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It's a stretch now to imagine a time when cigarette packets weren't plastered with tracheotomies and rotten toes, and smoking was something you did in offices, homes and restaurants, instead of a shameful act, furtively executed in a plastic vivarium at the airport or in a urine-scented gap between two wheelie bins, while passersby stare at you in open disgust.

But smoking used to be glamorous, kids, and that was at least partly down to the magic of advertising. Tobacco might be a definite Bad Thing, but trying to persuade people to put a burning paper tube of dangerous acrid leaves in their mouths has led to some extraordinary feats of creativity.

It was easier back when tobacco manufacturers could claim their product was healthy and relaxing, or at least not actively killing people (props, though, to James I, who presciently called smoking "a custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmefull to the braine, dangerous to the Lungs" in 1604). The earliest print ads, starting from the 1790s, were quite plain, but once colour lithography dropped in the 1870s, things went wild. Cards, used to stiffen packets, became a lure for consumers keen to ogle images of actresses (tobacco manufacturer Washington Duke expressed concern at the use of "lascivious photographs" to sell his product in 1894), or to indulge in the proto-Pokémon hobby of collecting pics of baseball players, boats and, er, pigeons.

In addition to pigeons, as the industry got into its stride, cigarette ads associated their product with all the good, desirable stuff you would expect: youth and fun, music and movies and being thin. There's a certain bleak honesty to the Lucky Strike campaigns that suggested having a fag when you were tempted to eat. " It's toasted," they crowed, as if that meant you could butter it like a crumpet.

Then there's the really out-there stuff. The regular association of smoking and sport is pretty baffling, as is the idea of sparking up being medically recommended, or at least sanctioned (achieved mainly through flattery and free fags for doctors). I find the idea that The Flintstones was sponsored by Winston cigarettes mindblowing: episodes ended with Fred lighting Wilma's Winston. But weirder even than that was the ad in which Kool cigarettes' mascot, a penguin, was " illustrated as a calming arbitrator between mascots of the two competing political parties " in the 1936 presidential elections (does anyone have the penguin's number?).

Time to make like James I and get judgmental about lascivious photographs and unlikely animals being used to promote the "filthie smoake". Let's go.

Cool Smoke, 1869

An impressively weird advert, the premise for which is presumably the suggestion of coldness in the name Cool Smoke. It looks like the dreams I have when I finally drop off at 5am after a sleepless night, except one of the toothy seals would be my accountant. Speaking of, what are the seals standing next to? Hibachi grills, xylophones? Bonus points for the sassy polar bear at the back, in its lane and refusing to be drawn into this whole scenario.

Tobacco man, c1887

This is next-level commitment to smoking. Oh, you like smoking? Well, are you made of leaf tobacco, have cigars for arms and cigarette legs, and are you also puffing on a cigar? Your move, David Hockney.

Pet cigarettes, late 19th century

There are a surprising number of cigarette ads featuring babies, children and animals; they were supposed to make smoking look family-friendly and wholesome, the kind of thing ladies might enjoy. My favourite in this category features a stork nonchalantly holding a bundled baby with one foot, with a cigarette in its beak, captioned: " Tell them to wait another 15 minutes." Which brings me to my main objection to this ad: why call your product Pet cigarettes and not show the pets smoking? This is precisely the kind of thing that gave the industry a bad name.

Cholera cigarettes, 1892

Listen, I'm no marketing expert but I'm not sure I would have made block capitals "CHOLERA" the largest word by far on my advert for well, anything (except cholera). Tinctures of tobacco were among the many useless 19th-century remedies for cholera. Would smoking help? Assuredly not. Was it no worse than many other treatments? Probably.

Santa, 1919

You better watch out; you better not cry. I mean it, really, don't: have you seen this Santa? He's absolutely terrifying, teeth clamped around that cigarette holder (to avoid beard singeing?), semaphoring barely suppressed rage. US Turkish tobacco firm Murad produced cracking ads: another Santa one has him on a fag break, slumped against a chimney, and there's a baffling but brilliant woman riding a giant tortoise that would definitely have persuaded me to start smoking.

Physicians, 1930

Tobacco companies loved a man in a white coat saying smoking was good for you, ideally with authoritative-looking numbers to back it up. Lucky Strike were the first: the "20,679 physicians say Luckies are less irritating" claim was based on how doctors answered an "arbitrary survey question" (the number varied between campaigns). Philip Morris challenged this with its own "research" and " aggressive pursuit of physicians " and Reynolds went with: "More doctors smoke Camel than any other cigarette." I've watched enough Grey's Anatomy to know that just because a doctor does something, it doesn't mean it's good for you.

