Selling Romance - "Don't Let Them Call You Skinny"

At the turn of every year, when resolutions are made (and not always kept) weight loss is often a common goal. But what about weight gain? This advertisement for "Wate-On" from Charlton's Teen Confessions #30 (October 1964) purports to do just that -- aid in the putting on of weight and give true believers a shapely body.


Available in four forms, "Wate-On" promised that it would not only help add shape to trouble spots such as the bustline, arms and hips; it would also help fight fatigue and "nervous tension." According to this food blog, our product in question was concocted of the following ingredients:

♥ Hydrogenated Stabilized Soybean Oil
♥ Water
♥ Sugar
♥ Propylene Glycol
♥ Polyoxyethylene 20 Sorbitan Monolaurate
♥ Sorbitan Monostearate
♥ Xanthan Gum

Though today it seems that most people are in search of weight loss and not weight gain, it is obvious that the quest for beauty transcends time!

Selling Romance - Vel-X Gum

You would be hard pressed today to pick up a women's or fashion magazine that didn't mention weight loss to some degree. Romance comics of the 1960s and '70s were not immune to the advertisement of products to help readers achieve just the right look. This ad for Vel-X gum appeared in Charlton's Time for Love #15 (March 1970).

"Don't miss dating and good times because you're FAT!"

I am guessing there was either a stimulant in the gum, or that the plan entailed chewing excessive amounts to reduce cravings. How ever it worked, the placement of this advertisement would have been seen by even the youngest members of the romance comic book audience -- 12 year olds.

We may sometimes think of the whole diet phenomena as a relatively modern thing, but as evidenced from this ad for Vel-X Gum and the following TAB commercial from the early '70s -- it is anything but new.

At least in the romance comics there were also ads to help the skinny ladies put ON weight. I doubt you will find that today!

Smashing Hip-Hugger Bellbottom Weight Loss Plan!

Many of the DC romance comics of the '70s had little one or two page features such as diet and beauty plans as well as horoscopes and other things one might find in teen magazines. This diet advice comes from Girls' Love Stories #163 (November 1971) and will help get rid of that "little roll of flab around your middle" in just five days!


It is easy to see why this diet would work - it is very low in calories and fat. I took the liberty of calculating the caloric and fat values for each day of the plan and here is what the two alternating days amount to...

Day One
-1,116 calories
-31 grams of fat
-good level of protein
-low in carbs

Day Two
-1,668 calories
-43 grams of fat
-good carb level
-lots of protein

I suppose it's not the worst diet plan in the world, especially considering it came out of a comic book! The plan for day one is below the recommended minimum caloric intake for most females though. I don't know if I could follow it for all five days, its a little boring and I am not sure if I am down with broiled liver! The lunch for the second day is also, um, a little scant. I would probably throw some nuts in there for more protein and flavor.

But, alas! Next time I bust out my hip-hugger bellbottoms and my snug knit tank top to wear to the county fair, I will be sure to follow this "hurry-up diet" in advance!!!