12 / 106
Was there really a time when people
wanted
to be chubby? Remarkably, yes!
At the turn of the nineteenth century, when the leading causes of death were
tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases, most people desired fuller
figures. Plumpness was “in.” Society equated a bulbous belly with robust
health, not to mention wealth.
10 / Health Issues Caused by Obesity