Celebrity cigarette ads

Whoever your matinee idol was, they probably smoked; golden-age studios must have been foul, yellow, reeking pits and not remotely glamorous. All of Hollywood seems to have taken the big-tobacco dollar, from Claudette Colbert posing as Cleopatra to, er, Crocodile Dundee ( Paul Hogan), plus musicians, comedians and TV stars. The truly shocking thing here is the thought that wanting to be like Ronald Reagan could make anyone buy anything.

Tennis

This is what peak performance looks like: a graceful, nicotine-assisted dive for the net. Ads featured boxing, football and basketball stars mid-fag; Camel even got sportsmen and women to say their cigarettes "don't get your wind". There was also cigarette advertising at the Olympics: I like this much-medalled chap with a fag casually drooping from his bottom lip.

Marlboro Man

Marlboro was originally marketed as a women's cigarette (back when filters were considered "sissy"), but its rugged cowboy-hat-wearing, strong, silent Man has been called "one of the most successful advertising campaigns of all time". It's supposed to have heralded the birth of "lifestyle" marketing, because apparently people crave a life of solitary, horse-based staring (actually, that does sound great). Robert Norris, the most famous Marlboro Man, didn't smoke, but he did adopt an elephant, pleasingly.

Winchester

Ah, the 70s: a gun-inspired pose, enormous shades, a sexy 'tache and sexism to turn you into the head-exploding emoji. Historically, cigarettes were a symbol of women's liberation: "Group of girls puff at cigarettes as a gesture of freedom," read the headline on a report of a 1929 feminist rally, and even delicate lady brand Virginia Slims used the vaguely "yass girl" slogan " You've come a long way, baby ". Winchesters are not just for "leathery, liberated ladies" but even "women with bras and bridges to burn". But then how will this man still feel comfortable smoking them? It's a gender politics minefield!

Silk Cut, 2002

Prevented from saying cigarettes were good for you, sexy or supportive of athletic performance, ad agencies had to get more creative. Saatchi's minimalist Silk Cut ads - inspired by artist Lucio Fontana's slashed canvases and distinctly vaginal - were considered the absolute pinnacle of the genre and probably helped boost sales for decades. This 2002 fat lady sings riff was the last ever, before tobacco advertising was finally banned in the UK.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

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Shock of the old: 11 vintage, vaginal and downright dangerous cigarette ads

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In the days when smoking was advertised everywhere, the sell was often genuinely bizarre: from dancing polar bears to Ronald Reagan to recommendations from friendly doctors

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Getty Images

There's no such thing as the "ideal" body. See how beauty standards have changed across the decades.

Here's the thing about body image ideals: They're ever-changing. That means, no matter how close you think you can get to attaining the "perfect" body or how many promises and products companies make to help get you there, you'll always wind up feeling defeated.

This frustrating cycle is a consequence of living in an image-obsessed culture that sets us up to fail. If we keep striving for an "ideal" that's forever in flux, diet and appearance-centered industries (the global market for weight loss products is valued at $255 billion) continue to profit.

While the media plays an undeniable role in the development of negative body image, it's important to acknowledge that movies, magazines, and TV shows don't cause eating disorders. These diseases are complex, multilayered illnesses that affect thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. That said, what we see onscreen, in print, and on social media absolutely can and does impact our self-esteem.

Ally Duvall, body image program manager at Equip, the online eating disorder recovery platform, believes the impact of media messaging is too profound to ignore. "We can't discuss body image without looking at where these ideals come from and why they keep changing," Duvall says. "Society pushes us to put everything on the line - our values, goals, self-worth, relationships - to chase ideals that are so restrictive, unobtainable, and constantly changing - and for what? The promise of never-ending happiness?"

In her 2006 paper titled " Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders" (which was updated in 2018 due to its popularity as one of Academic Psychiatry' s most downloaded articles), lead author Jennifer Derenne, MD and Equip's VP of Clinical Care Delivery and Head Psychiatrist, chronicles changing body ideals through the decades. Derenne argues that "throughout history, the standard of female beauty often has been unrealistic and difficult to attain. Those with money and higher socioeconomic status were far more likely to be able to conform to these standards. Women typically were willing to sacrifice comfort and even endure pain to achieve them."

It's worth taking a closer look at just how drastically the "ideal" body has changed over time and how the goalposts for what's considered a "perfect" figure have kept moving throughout the decades. Understanding the fallacy of "perfection" may help you make more informed choices around the images, ideas, and products bombarding you every day and even empower you to take a stand against toxic media messages in your own way.

The turn of the century: The Gibson Girl

Portrait of Evelyn Nesbit (by Gertrude Kasebier, American, 1852 - 1934), circa 1900. Source: Getty Images

Born from an illustration by Charles Gibson, The Gibson Girl wound up being a standard of beauty for women of the age. The artist's creation was pale and corseted (think: small waist, big bust), perhaps marking the beginning of an aesthetic trend toward a thin ideal. While the Gibson Girl wasn't a real person, Evelyn Nesbit (sometimes considered the world's first supermodel) was a close match.

