Seeing, Hearing, Touching, Tasting, Feeling Cholesterol: Part II

Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part post. See yesterday's post for the background on this story.

The hard science of cholesterol was also going to be a hard sell. Time to turn to the Internet (a surprisingly important tool for the curator, I’ve learned!). A quick search immediately reminded me how the specter of cholesterol has influenced our everyday lives, and how much material culture it has left behind. It’s true that for the first half of the twentieth century interest in cholesterol was largely confined to laboratory scientists, but as early as the 1930s newspapers carried ads for beauty products that claimed to contain cholesterol, apparently considered good for the skin. A few prescient cookbooks taught housewives in the 1950s how to make healthy, low-fat dishes for their husbands. These were soon followed by special safflower oil preparations, served in food or taken as medicine, thought to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Videos from the 1980s and 90s instructed doctors and lay people alike about the perils of high cholesterol and ways to reduce it, while the National Cholesterol Education Program, established in the mid-1980s, spread the word about cholesterol with dozens of posters and other resources. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 required cholesterol content to be indicated on food labels. Entire product lines are now constructed and marketed as “cholesterol-lowering.” My trips to the grocery store haven’t been the same since I started this project. Cholesterol is positively leaping off the shelves.

 
National Cholesterol Education Program poster, part of National Library of Medicine Images from the History of Medicine collection.

I’ve also accumulated a “wish list” of surprising everyday objects from the past. Who would have thought to preserve a corn oil bottle from the early 1960s? A box of frozen egg substitute from the 1970s would be a tremendous find indeed. This is the challenge for a curator who specializes in items relating to daily life–why would anyone save such objects for posterity? Who is to say what will have historical relevance? Contemporary life often seems so mundane, so quotidian, that no one bothers to preserve the items that constitute and represent it. Curators are left to dream of warehouses crammed with samples.

But these objects alone on display would not be enough. Museums have to balance competing interests: the desire to educate, the obligation to entertain, and the curatorial responsibility to elucidate; that is, to uncover historical patterns and trends, and maybe even make new discoveries. Fortunately, these cholesterol-related objects also act as the entry points to vibrant historical issues and debates, as well as the hard science. Egg substitutes bring up questions about the importance of dietary cholesterol compared to that synthesized by the body, questions that continue to preoccupy laboratory scientists, doctors, and dieticians. A simple tub of margarine fortified with plant esters might be at the center of a debate about the definitions of “foods” and “supplements.” Material culture is as much cultural as material. In the case of cholesterol, these daily objects are deeply grounded in and indicative of a popular health concern, maybe even a national obsession. Combining a familiar product with focused interpretation will educate and elucidate, and may even be surprising enough to entertain as well. In the meantime, I will continue looking for artifacts and listening to the stories they have to tell.

Editor’s note: What everyday objects have you kept for posterity? Why did you decide to save them? What do they tell you about the past? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Caroline Lieffers is an intern in the Division of Science and Medicine at the National Museum of American History.

Comments

[george white]

Isn't it true that for the majority of people the right amount of cholesterol is produced by the body; and in general if we don't introduce excess amounts from outside then we should not suffer from an excess. So does it follow then that following a good cholesterol diet plan should be enough to keep high cholesterol problems at bay.
This is not meant as a statement, more as a question.

[James]

Cholesterol in the body can cause various diseases. High cholesterol is not only experienced by one who was fat, but people are skinny does not mean low cholesterol. It can also befall the people who are still young. Everyone should try to live a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain the cholesterol in the blood remained normal.

[Mrs. Mobunny]

I saved the unopened envelope that enclosed the *card* to get a free or $$ off of the TV change over gadget. I collect and save numerous objects that are old and actually use them. From dishes and curtains to decorations and doilies....I use them all over our house. I prefer old things, so it is easy for me to keep things around....I honestly see treasure when others see junk. I use handkerchiefs from the 50's, serving spoons from my grandma and a nut chopper just like my mom! I also have one of the last boxes from a Domino's pizza dessert that never got popular.

[Stephen Guy-Clarke]

Absolutely true Caroline when one thinks of the beginnings of public awareness with regard to Cholesterol its a far cry from what we see today.
Pick up any newspaper or magazine today and you will probably find mention of cholesterol. Our television screens and supermarket shelves are crying out with new products to combat the dangers of high cholesterol. Supermarkets like Tesco have gone one step further and decided to jump on the bandwagon and produce their own brand of cholesterol lowering products. The UK’s biggest supermarket introduced its own plant sterol containing dairy range in January 2006. ‘We’ve had so much interest in cholesterol lowering foods that we decided to launch our own range,’ said Tesco. Multinationals such as Unilever, Danone and Coca-Cola are all promoting products with added plant sterols. Everyone seems to be concerned with lowering his or her cholesterol level and most people would like to know how they can do this safely without side effects.

[lenen]

This is the good way to educate people. I agree with you that cholesterol has influenced our everyday lives

[Erin]

What a cool project, Caroline! A family member of mine, the type of person who's tried lots of different diets, once said to me "If I didn't eat all the fake stuff, I'd gain so much weight!" By "fake stuff" she meant all the substitutes and foods that make five or six health claims (low fat, high fiber, low cholesterol). I'm from a younger generation and think I'd rather eat real, organic butter in moderation than gallons of some fake yellow-ish stuff full of synthetic additives and ickiness. Will the debate over school lunch play into this exhibit at all? Controversial, indeed! Best of luck and thanks for these two great blog posts.