MODERN LIVING: Battle of the Bulge

Blared an ad in the New York Times:

A BACARDI CUBA LIBRE HAS LESS CALORIES THAN A LAMB CHOP. In Los Angeles, a beer ad urged: DON'T GO TO WAIST DRINK REGAL PALE. In New York. Minneapolis and five other cities, Stouffer's restaurants offered special low-calorie lunches; the Pennsylvania Railroad had a 470-calorie "Streamliner" on its dining-car menus. Domino Sugar asked a "diet-conscious public to recognize that three teaspoons of sugar actually contain fewer calories than half a grapefruit . . . or an apple ... or even three small tomatoes."

All over the U.S. last week, millions of Americans—male and female—were...