Cursory remarks on corpulence
Book • 1810
William Wadd's 'Cursory Remarks on Corpulence' (1810) surveys historical and contemporary views on obesity, mixing anatomical descriptions with moral judgments about overindulgence.
As a prominent surgeon, Wadd described autopsy findings and portrayed excess fat as mechanically and pathologically significant, reflecting medical and cultural anxieties of his era.
The work is notable for popularizing vivid anatomical metaphors and reinforcing the idea that corpulence stemmed from personal excess.
While influential in its time, it relied more on observation and moralizing than systematic evidence.
Wadd's book contributed to the long-standing medical and social framing of fatness as deviant and dangerous.
As a prominent surgeon, Wadd described autopsy findings and portrayed excess fat as mechanically and pathologically significant, reflecting medical and cultural anxieties of his era.
The work is notable for popularizing vivid anatomical metaphors and reinforcing the idea that corpulence stemmed from personal excess.
While influential in its time, it relied more on observation and moralizing than systematic evidence.
Wadd's book contributed to the long-standing medical and social framing of fatness as deviant and dangerous.
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