Study Shows Humans Are Evolving Faster Than Previously Thought

Guardian (UK) ^ | March 25, 2015 | Hannah Devlin

[pepsionice]

Because of the hundred-year anniversary....I’ve picked up around twenty books over the past year concerning WW I. Most were written around this period, rather than by modern historians.

One of the odd things that stands out is the discussion by British, French, and German writers of the period. Almost all soldiers came back noting how they were well fed and ate much more than they had prior to the war. They got meat daily...something that didn’t always occur in pre-World War I years. The very thin form that these guys had prior to the war? Gone.

I’ve looked at pictures taken in the 1890s around different aspects of Europe and the US. Most people are extremely lean...it’s rare that you ever find someone with bulky weight or figure. No one has ever gone back....as much as I can see....to study the calorie count of a guy in the 1800s. I suspect if you did....you’d find that a physical-working guy had to get by with 1,800 calories or less.

[Chickensoup]

After WWII Russian and other Eastern bloc athletes had issues with obtaining enough calories to train, you may find that interesting.

Also philosophically and from a medical perspective, there was a belief prior to the forties, that children, particularly teens, should be kept on short rations. One runs into that is some novels. It was not a belief in every sector of the culture but was there. In the late 1800s eating disorders were common as women’s beliefs were that eating was carnal and should only happen infrequently. Women frequently had “vapors.” and bragged about their ability to live on small amounts of food.

In my family it was considered desirable to be small. Size 5 shoe size was common in women.