Cruel Kindness (1967), pt. 2 of 3

This extremely enjoyable film, which contains excellent footage of late 1960's home life, attitudes to food and meal times, addresses obesity in children. A female GP narrates the story of three children who are overweight for their age stressing that although there may be some inherited causes of their obesity, it is mostly due to over-feeding on the part of the parents, what the GP calls a cruel kindness. 3 segments. Find out more: http://catalogue.wellcome.ac.uk/record=b1667616~S8

Category:

Education

Tags:

• obesity
• overweight
• eating
• public health
• medical film
• history of medicine
• diet
• archive film

[Karletto555]

"thay'r right love. he is fat."

[InterSmells]

rather ironic now that britain is one of the fattest nations on earth.

[3rdAutisticCuckoo]

@invinciblegrammie Oh get fucked!  There is nothing offensive about breast-feeding. My sister does it all the time in public. And so did my mum.

[Marmalade000000]

How can a PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC be an epidemic?? The federal government is substituting hatred for supposedly obese people for racism against blacks and whites. Everyone is born in all shapes and sizes, you can't manipulate your genetic bone and muscle structure to fit the measurements of what the federal government decides!!

[tangleclot]

poor valerie :(

[fushadragon]

Why the hell was that doorknob in the middle of the door

[indigoziona]

Fat! It's all Mum's fault!

I have to say, a couple of things I actually really like about this. Firstly, the word 'fat' is used instead of obese... it makes it all seem a bit franker and a bit less euphemistic. Secondly, she doesn't appear to use the BMI. And thirdly, tasteful shot of breastfeeding mum. Yep, those were the days when it wasn't weird.

But Valerie? She must lose weight or else no one will love her? Er... quite. Also broken homes bad. Divorce causes fat.

[eppie83]

@invinciblegrammie breastfeeding dose not make this "mature"

[Montork]

this is hilarious! the doctor calls the the father who overeats but never gains weight "lucky" its been proven that if one is physically active its fine to be mildly overweight, it can even be healthier then being underweight.

[invinciblegrammie]

I hope you remembered to mark this as mature for the breast feeding scene.

[electrogeek77]

I can imagine the discussions with the actors and the casting agent. "Well, the film is about how awful people like you are because you're overweight. You'll constantly be referred to as 'fat' by the narrator. Oh, and the narrator is a doctor. So, are you interested?"