why were people so skinny in the 70s?

etoiles_argentees

Actually we ate plenty of processed food. Wonder bread was wonder bread. I ate tasty cake crumpets and orange drink. But the minute I had eaten enough I was outside playing and climbing trees.

Winston1717

No computers or video games. We were outside running around from sun up until you were called home for dinner. Then after dinner we asked to go out again on non- school nights....I don't think we had a clue about healthy eating. We just ate less and did more.

etoiles_argentees

They ate (real) food and moved some.

yes, we ate some frozen foods, but even then, NOTHING compared to today.

Ummmm... They hey days of processed food was 1960 and 1970.

SlimmingMeDown

So I'm trying to figure out why people were so skinny about 40 years ago vs today....here are some reasons i can think of and i want to know yours:

1. little to none high fructose corn syrup
2. more activity.....people didnt sit on their computers and smart phones all day



these are just two main ones i can think of, anyone else have any ideas?

Factory jobs were prevalent, which kept people on their feet. Farming jobs were also high in manual labor and we used mostly Americans rather than Mexican migrants back then.

Home video games and internet were basically non-existent.

Junk food and processed food were totally around, but people did not customarily eat dessert every day. Maybe once a week.

More wives and mothers were still at home making meals instead of relying on fast food.

shapefitter

I was busy playing computer games, watching tv, eating sweets, chocolate, potato chips, pepsi cola, instant mash, angel delight, icecream, and generally being fat.

UCSMiami

I think part of the answer was demonstrated in the documentary Super Size Me with Morgan Spurlock showing how portion size has increased using McDonalds and 7-11 as an example. The current children's hamburger and small french fries was considered sufficient for an adult. A Big Mac really was quite an increase in serving size. Same with the history of the Big Gulp which I recall was too much for a teenager in the late 1970s. In our family we found a 12oz can sufficent. No microwave and minimal snacks at home meant no nervous eating, no oral fixation that needed to be constantly fed.

We ate snacks-potato chips, candy bars, cookies but packaging appeared much smaller than now. I notice the huge size of potato chip bags and candy bars today. I think about one pop-tart was sufficient for one day's worth of snacking.

Also we kids were poor and relied on parents for foodstuffs and they were rather discerning of how much of our intake should be quality food vs. snacks/junk.

Then as was mentioned no cable tv or computer meant you were outside engaged in activities. But we did watch plenty of televsion. There was much programming for kids and one did watch quite a bit from 8pm thru 10pm M-F-Sat-Sun. It was family time to be together.(Does that last sound rather quaint?)

We did eat home cooked meals then. Reasonably healthy by today's standards. We were kids and so portion size was small and grew as we grew. Active mid-late teens are consumers! A Hungry Man tv dinner from Swanson was a rare treat for us. No one ever liked the cherry cobbler dessert in our household I recall. Given to the dog.

Eating out at KFC or Pizza Hut was a rare occasion. Portion size was also smaller. Adults smoked quite a bit which I understand is an appetite suppresant. Folks drank more as well I believe as social drinking was drinking and did not involve eating wings or cheese fries,etc. Perhaps peanuts is at most what you saw in a bar. I recall having a small bowl of homemade dip with ritz crackers was a big treat for the Superbowl not a massive spread at all compared to what is done now in tailgate parties.

We had one classmate out of 220-odd group who was obese in HS. I recall because he could not do one push-up or one situp for the annual Presidential Physical Fitness Test. I do notice the majority of young folk today are overweight. We just did not carry around that much weight in my city during our youth of the late 1970s-1980s.

Myhaloslipped

They were hippies and they were poor.

ndj1979

disco, blow, and acid...not necessarily in that order...

tigersword

I think part of the answer was demonstrated in the documentary Super Size Me with Morgan Spurlock showing how portion size has increased using McDonalds and 7-11 as an example. The current children's hamburger and small french fries was considered sufficient for an adult. A Big Mac really was quite an increase in serving size. Same with the history of the Big Gulp which I recall was too much for a teenager in the late 1970s. In our family we found a 12oz can sufficent. No microwave and minimal snacks at home meant no nervous eating, no oral fixation that needed to be constantly fed.

We ate snacks-potato chips, candy bars, cookies but packaging appeared much smaller than now. I notice the huge size of potato chip bags and candy bars today. I think about one pop-tart was sufficient for one day's worth of snacking.

Also we kids were poor and relied on parents for foodstuffs and they were rather discerning of how much of our intake should be quality food vs. snacks/junk.

Then as was mentioned no cable tv or computer meant you were outside engaged in activities. But we did watch plenty of televsion. There was much programming for kids and one did watch quite a bit from 8pm thru 10pm M-F-Sat-Sun. It was family time to be together.(Does that last sound rather quaint?)

We did eat home cooked meals then. Reasonably healthy by today's standards. We were kids and so portion size was small and grew as we grew. Active mid-late teens are consumers! A Hungry Man tv dinner from Swanson was a rare treat for us. No one ever liked the cherry cobbler dessert in our household I recall. Given to the dog.

