ABSTRACT
The conflict-to eat or not to eat-was nonexistent in the 1950s. Eating disorders were rare, and bulimia was almost unheard of. Women did not strain and torture themselves to achieve the perfect body. The consumption of a chocolate bar did not strike terror in the heart of a young, single woman. Women did not think twice about eating hamburgers, french fries, and milk shakes on a Saturday night date. A banana split was a real treat and was enjoyed without inordinate guilt or self-punishment by starvation afterward. Women went out for pizza without keeping track of how much they were eating, how many calories were in each slice, and how long they would have to wait till the next time they could indulge in this lUxury. They did not go home afterward and swear to themselves that they would never go out of control again, nor did they race to the bathroom to purge themselves.
