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Experiment in Blubber
Responding to the diminishment of Phys Ed programs in public shools due to budget cuts, fitness guy Richard Simmons urged Congress earlier today to "keep and expand physical education" in American public schools. He emphasized data from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) showing obesity levels among kids these days, which everyone knows is rampant.
Reading this took me back to last week's screening of Blake Edwards' Experiment in Terror (1962) at the Aero theatre, and in particular a scene at a public swimming pool. It's basically about the then-very-young Stephanie Powers, portraying the younger sister of stalker-victim Lee Remick, and some nice-looking dude chit-chatting. Almost all the people seen swimming and walking around in bathing suits are high-school age or slightly older or younger.
Something about this scene seemed "different" but I couldn't figure what it was. Then it hit me -- all the kids in this scene, which was shot some 48 or 49 years ago, were thin, muscular, in good shape. No Jabbas or beefy bods or guys with bigger boobs than some of the girls, which is absolutely what you'll see today if you go to a public pool or beach. American attitudes about diet and keeping in shape were healthier back then. Kids walked and played more, sat around a lot less, and ate less in the way of chili dogs, ice cream and heaping bowls of Velveeta cheese nachos.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 24, 2008 at 4:57 PM
comment #1
D.Z. says ...
http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/collections/gallery/903/top-10-scientific-inaccurate-movies
Posted by D.Z. at July 24, 2008 5:34 PM
comment #2
SaveFarris says ...
It. Was. a Movie.
Not. Real. Life.
If someone were to set a scene at a beach or pool today, they'd still be using hardbodies and skinny teenagers. And they still will 10, 20, 100 years from now...
Posted by SaveFarris at July 24, 2008 5:38 PM
comment #3
D.Z. says ...
http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2008/0-9ABC/Brothers-Bloom,The/trailer.php
Posted by D.Z. at July 24, 2008 5:54 PM
comment #4
Mgmax says ...
Read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food.
Basically, the increase in obesity coincides exactly with the government campaign to reduce saturated fat in our diets. Thirty years later, we're much fatter.
Another triumph of government central planning...
Posted by Mgmax at July 24, 2008 5:55 PM
comment #5
Rev. Slappy says ...
I'm disappointed Simmons didn't testify in a tank top and shorts. He looks freaky in a suit.
Posted by Rev. Slappy at July 24, 2008 5:58 PM
comment #6
D.Z. says ...
Mgmax: I thought it's due to fast food chains getting subsidies, and thus killing the competition.
Posted by D.Z. at July 24, 2008 6:14 PM
comment #7
Mgmax says ...
Well, subsidies for the wrong kinds of foods are certainly a problem, and fast food has been a huge beneficiary of that, but it's not like it wouldn't have other advantages even if all that government interference in the food market went away. I mean, it's not like TV advertising + sugary salty grease is exactly a recipe for failure on its own.
Posted by Mgmax at July 24, 2008 6:37 PM
comment #8
chappiesan says ...
Yeah, it's the government's fault. I mean, sure, I eat a couple beef 'n chedders (with extra sauce) with every meal, but I'd surely eat less, or at least hold back on the sauce, if the government was more effective in letting me how bad dead cow and artifical cheese, the color of agent orange, was for my health.
Posted by chappiesan at July 24, 2008 6:38 PM
comment #9
Mgmax says ...
Chappiesan, part of Pollan's argument is that the dead cow turns out to have been a lot less bad for you than the govt is saying for the last 30 years-- but the "healthy" reduced fat part skim artificial cheese food product is, in fact, much worse.
Is this all true? I'm not sure, but it's well worth reading just to learn how incredibly dubiously researched and thinly proven most of our received healthy food notions actually are.
This is a pretty good interview with him:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/13/in_defense_of_food_author_journalist
Posted by Mgmax at July 24, 2008 6:43 PM
comment #10
cjKennedy says ...
There are tons of different theories about why we're fat and the government is only to blame for some of them. You can pick one to suit any point of view.
Posted by cjKennedy at July 24, 2008 7:41 PM
comment #11
Josh Massey says ...
Yeah, like during the beach and pool scenes of, say, American Pie 2 and "Entourage" - all the tubbos everywhere, rolls of fat dripping in Quarter Pounder grease. Disgusting.
Posted by Josh Massey at July 24, 2008 7:54 PM
comment #12
CinemaPhreek says ...
SaveFerris - exactly.
I would be curious to see some documentary footage taken at a pool back then compared to today. Better yet, the beach.
I've met Powers a couple of times. Very nice and still sexy as hell.
Posted by CinemaPhreek at July 24, 2008 7:58 PM
comment #13
chappiesan says ...
Great read MGMax, thanks for posting the link.
I'm still going to argue that most of the problem is caused by a lack of education and people who are slaves to their cravings. There'll aways be some company taking advantage of a government subsidy, creating a toxic product and pushing it on the unsuspecting, all to turn some profit. The govnerment could turn around and subsidize other fruits and vegetables, like Pollan suggests, and one of the foodstuff MNC's will come along, squeeze all the sugar out of carrots, use it to sweeten their cereal, and hire an advertising firm to delude the ameircan public into believing their product is healther than the previous incarnation because it no longer contains high fructose corn syrup.
But thank god for Pollan. At least there's someone in the public eye who's arguing that the American diet needs to focus on more natural, locally grown foods.
Posted by chappiesan at July 24, 2008 8:18 PM
comment #14
Steffen says ...
Recently, quite a few celebrities and pro athletes were said to appear on the millionaire luxury club "R I C H L O V I N G.C O M" to hook up with hot girls, ladies, models... OMG!!! Are these famous guys fond of internet dating for now?? Maybe they are indeed so rich that they feel boring sometimes to need new things? It was reported on MSN Charlie Sheen has found his girl there last May
Posted by Steffen at July 25, 2008 1:51 AM
comment #15
BurmaShave says ...
Be interested to see statistics on how many households had televisions in 1962.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 25, 2008 2:03 AM
comment #16
Legowombat says ...
'Song Of The South' wants a word with you.
Posted by Legowombat at July 25, 2008 2:03 AM
comment #17
DarienStyles says ...
It's not just a food issue, but an emotional one as well.
Being fat is not healthy, but people who sneer and are judgemental about it are no better. I admire your writting, Mr. Wells, but everytime you mention the "fat" issue, it turns into a superficial issue, not a health one. Even the title "Experiment in Blubber" comes off as a high school insult. How would you like if someone started to make fun of how you look ?
Posted by DarienStyles at July 25, 2008 4:57 AM
comment #18
GLee2112 says ...
I'm with Wells...fat people are disgusting.
Posted by GLee2112 at July 25, 2008 8:24 AM
comment #19
George Prager says ...
McDonald's came to my hometown in 1972, Burger King in 1973.
Posted by George Prager at July 25, 2008 9:11 AM
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