Eating out at KFC or Pizza Hut was a rare occasion. Portion size was also smaller. Adults smoked quite a bit which I understand is an appetite suppresant. Folks drank more as well I believe as social drinking was drinking and did not involve eating wings or cheese fries,etc. Perhaps peanuts is at most what you saw in a bar. I recall having a small bowl of homemade dip with ritz crackers was a big treat for the Superbowl not a massive spread at all compared to what is done now in tailgate parties.

We had one classmate out of 220-odd group who was obese in HS. I recall because he could not do one push-up or one situp for the annual Presidential Physical Fitness Test. I do notice the majority of young folk today are overweight. We just did not carry around that much weight in my city during our youth of the late 1970s-1980s.

The Big Mac was invented in the 60s. While I agree portion sizes have increased (which is why Americans have gained weight, 500 extra calories a day with less activity,) Supersize Me is a horrible example of that. Supersize Me is more like putting one scoop of ice cream in a bowl, then placing a gallon tub of ice cream next to it and claiming the ice cream portion size increased. :drinker:

kahdxoom

yay-oh.

oregonzoo

No more mothers at home. No more home cooked meals. All fast food now that both parents work.

A mother really doesn't have to be home to properly cook a meal for her family.
And even more.

Nothing to say when mother is tired and doesn't want to cook... that father can't cook.

Are we a little busier of a society, yes. But you can't blame "mothers working" on the obesity epidemic.



*Also cocaine is a helluva drug.

bananabw

We ate fast food all the time in the 70's and when we ate at home it was Hamburger Helper and Jello. I don't remember anyone gardening and eating organic... I'm sure it happened but not around me. BUT, as many ppl have said we played outside a lot. I rode my bike everywhere. I don't know what the adults did to stay thin, but I do remember lots of parties my parents had. Plus eveybody smoked.

salladeve

It was all the pot the hippies were smoking..... no wait that would make you hungry right :bigsmile:

Were the 70s the Jane Fonda aerobics era? or was that the 80s?

Maybe it was all the dance fever on saturday night, lots of exercise

Angierae75

I was born in 75. I was in elementary in the early 80's and we came home from school around 3:30, did any homework we had, and by 4 or 4:30 we were outside until dinnertime (at 6) and if there was any daylight left we were back outside again. Catching frogs, playing kickball, riding our bikes. I had an Atari growing up but that was mostly once it was too dark to be outside or when the weather was bad.

Also, portion sizes. I got Wendy's today, and the MEDIUM soda is like 32 ounces. When I was a kid, a large was 16 ounces, so even when we did go to McDonald's as a treat, we were eating way less food. A medium fry today was a large or whatnot. Portion sizes are crazy these days and people don't realize how many calories they're drinking in 32 ounces of soda.

jonnythan

I think part of the answer was demonstrated in the documentary Super Size Me with Morgan Spurlock showing how portion size has increased using McDonalds and 7-11 as an example. The current children's hamburger and small french fries was considered sufficient for an adult. A Big Mac really was quite an increase in serving size. Same with the history of the Big Gulp which I recall was too much for a teenager in the late 1970s. In our family we found a 12oz can sufficent. No microwave and minimal snacks at home meant no nervous eating, no oral fixation that needed to be constantly fed.

We ate snacks-potato chips, candy bars, cookies but packaging appeared much smaller than now. I notice the huge size of potato chip bags and candy bars today. I think about one pop-tart was sufficient for one day's worth of snacking.

Also we kids were poor and relied on parents for foodstuffs and they were rather discerning of how much of our intake should be quality food vs. snacks/junk.

Then as was mentioned no cable tv or computer meant you were outside engaged in activities. But we did watch plenty of televsion. There was much programming for kids and one did watch quite a bit from 8pm thru 10pm M-F-Sat-Sun. It was family time to be together.(Does that last sound rather quaint?)

We did eat home cooked meals then. Reasonably healthy by today's standards. We were kids and so portion size was small and grew as we grew. Active mid-late teens are consumers! A Hungry Man tv dinner from Swanson was a rare treat for us. No one ever liked the cherry cobbler dessert in our household I recall. Given to the dog.

Eating out at KFC or Pizza Hut was a rare occasion. Portion size was also smaller. Adults smoked quite a bit which I understand is an appetite suppresant. Folks drank more as well I believe as social drinking was drinking and did not involve eating wings or cheese fries,etc. Perhaps peanuts is at most what you saw in a bar. I recall having a small bowl of homemade dip with ritz crackers was a big treat for the Superbowl not a massive spread at all compared to what is done now in tailgate parties.

We had one classmate out of 220-odd group who was obese in HS. I recall because he could not do one push-up or one situp for the annual Presidential Physical Fitness Test. I do notice the majority of young folk today are overweight. We just did not carry around that much weight in my city during our youth of the late 1970s-1980s.

While that's not untrue, it doesn't answer the question of WHY. WHY are portion sizes bigger? WHY do people eat at KFC more?

The *reason* for these things is that food production has just gotten so efficient and advanced, and we as a society have become so much more mobile, that these foods have gotten cheaper, easier to obtain, faster, and tastier.

RunBrew

While that's not untrue, it doesn't answer the question of WHY. WHY are portion sizes bigger? WHY do people eat at KFC more?

