Pleasingly Plump

June 24, 2022

Years ago, I found a newspaper advertisement from 1920 underneath some floorboards we were removing. I’ve kept it ever since. The ad depicts a woman declaring “I gained 15 pounds in 6 weeks and enjoyed every minute of it! Anyone can be plump, write to find out how.”

Wow we’ve come a long way! With cheap processed food, everyone who wants to, can be plump- and those of us who don’t want to, need to work hard not to be.

100 years ago, most Americans ate food that they or their neighbors grew. The food was unprocessed and nutrient dense. People ate grass-fed meat and full fat dairy. Since then, our farming methods and diet have drastically changed. Highly processed food and a misguided food pyramid encouraged us to eat more carbs, less meat, and no fat - a diet which has left us hungry and consuming more and more of what doesn’t satiate us.

We also became more sedentary, and our waistlines expanded. In 1920, before the mainstream availability of automobiles, people walked more, and with the invention of many labor-saving devices, everything became physically easier (including, apparently, getting plump).

 So much has clearly changed since the printing of that advertisement, including how we get our information. We no longer have to write someone a letter via “snail mail” and wait days for a response. Now, an abundance of information is immediately available at our fingertips. I did, however, do a quick “Google Search” and I couldn’t find any information on enjoyable ways to gain 15 pounds in 6 weeks. So, feel free to write (or call, text, fax, post, facetime, skype, zoom, tweet, dm, or email me) – because you too can be plump, just ask me how.