alt Hacker News> People in the 50s weren't slimmer because they had ironclad determination to stay such.
People in the 50s (in the US) had, among other things, fistfuls of benzedrine.
Edit: here is a link for the skeptical folks https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/speedy-history-americ...
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Amphetamine(which is what benzedrine was) is pretty overrated as a weight loss drug in the general population. It causes a short window of reduced appetite and probably increased catabolism(due to increased heart rate) which peters out after a couple weeks on the same dose. That leads to a short period of rapid weight loss that pretty much grinds to a complete halt, after which regaining the lost weight is quite typical.
On the other hand, if like me, you have ADHD and weight issues, it could be more helpful. Because it could treat your ADHD enough to help you actually establish and follow a structured diet and exercise regime. Especially if your ADHD includes impulsivity. The last time I was on lisdex treatment, I lost about 5kg from the initial boost, a lot of it was probably water weight. Then I managed to cut about 30kg later with calorie counting and regular cardio.
So the physical effects themselves are largely a pisstake.
Whatever, set the clock to the 1820s. Or the 1400s. Or the 1200s. Or the 1990's or 200 BCE, I don't care.