Ads from the 30s

[Ed62]

Here are a couple of ads which are reportedly from the 1930s.




Ed

[ironhat]

TAPEWORMS ? OMGosh!! I'll give the benefit of the doubt that they were ignorant of the affects of cigarette smoke but, tapeworms?!? Hindsight being what it is I suppose that they felt that if they were 'sanitized' they wouldn't harm you. But, it's hard to believe, isn't it?!

[dkerfoot]

If people are willing to buy food fired in oil that may, and I quote "Cause sudden anal leakage", I think there may be a market today for sanitized tapeworms.

[RAFlorida]

Good posters Ed62. I remember back in the very late 50's

they had advertisement that stated who smoked what cigarettes and even then doctors were alleged to back that brand. Also, dkerfoot stated about the "...Cause sudden anal leakage." He is absolutely correct. There was a certain brand of potato chip out that caused that "anal leakage". Oh well, one'll kill ya and the other makes for a H$#@ of a mess! lol

[ironhat]

If people are willing to buy food fired in oil that may, and I quote "Cause sudden anal leakage", <snip>.

It would sure make for an interesting church picnic or a first date !!

[footprintsinconc]

the ad for tape warms does say "no danger".

[Kristofor]

Well... A tapeworm doesn't sound real appealing, but the general concept of controlling nutrient or calorie intake after it's down the pipe but before it's clogging your arteries is very appealing.

We don't tell people not to eat because it will make their teeth rot, instead we solve the problem with technology (toothbrush/toothpaste).

We don't tell people not to drive faster that 5mph to avoid fatal crashes, instead we solve the problem with technology (seatbelts, airbags, traction control, deformable structures, etc.)

We don't tell people to "like it or lump it" on the temperature of their house, instead we solve the problem with technology (windows, heating, AC, insulation, etc.)

We generally (some religious groups excluded) don't tell people "enjoy the 13 kids, no family planning for you!", instead we solve the problem with technology (prophylactics, contraceptives, sterilization (vasectomy/tubes), biology knowledge to understand fertility cycles, etc.)

Yet today, when it comes to weight management it's pretty much "eat less or exercise more" as the only options. Conceptually, it's great to say "get some willpower" but that approach has never been a workable solution to any problem (Studying for school, financial planning, addiction, obesity) for a significant percentage of the population. Though we may want to change it, only a fool bets against human nature.

The reality is the failure to develop a good technological solution is costing the US hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare today, and is moving rapidly toward trillions of dollars. Using social pressure approaches (ala cigarettes) may have some impact. Education may have some impact. Changing the design of our cities and homes may have some impact. But, I guarantee that if someone could build the magic device to address the problem it would be a bargain at $25K.

I suspect our nation's puritan background would loudly object to such a system as decadent, and there are legitimate concerns about "wasting" food, and using technology above the minimum appropriate level, but I would love to swallow a machine of some sort that could happily live in the gut and block unneeded calories from being absorbed. (perhaps bound with waste fiber to avoid the "leakage" issue?). If it's smart enough to do this selectively (good fats left alone, bad fats bound, etc.), all the better!

Well, that was a bit off topic.... Sorry

Kristofor.

[cgallery]

But, if you don't gain weight doesn't the tapeworm?

I hardly think tipping the scales at 350 pounds but being able to tell my doctor, "don't be alarmed, I have a 100 pound tapeworm" would be reassuring to him.

[dbhost]

But, if you don't gain weight doesn't the tapeworm?

I hardly think tipping the scales at 350 pounds but being able to tell my doctor, "don't be alarmed, I have a 100 pound tapeworm" would be reassuring to him.

Yeah, but the question is, would that same Doctor be smoking a Camel at the time?

Sorry guys, I don't buy the idea that people were EVER ignorant of smoke being harmful to humans... Just watch the 10 year old kid turn green and throw up the first time he tries a cigarette one of his buddies stole from his Dad.

[dkerfoot]

Sorry guys, I don't buy the idea that people were EVER ignorant of smoke being harmful to humans...

But you see they did studies. They took a group of smokers and studied their heart rate and blood pressure right after having a smoke. Then, they withheld tobacco from them for a couple of days and took the same measurements.

The results PROVED that cigarette smoking had medical benefits.

[Alex Franke]

(I realize that these don't qualify as "ads from the 30's" but they seemed appropriate to the thread nonetheless.)

Sorry guys, I don't buy the idea that people were EVER ignorant of smoke being harmful to humans... Just watch the 10 year old kid turn green and throw up the first time he tries a cigarette one of his buddies stole from his Dad.

These are some of the ones that really caught my attention... I'm sure in another 100 years our descendants will look back on our times and wonder "WTF were they thinking?!?"

...Same stuff we know as heroin today -- Bayer had it trademarked back in the day.



And of course good old Coca Cola, at 60mg of cocaine per cup until around the turn of the century.



Clearly "cocaine" had positive connotations at the time...