Every year, North Americans spend billions of dollars on the weight-loss industry. We keep going back for diet plans, exciting new books, innovative services, and other gimmicks that don’t work! The next craze is often a past craze that’s back with a new name, a new image, and maybe a bit of a twist. Useless and even dangerous products and ideas seem to have a way of popping back up again. So why don’t we learn from our past mistakes, forget the dieting altogether, and learn to love and take care of ourselves. 

What was happening in the 1830s?

The Graham Diet consisted mainly of fresh fruits and vegetables, and firm bread made of coarsely ground whole-wheat flour.  The diet excluded meat and spices. Very fresh milk, cheese, butter, and eggs were permitted in moderation (1). This was not weight loss diet.
     The Reverend Sylvester Graham, nicknamed “Dr. Sawdust,” was perhaps the first person to publicly combine ideas of religious fervour, food choices, and health. Graham railed against the sin of gluttony that he said led to lust, indignation, and the rearing of unhealthy children (2,3).
     Graham also preached that a vegetarian diet was a cure for alcoholism and sexual urges. Graham believed that adhering to his diet would prevent people from having impure thoughts and in turn stop masturbation which he believed led to blindness among other things (3).
     Although originally developed as a health food by Sylvester Graham, the modern Graham Cracker has little resemblance to the original (4).

References:

1. Graham diet. Wikipedia. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_diet. Accessed August 27, 2008.

2. Payne-Palacio, J, Canter, DD. The past. The profession of Dietetics: A team approach.  Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006: 1-27.

3. Sylvester Graham. Wikipedia. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ylvester_Graham. Accessed August 27, 2008.

4. GGraham cracker. Wikipedia. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/raham_cracker. Accessed August 27, 2008.

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Dieting in the 1930s

Our ideals may have changed but do you recognize the similarities with today's diets and ads? Check back soon for more information about our history of body dissatisfaction.