6 ms·

The demographics is worse than what is seen in the streets, because of the correlation between overweight and outdoor activities. The CDC facts are that 39% of

The demographics is worse than what is seen in the streets, because of the correlation between overweight and outdoor activities. The CDC facts are that 39% of the American adults are obese and 75% are overweight (including obesity). So overweight is the norm, and thin people are the exception. As the tendency is stable, I wonder if a "hidden minority" lobby will emerge in a few years, claiming that TV speakers and movie actors are too thin to represent the average citizen.

Retric 7y ago
Young people still tend to be significantly less overweight. https://www.stateofobesity.org/obesity-by-age/ https://www.stateofobesity.org/obesity-by-age/ However, you do see more overweight people on modern films than in the 50’s. What’s really odd some characters where supposed to be noticeably overweight, but they don’t seem that way to modern eyes.
- lostapathy 7y ago
  Curious - do you have examples handy of characters like you described who were "overweight for the time" but don't seem so today?
  - krustyburger 7y ago
    Even going back just to the 90s, characters like George Costanza were meant to look noticeably overweight but look fairly typical by 2019 standards. And Homer Simpson weighed a very specific 239 pounds, a weight that seems much less extreme now.
    - flukus 7y ago
      On the extreme end there was John Candy (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001006/mediaindex?ref_=nm_phs_md_sm https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001006/mediaindex?ref_=nm_phs_m...), he used to be "the funny fat guy" but if he were to cameo (and be alive) today I don't think he'd stand out like he used to.
  - Mountain_Skies 7y ago
    Lumpy in Leave It to Beaver. Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). This one is really interesting when you compare the 1971 character to that from the 2005 version. If there was a new version made today, the might need to make him even bigger.
  - masonic 7y ago
    In the film, "To Sir, With Love", the boy called "Fats" would be probably average nowadays, even in the U.K.
- tomjen3 7y ago
  I haven't seen Friends, but supposedly Fat Monica had to be made fatter and fatter as she appeared over the years.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
qserasera 7y ago
They even changed the baseline overweigh and obesity metrics to have less people designated as a problem.
- Buttons840 7y ago
  Source? Was 24.9 not always considered healthy? I've read studies where 20 to 22 BMI has the lowest mortality rate, and it seems reasonable to add a little padding on either side for such a roughly measured metric.

Retric 7y ago

Young people still tend to be significantly less overweight. https://www.stateofobesity.org/obesity-by-age/ https://www.stateofobesity.org/obesity-by-age/ However, you do see more overweight people on modern films than in the 50’s. What’s really odd some characters where supposed to be noticeably overweight, but they don’t seem that way to modern eyes.

lostapathy 7y ago
Curious - do you have examples handy of characters like you described who were "overweight for the time" but don't seem so today?
- krustyburger 7y ago
  Even going back just to the 90s, characters like George Costanza were meant to look noticeably overweight but look fairly typical by 2019 standards. And Homer Simpson weighed a very specific 239 pounds, a weight that seems much less extreme now.
  - flukus 7y ago
    On the extreme end there was John Candy (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001006/mediaindex?ref_=nm_phs_md_sm https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001006/mediaindex?ref_=nm_phs_m...), he used to be "the funny fat guy" but if he were to cameo (and be alive) today I don't think he'd stand out like he used to.
- Mountain_Skies 7y ago
  Lumpy in Leave It to Beaver. Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). This one is really interesting when you compare the 1971 character to that from the 2005 version. If there was a new version made today, the might need to make him even bigger.
- masonic 7y ago
  In the film, "To Sir, With Love", the boy called "Fats" would be probably average nowadays, even in the U.K.
tomjen3 7y ago
I haven't seen Friends, but supposedly Fat Monica had to be made fatter and fatter as she appeared over the years.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

qserasera 7y ago

They even changed the baseline overweigh and obesity metrics to have less people designated as a problem.

Buttons840 7y ago
Source? Was 24.9 not always considered healthy? I've read studies where 20 to 22 BMI has the lowest mortality rate, and it seems reasonable to add a little padding on either side for such a roughly measured metric.