I wouldn’t normally just repost something from elsewhere but this post made such a neat point so succinctly I thought it’d be worthwhile just this once:

“This is Chauncy Morlan, and around 100 years ago his obesity was so shocking that people would pay money to see him as he toured the country as a circus “fat man”. I find the unremarkableness of his size to be a telling sign of how we’ve pushed the limits of obesity in the past 100 years. Imagine, if you will, what society would look like if 100 years from now if what passed as spectacularly obese today would not even turn heads at the mall.” (from Modeled Behaviour)

It’s unusual to get such a stark example of changing attitudes and social norms from history, but this is a remarkable one. Are there any others anyone can think of?

Tags: Chauncy Morlan, History, Obesity

Categories: Culture, Opinion

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One Response

1. 

   John Moss:

   I think you need to see the film Wall:e.

   In that, centuries pass while the human race explores space in a huge liner like vessel, as the robot cleans their desolate planet. They leave on foot, but as the robot finds a living plant and a drone reports back to the ship, we find them all cruising around in hover buggies and unable to walk.

   It ain’t pretty, but it may well come to pass!

   09.10.2010 15:13 Reply