Obesity and the vitality of food in Finland, ca. 1950–1970

Abstract

Mainstream and alternative nutrition doctrines have crucially shaped our understanding of the vital aspects of and forces in human nutrition. Drawing upon a diverse array of sources, this article delves into cultural, social, and scientific conceptions of vital nutrition and how they evolved in relation to the Finnish obesity discourse from the 1950s to the 1970s. The Association to Combat Obesity (ACO), which brought together nutrition scientists, food faddists and laypeople, was the driving force of these debates. In the context of this article, food was perceived to influence the vitality of individuals and nations through its effect on body weight. Obese bodies seemed to conflict with both utopian visions of bodily transcendence and the ideals of wellbeing in modern health sciences. This work highlights the ideological continuities between interwar and postwar nutrition debates as well as the persistent tensions between scientific advancements and alternative nutrition philosophies. They have molded the conceptions of vitality and attitudes towards obesity. Concludingly, we suggest that the social responses to obesity have been influenced by the condition's perceived adverse relationship to vitality, in which fat has acted as a persistent reminder of corporeality, death, and decay.