The *reason* for these things is that food production has just gotten so efficient and advanced, and we as a society have become so much more mobile, that these foods have gotten cheaper, easier to obtain, faster, and tastier.

I think 'oneupmanship' has a lot to do with it. One chain makes a 'big burger' or offers a bigger size drink and to compete for business everyone else has to offer the same or *gasp* bigger!

An often cited example is convenience store fountain drinks. Anyone over about 30 can probably remember the circle K vs 7-11 showdown for drink size. What was the end result? A massive super tanker 128oz soda that was marketed as a 'Team Gulp' but was really just a gallon of Pepsi for someone.

Really the evolution of any fast food portion is not much different. Really anything on the Carls Jr./Hardee's menu or the Jack-in the-box bacon ultimate cheeseburger is the sandwich equivalent of a 128oz soda.

SlimmingMeDown

Am I the only one that thinks fast food doesn't taste good?

padams2359

Not sure if they were skinnier, or their bell bottoms were bigger. Most of the diet pills were stronger, and have since been found to be unsafe. You could actually dance to the music, as opposed to now. JMT

jackielou867

SUGAR its in everything, even savoury food.
In the 70s we bought everything fresh, we had to walk to the shop, and carry food home, we did this every day.
Kids played outside, my dad cut the grass with a push mower, my mum washed the floors with a bucket of water and a scrubbing brush.
There were no fast food outlets in my town, other than the fish and chippy, which we had most Friday nights.
I walked to school, and home, every day. I walked o the swimming pool, and if I wanted to chat with a friend on the weekend, I walked to their house.
Chocolate was a treat for the weekend if we were good all week, not a bribe to shut us up in the supermarket.
And, oh this is so funny, when I wanted to change TV channels, there were only 3, I had to get off my *kitten* and walk across the lounge to the TV, can you imagine!!!!!!

For the record, my dad, who is 70 next year, still does most of the above, and has never had an ounce of excess fat on him.

FixIngMe13

We didn't sit in front of the computer, we didn't have xbox's, DS consoles, and we weren't allowed to slack. We HAD to get up and go outside and play... actually PLAY.

Now and days it is easier just to sit inside and play on the game systems. That and well... with violence on the rise (not that it wasn't then) and ABDUCTIONS... who wants to let their kids outside to play? Hey... Sadly, I'd rather know where MY kids are at and not getting a phone call they are dead or missing. Abductions have raised drastically over the years. Sad... Society altogether is just SAD.

UCSMiami

The responses from the younger folk here are hilarious. I imagine most are tongue and check but it is interesting to read what collective perceptions there are regarding those years from those too young to experience them.

271lisa

I think two big reasons people were skinnier in the 70's...portion control and being very active!!! When I was a kid in the 70's there was no such thing as "biggie size" or anything like that! A regular meal at MC Donald's was the size of a kids meal today. There were no video games and not much on TV. I was literally outside playing from the moment the sun was up until my mom made me come inside at night. I remember all the kids in the neighborhood would gather together to play all kinds of active games like tag, hide n seek, red rover red rover and on and on! It was awesome!!

wannabpiper

Cigarettes and speed (mother's little helpers).

Aesop101

Fast food wasn't so prevalent for one. Wasn't too many commercials as well. Not that excuses the rest of us who have partaken. Also people, as others have said, were far more active, no cable, no internet, no cell phones.

In Indiana there was a basketball goal in every yard. Most of those have disappeared.

Really enjoyed this question. It alerts us to what we need to focus on.

Dawn_Snowden

2 words: Richard Simmons

Sabine_Stroehm

Fast food wasn't so prevalent for one. Wasn't too many commercials as well. Not that excuses the rest of us who have partaken. Also people, as others have said, were far more active, no cable, no internet, no cell phones.

In Indiana there was a basketball goal in every yard. Most of those have disappeared.

Really enjoyed this question. It alerts us to what we need to focus on.

Very few video games...

padams2359

The funny thing is that back then, a diet pretty much consisted of counting calories. Since then, many diets have come along. Atkins, California, Sugarbusters, Etc. Now, most of us are having success with that same basc idea, counting calories.

recover_healthy_fit

I think you can eat what you fancy, just use moderation. And if you have no self control, then don't eat what you crave. Sad, but true. But if you can enjoy what you fancy in moderation, then do it.

danmiron

Sugar was indeed invented back than, I was there lmao.

however, the AMOUNT of sugar and fructose and glucose and especially HI-Fructose in foods was NOWHERE near what it is today... I think sugar it more of a filler these days, and it help to establish a BLISS point with eating that allows us to consume crappy foods and think they taste great....

Europe doesn't have the same sugars in their foods and never has, to my knowledge.

jerendeb

I graduated in 73. I weighed 185. (Same as today.) 6'1". I ate 4 meals a day, drank at least a 6 pack, smoked pot, did speed, did LSD, partied all the time, played frisbee a lot, and worked hard.

By 1978 I was in the Air Force for a year and a half, weighed 208, drank the same, didn't do the drugs, didn't play much, worked in Food Service.

Go figure.