ABSTRACT
Since the 1970s, a pathological root of obesity has been widely publicized in the Brazilian media. Hundreds of diets have emerged as well as a new sensitivity to body weights and volumes. Being fat ceased to be a trait of the rich. The use of scales to weigh the body has become common, while diets for weight loss have become fashionable and a recurring medical prescription. This chapter will discuss how Gluttony, understood as a sin until the mid-20th century, has become a synonym of disease. Dietary habits have undergone a radical change, while the popularization of physical activity and a severe criticism of sedentary lifestyles have emerged. However, the old valorization of large bodies has not been completely banished from Brazilian society. And the following is a frequently asked question: in a country where a myth of natural wealth feeds the dream of having a naturally healthy and lush body, how does one carry out the “keep fit trend”?
