Title Fat history : bodies and beauty in the modern West / Peter N. Stearns

Published New York : New York University Press, ©1997

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Description 1 online resource (xvi, 294 pages) : illustrations Series UPCC book collections on Project MUSE Contents The turning point -- The medical path : physicians and faddists -- Fat as a turn-of-the-century target : why? -- The misogynist phase : 1920s-1960s -- Stepping up the pace : old motives, new methods -- Fat city : American weight gains in the twentieth century -- The evolution of weight control in France -- The French regime -- Atlantic crisscross : the Franco-American contrasts -- Conclusion : the fat's in the fire Summary The modern struggle against fat cuts deeply and pervasively into American culture, as evidenced by the compulsion to stay thin, or at least to profess a desire to become thin. Dieting, weight consciousness, and widespread hostility to obesity form one of the fundamental themes of modern life in countries like the United States and France. Interestingly, while the French are renowned for their delight in all things gustatory, they are significantly trimmer and less diet obsessed than Americans Fat History explores the meaning of fat and antifat in modern Western society, focusing on the uniquely moral component of dieting in America. Tracing how Western standards of beauty and physical morality have been radically transformed over the past century, Peter N. Stearns illustrates how the contemporary obsession with fat arose in tandem with the dramatic growth in consumer culture, women's increasing equality, and changes in women's sexual and maternal roles. Contrary to popular belief, fashion and nutrition have played only a secondary role in spurring the American aversion to fat, while the French distaste for obesity can be traced to different origins altogether Analysis "Multi-User" Notes OldControl:muse9780814739822 Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-287) and index Notes Print version record Subject Fat -- Social aspects -- France -- History Fat -- Social aspects -- United States -- History Body image -- France -- History Body image -- United States -- History Weight loss -- France -- History Weight loss -- United States -- History Obesity. Weight loss. Leanness -- United States -- History Leanness -- France -- History Obesity Fat Body Weight Loss Body Image HISTORY -- General. Obesity Leanness Body image Fat -- Social aspects Weight loss Vetzucht. Vermageren. Volksgezondheid. Perte de poids -- États-Unis -- Histoire. Perte de poids -- France -- Histoire. Image du corps -- États-Unis -- Histoire. Image du corps -- France -- Histoire. Sociologie du corps. France United States Genre/Form History Form Electronic book LC no. 96045878 ISBN 9780814771020 0814771025 9780814780695 0814780695 9780814780701 0814780709

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