I know.

Please share your theories as to why.

All of the hormones and hormone-like substances we get from plastic, can linings, fire retardants, food additives, etc.

Many people ate horribly in the 1960s and 1970s, and plenty of people had air conditioning.

The difference is that, even if we were more polluted with lead, we were less polluted with artificial hormones.

+1. I posted up thread about a variety of factors (diet, exercise, etc,) but the. Was thinking about the fact that I am heavier than my mom at this age, although I eat a lot more fresh food and am a lot less sedentary. I do think the antibiotics and chemicals we are swimming in play a role.

Nah. It's not the chemicals. You might eat a lot more fresh food but you also have to take into account the volume of food that you eat. Calories are calories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged adults seemed to look a lot older back then than they do now. I think that's because they ate more refined carbs and drinking cocktails in the evening was pretty standard. There was a lot more smoking, too.

Kids had way less screen time back then and they walked/rode bikes everywhere - to the store, the pool, the neighborhood, friends' houses. When I think back to some of the distances that my friends and I used to walk and bike to....it's pretty amazing.

Do you bike for transportation now?

No, I drive although I'm not opposed to biking. When I'm in a more walkable area I do walk around a lot instead of driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged adults seemed to look a lot older back then than they do now. I think that's because they ate more refined carbs and drinking cocktails in the evening was pretty standard. There was a lot more smoking, too.

Kids had way less screen time back then and they walked/rode bikes everywhere - to the store, the pool, the neighborhood, friends' houses. When I think back to some of the distances that my friends and I used to walk and bike to....it's pretty amazing.

Do you bike for transportation now?

No, I drive although I'm not opposed to biking. When I'm in a more walkable area I do walk around a lot instead of driving.

Would you like ideas on how to get back into transportation biking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged adults seemed to look a lot older back then than they do now. I think that's because they ate more refined carbs and drinking cocktails in the evening was pretty standard. There was a lot more smoking, too.

Kids had way less screen time back then and they walked/rode bikes everywhere - to the store, the pool, the neighborhood, friends' houses. When I think back to some of the distances that my friends and I used to walk and bike to....it's pretty amazing.

Family hobbyist genealogist here, and so much of this was societal expectations. Generations ago, "school girls" looked a certain way, and grandmothers did, too.

They started families earlier, had more kids and just tended to have a tougher life in general. If you look at pictures of 40 year old women back then and compare them with the almost girlish 40 year olds of today - there is a difference.

Back in the day women crash dieted to lose weight. They under ate in general and smoked more. That has a way of aging you. Women now join gyms, have spa treatments, laser facial treatments, botox, fillers and all sorts of other things that keep them looking young.