In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the origins of the United States' obsession with thinness—and how that century-old mindset still impacts the way many of us think about our bodies today.

We’ll explore how cultural ideals shifted in the early 1900s, from a time when softness and fullness were signs of health and wealth, to an era where thinness became tied to patriotism, morality, and self-control. From wartime food messaging to early dieting books, life insurance statistics, fashion trends, and media portrayals, we trace how these factors converged to create a powerful, lasting narrative around body size.

I also invite you to reflect on your own body image story—how family, peers, and media shaped the way you saw yourself growing up—and how that legacy might still show up in your relationship with fitness and food today.

This isn’t about shaming weight loss or personal goals—if you're pursuing health in a sustainable way, more power to you. But it is about challenging the idea that your body needs to be smaller to be worthy.

Let’s unpack the history, challenge the narrative, and reclaim strength on our own terms.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Welcome to the StrongHer Collective Podcast
0:36 - Episode introduction - we go back to a pivotal movement in US history where we become obsessed with thinness.
4:08 - Reflection exercise about how you learned about body size and body image as a child. 2019 Study
11:00 - Before the 1900s, we didn't consider fat a bad thing. In fact, fat was associated with health, wealth, and abundance.
13:00 - Book: Modern Food, Moral Food by Helen Zoe Veit (University of North Carolina Press)
13:50 - World War 1, "Food Will Win the War"
16:45 - Temperance Movement
17:10 - Willpower with food
20:20 - Metrics, such as the application of calories to food and the home scale
22:37 - Fashion is changing and becoming more form fitting
23:30 - Media is more prevalent, and movie actresses have weight limits in their contracts
25:17 - Summary
28:32 - Where do we go from here?

Connect with me on Instagram! I'm @strongher.collective.