Fat Men’s Clubs Were a Thing
The profits of the modern era’s weight loss industry expand in tandem with the expansion of our waistlines. The existence of such an industry would have baffled our ancestors, most of whom could only have dreamt of being so lucky as to have to worry about being too fat. Between running from saber toothed tigers or back breaking toil as peasants and serfs, they were neither sedentary enough, nor had that much extra (or even enough) to eat to pack on the pounds. When food and leisure were scarce, to be on the larger side was a sign of good fortune. And throughout history, the fortunate have loved to showcase their good fortune. Which explains the rise of fat men’s clubs in late nineteenth and early twentieth century America.
Prosperous fat men got together to celebrate and showcase their obesity, and membership was contingent on weight – usually, a 200 pound minimum. At their get-togethers they had weigh-ins that often got competitive. Especially at clubs that assigned roles based on weight, with the fattest appointed president, the second chunkiest treasurer, and so on. Nowadays we downplay our weight, but in yesteryear’s fat clubs, members went to great lengths to add weight at weigh-ins by stuffing their pockets with coins, among other shenanigans. It wasn’t until the 1920s, when the link between obesity and poor health became better known, that fat men’s clubs declined. One of the biggest, the New England Fat Men’s Club, last met in 1924. By then, membership had dropped from 10,000 to just 38, and when none passed the weigh-in, the club disbanded.
