Overflowing Tables: Social Construct of Thanksgiving Energy Intake throughout American History 1620-2020

Diana Thomas, United States Military Academy
Gail Yoshitani, United States Military Academy
Ajay Hariharan, United States Military Academy
Dusty Turner, Center for Army Analysis
Amanda Moniz, Smithsonian Institute
Surabhi Bhutani, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
David Allison, School of Public Health Indiana University-Bloomington , Bloomington , IN
Steven Heymsfield, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Dale Schoeller, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Holly Hull, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
David Fields, Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Nearly 42% of the United States is classified with obesity (BMI =30 kg/m2) and annual weight gain ranging from 0.2-0.8 kg. The majority of annual weight gain occurs during the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving. Therefore, understanding what historical factors led to food consumption beyond baseline energy requirements during present Thanksgiving celebrations is of importance. Between the years 1620-1863, proclamations by New England governors for a celebration of gratitude focusing on prayer were often held on Thursdays during November and December. These celebrations eventually spread to thirty states, including thirteen southern states. Between the years 1863-1941, the focus of thanksgiving celebrations shifted to food originally romanticized in novels by Sarah Josephine Hale and Harriet Beecher Stowe. It is during this period that portable body weight scales were invented and used for the first time to measure Soldier body weights during the Civil War. After 1941, Thanksgiving was declared an official national holiday held on the last Thursday of November and became a more secular holiday with an emphasis on retail and football. Using different historical sources and mathematical models, we analyze how these shifting perceptions of Thanksgiving over time influenced the role of the holiday on trends in excess energy intake and weight gain. Weight gain prevention programs will need to consider these analyses to be effective and successful during the holiday season.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 12. Rural, Agricultural, and Environmental