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On Diet Resolve for the New Year...

Put a new figure into your plan. By spring most woman can change their measurements and be able to wear the styles and new dress sizes they desire. Diet will power and exercise will do the trick. Resolve to become more beautiful in this brand new year of 1962 and the year will bring you great rewards. December 24th, 1961


German Weight Watchers Advertisement
Weight Watcher's Germany!

How About A Membership to an "Ultra Modern" Health Club? Ladies, don't forget your heels! Also, note that this 1962 Ad shows a Pre-Twiggy female figure!

RETRO-SPECTIVE THE DECADES PAST:

Dieting and Weight Loss in the 1960s

  1. Diet Workshop, The (1965) - Can't find real website - FTC Article
  2. Weight Watchers - (1961) - www.weightwatchers.com

The major event in the diet world in the 1960s was the birth of Weight Watchers. The Weight Watchers story goes something like this:

In September 1961, an overweight, 214-pound housewife who wore a size 44 dress called a group of friends over to her house and confessed that eating cookies was her obsession.  Her friends not only understood, they shared their "Frankensteins" too, as our housewife called their food obsessions. After that, the women came to Jean's house each week for mutual support and sharing. They all lost weight, and the word spread. Soon, Jean was squeezing 40 people into her apartment.


 Together, they came to realize that losing weight was more than just a diet. It was all about changing eating habits and getting support and encouragement from people who cared. Today, more than 41 years later, Weight Watchers still cares. It was this caring that enabled Jean's "little group" to expand into an industry. The first steps came when Jean began holding meetings at other people's houses. Two of these people, Albert and Felice Lippert, suggested that Jean set up weekly classes at a business location.

Get the idea?

HAVE A 60's DIET STORY? Tell us at the retro housewife hotline!

1966 - Knudsen Diet 225In 1966, Knudsen came out with Diet 225, the original diet shake!1966 Can of Diet 225 containing one third quart liquid and 225 measured calories. ==> New! From the laboratories of Knudsen Creamery Co. the only dairy-fresh product scientifically formulated in measured calories for dietary weight control.

So how did this 1960s diet plan work, we ask? Well, dieters could choose! Rapid weight loss, gradual weight loss and "keeping weight down". To lose weight rapidly, dieters were to drink 4 cans of Diet 225 daily, as their regular meal (plus a snackipoo at bedtime). If you were in danger of clamping on to the neighbor out of hunger, then you could also snack on raw vegetables. The modern 60s dieter was to keep this up until they were happy with their weight...(HA!). For moderate weight loss, you drank 2 cans per day, and weight maintenance, a single can.
Nutritional Data (As reported in an advertisement for Diet 225:) 
Four 1/3 quart servings of Diet 225 Supply:
Calories   900
Carbohydrates (grams of)   118
Protein (grams of)   70
Fat (grams of)   15.2
Vitamins and minerals in not less than the following amounts:    
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin C
Thiamine
Riboflavin
Niacinamide
Pyridaxine ECL
Calcium d-Pantothenate
Vitamin B12		 5000 I.U.
400 I.U.
10 mg
100 mg
2 mg
3 mg
15 mg
2 mg
10 mg
2 mcg 		125% MDR
100% MDR
**
333% MDR
200% MDR
250% MDR
150% MDR
**
**
**
Other Diet Decades
1940s Diets
1950s Diets
1960s Diets
1970s Diets
1980s Diets
1990s Diets
2000s Diets
Dieting in the 1960s - Weight Watchers was born!

 
Weight Watchers has grown considerably since its humble beginnings. The Weight Watchers method is still based on support meetings, and Weight Watchers meetings can be found throughout the US and internationally...
Weight Watchers is now also a popular weight loss method in the UK.

Canadians are also thinner thanks to Weight Watchers Canada!