In my retirement, I decided to take courses at our local community college which occupies a building that was once a high school. Recently, they posted photos of the high school from the 1930s.
My observation: Not even **one** student or adult in any of the photos of that high school was even a little bit overweight. Easily half of the current students in the ( now) community community college are either overweight or obese.
Yes, there are changes in diet and excercise, but there have also been changes in the rate of C-Sections. In the 1930s there were no antibiotics in the early childhood of any of these teens and adults. ( I would have to look up to see if there were sulfa drugs).
“Not even **one** student or adult in any of the photos of that high school was even a little bit overweight.”
I have noticed this also. Watch the real old movies. Lean people, and those that look overweight are almost what we consider normal today.
I think there have been studies showing food portions have gotten a lot larger since back then. Not sure which is causal; larger portions giving to larger people, or larger people needing larger portions.