The 1920s: The Flapper

American-born French dancer, singer, and actress Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975), Hamburg, 1925. Source: Getty Images

The Roaring '20s brought about the liberal flapper aesthetic: Corsets were gone and clothing was much more casual - representative of the freedom some women were (supposedly) gaining as they won the right to vote. The look featured boyish/androgynous short hair and looser (but more revealing) garments. Heavy makeup was in, but bigger busts were not (bras were made to flatten larger breasts). According to one study, the bust-to-waist ratios among women featured in Vogue and Ladies' Home Journal declined by about 60 percent between 1901 and 1925. The first Miss America, Margaret Gorman, was crowned in 1921 and largely considered the new aesthetic ideal: Petite, lean, and far less curvaceous than the (corseted and padded) ideal that preceded her.

The 1930s: The "Sex Siren"

Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio (1905 - 1983). Source: Getty Images

While Gorman may have represented 1920s "goals," by the early 1930s, change was on the way. In 1931, Photoplay Magazine declared Mexican actress Dolores del Rio as having the "best figure in Hollywood" thanks to her "warmly curved" and "roundly turned" figure. In contrast to the androgynous ideal of the 1920s, curves dominated in the 30s, with actress Jean Harlow (nicknamed "The Blond Bombshell") leading the way.

The 1940s: The Starlet

Katharine Hepburn in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story. Source: Getty Images

Wartime fashion styles became more military-inspired and the look of the moment was a tall, squarer silhouette that contrasted the softer look of the 1930s but also amplified that decade's preference for curves. Katherine Hepburn was considered one of the era's icons for her commanding, fiercely independent onscreen persona and strong, tall body type.

The 1950s: The Hourglass

Actress Marilyn Monroe poses for a publicity still for the 20th Century Fox film Some Like it Hot in 1958 in Los Angeles, California. Source: Getty Images

The curvy aesthetic of the previous decades was magnified in the post-war '50s, with voluptuousness emphasized in fashion and the media. Ads of the era even advised "skinny" women to take weight-gain supplements to fill out their curves. Playboy Magazine and Barbie were both created in this decade, and while Marilyn Monroe is largely considered the representative ideal of the era, other stars like Elizabeth Taylor famously minimized their waists while accentuating their busts, a la Barbie. Monroe did (supposedly) however, take an early stand for body positivity, saying, "To all the girls that think you're fat because you're not a size zero, you're the beautiful one, it's society who's ugly."

The 1960s: The Twiggy Aesthetic

17 yr-old Lesley "Twiggy" Hornby strikes a pose on a doorstep, 1966. Source: Getty Images

In stark contrast to the 1950s, the '60s aesthetic was all about a slim figure, more reminiscent of the ideal of the 1920s. Supermodels like Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton popularized the mini skirt, which became a fashion staple and reinforced the quest for long, thin limbs to emulate the look.

The 1970s: The Thin and Busty Ideal

Portrait of American actress and model Beverly Johnson in 1977. Source: Getty Images

The thin ideal carried over into the 1970s, but the decade saw a bigger emphasis on larger busts with Farrah Fawcett at the media forefront, representing athleticism and femininity within the boundaries of a thin, petite frame. Anorexia first began to receive mainstream coverage in the 1970s, and singer Karen Carpenter dieted "at starvation levels over the decade - a practice that would claim her life in 1983." Incidences of severe anorexia also rose significantly during the '60s and '70s.

The 1980s: The Super Fit Supermodel

Actress Jane Fonda poses for a portrait in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. Source: Getty Images

The emphasis on athleticism intensified in the 1980s with aerobic exercise shows and videotapes becoming a widespread trend, compounding persistent diet pressures. The meteoric rise of supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell also established a focus on longer, leaner bodies, and the athletic fashions and skintight fabrics of the era reinforced the obsession with "tight" and "toned" bodies. The August 1982 issue of Time argued that Jane Fonda and Victoria Principal were the new ideals of beauty because they were both slim and strong.

Model Kate Moss walks the runway for Calvin Klein, 1994. Source: Getty Images

While high fashion leaned heavily into the "heroin chic" waif look represented by Kate Moss (i.e. protruding bones and hollow cheekbones), the " Baywatch look" (thin with exaggeratedly large breasts) embodied by Pamela Anderson dominated mainstream media. Anorexia was associated with the highest rate of mortality among all mental disorders during this decade.

