Open Access‘To[o] much eating stifles the child’: fat bodies and reproduction in early modern E ngland
Author(s) -
Toulalan Sarah
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
historical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.203
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1468-2281
pISSN - 0950-3471
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2281.12031
Subject(s) - reproduction , fertility , politics , sexual maturity , maturity (psychological) , history , demography , medicine , political science , law , sociology , biology , ecology , endocrinology , population
This article examines associations between fat bodies and reproductive dysfunction that were prevalent in medical, midwifery and other literature in early modern England. In a period when fertility and successful reproduction were regarded as hugely important for social, economic and political stability such associations further contributed to negative attitudes towards fat bodies that were fuelled by connection with the vices of sloth and gluttony. Fat bodies were categorized as inherently, constitutionally, less sexual and reproductively successful. Consequently they were perceived as unhealthy and unfit for their primary purpose once they had reached sexual maturity: marriage and the production of children.