Getting Thin to Music :

In the March 1922 issue of Physical Culture, a man called Wallace announced that a "scientific secret of weight regulation had been discovered".

Wallace had "found a way to prevent the system from turning too much of what is eaten, into fat".

His secret? Phonograph records (remember those?) that had music on them.

Wallace even had some excellent testimonials - including Mrs. Grace Horchler who lost 74 pounds in 4 months.

Because of the natural method of reducing, her body was left symmetric, firmly moulded

Wallace felt that "As the knowledge of it [his weight loss technique] grows, the number of women who carry a burden of excessive flesh will grow visibly less". Sadly, the last 85 years has proved otherwise.

One thing: Wallace was way ahead of his time.

Exercise to music didn't catch on until many years later. Aerobics, by Dr Kenneth Cooper was first published in 1968.

In 1969 Jacki Sorenson combined aerobics with dancing and music, and a new exercise technique was born.

Despite the popularity of exercising to music, the "burden of excessive flesh" has grown unabated.

Image scanned by Modern Mechanix

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