Strong, beautiful, and modern : national fitness in Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, 1935-1960

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, a wave of state-sponsored“national fitness” programs swept Britain and its formersettler colonies, laying the foundations for the twentiethcentury’s obsession with fitness.

In Strong, Beautiful andModern, Charlotte Macdonald shows how governments encouragedcitizens to be healthier and more active and thereby reinforced thecultural ties of the Empire.

Alongside these state-sponsored effortswas a growing emphasis from business, the medical establishment, andpopular culture on the importance of having “a betterbody.” At a time when government concern over public healthissues such as obesity is once again on the rise, Macdonald offersvaluable lessons as to why the first national fitness drive wasultimately a failure.

Drawing on extensive research, Strong,Beautiful and Modern is a lively investigation into the way peopleand their governments think about health and well-being, and howhistorical views have shaped our modern life.