ABSTRACT
There’s no such thing as a natural human body. Never has been; the body has changed physiologically over the years: improvements in nutrition, better sanitation, healthier living conditions, and better understandings of its structure and functions have made an impact on the body. These physical changes have cultural counterparts: changes in the popular comprehension of the body. The story of Bernarr Macfadden reminds us that the way we make sense of our and other people’s bodies is open to sometimes quite considerable changes.