The 2000s: Strong and Sexy

Tyra Banks walks in Victoria's Secret fashion show, 2001. Source: Getty Images

Supermodels like Gisele Bündchen reintroduced the athletic aesthetic of the '80s, ending the "heroin chic" era of high fashion and ushering in an era of six-pack abs. The rise of stars like Britney Spears, who also popularized low-rise jeans and baby tees, reinforced the quest for flat abs and a "toned" appearance. Eating disorder related hospitalizations increased 18 percent from 1999-2000 to 2005-2006.

The 2010s: The "Bootylicious" Era

Beyoncé performs at the Super Bowl halftime show, 2016. Source: Getty Images

As stars like J.Lo, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj rose in popularity, the obsession with voluptuous backsides took off. The rise of the Kardashian family and the advent of image-based social media platforms like Instagram (launched in 2010) may have shifted the focus further away from historically white-dominant beauty standards (although many have accused the Kardashian/Jenner women of "blackfishing," aka using tactics to appear Black). Some have also attributed the rise of specific plastic surgeries, like the Brazilian Butt Lift, to the popularity of the Kardashian aesthetic - between 2000 and 2018, such procedures increased by 256 percent. But the advent of social media also allowed greater visibility into an unprecedented diverse array of body types and the introduction of body positivity advocates like Megan Jayne Crabbe (formerly Body Posi Panda). She's amassed over a million Instagram followers, posting unfiltered and unapologetic photos that do not fit the arbitrary "ideal."

What to take away

The biggest lesson from this crash course in body ideal history is that there is no actual ideal - these shifting "standards" are often created with the interests of industries in mind. There have, however, also been some steps toward progress. For example, before New York Fashion Week 2017, the Council of Fashion Designers of America sent out a memo to remind designers to seek out healthy models and a wider range of body types, saying the event is "a celebration of our city's diversity, which we hope to see on the runways."

Celebrities like Lizzo, Lena Dunham, Serena Williams, Tyra Banks, and Demi Lovato have also become outspoken body positivity advocates and reclaimed the way celebrity bodies are discussed in popular culture. Lovato has said, "Don't work out because you think you 'need to.' Do it because your body deserves love, respect, and healthy attention." And Banks has stated, "Girls of all kinds can be beautiful...pledge that you will look in the mirror and find the unique beauty in you."

While there's no simple solution to the deluge of toxic messages we all receive daily, Duvall believes organizations like Equip can help educate and empower individuals to filter and respond to those messages. Through its Freeform body empowerment program launching publicly later this year, "Equip is working to help unveil the false promises and explore the deep roots of the appearance ideals, while also supporting folks in finding joy in their life regardless of how close they are to the ever-changing ideals," she says. "We want everyone to start asking themselves, how would your life change if you could find happiness right now, without having to adhere to any ideals?"

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Body Goals Then and Now: Why the "Perfect" Figure is a Total Fallacy

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There's no such thing as the "ideal" body. See how standards have beauty have changed across the decades.

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Generational diet culture & how trends return

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Generational diet culture & how trends return

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It's a new year, a time to leave negative things behind us. So let's leave diet culture talk behind, too.

What exactly is diet culture? It's an insidious and pervasive way of thinking about body size that assigns a moral virtue to some types of bodies (namely smaller) and types of food, but not others.

Food becomes "good" or "bad" and eating certain kinds will trigger negative feelings, like guilt and regret (or so diet culture would have it).

People are reduced to body parts that need to be "fixed" rather than whole, beautiful people. Food is turned into a collection of calories to largely be avoided. And exercise becomes a tool to try achieve an often unattainable body type rather than something joyful or empowering.

If you're hoping to get fit in the new year, that's great! There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to change your body or feel better. But keep in mind that diet culture can perpetuate awful messages about weight, diet, wellness, and how we should feel about our bodies.

In 2019, let's all just say "no thanks" to diet culture. The following phrases aren't doing you, or anyone else, any good. They can be harmful in terms of how you feel about your body or affect the people around you, especially children and teens who are still forming a relationship with food.

Fat isn't a feeling. It's a description. Some people even describe themselves as fat in an empowering way.

When you say, "I feel fat," when you really mean you feel bad, or gross, you're saying that being fat is inherently bad or gross. And that's not very kind either to yourself or to others.

If what you really mean is "I feel like I've gained weight," consider that diet culture wants you to feel as bad as possible about it. So don't let it. Take a breath, remember that weight gain isn't the end of the world, and decide how you want to address it, if at all.

Instead, try: "I don't feel good about my body today."

2. Telling someone "you lost weight, you look great!"

Diet culture tells us that losing weight is a good thing, no matter how it's done. But that's just not true. If someone in your life has lost weight, it could be due to depression, or an eating disorder, or an illness. There's just no way of knowing.

Instead, if someone looks happy, or has a great outfit on, or is spreading good vibes, tell them that instead.

If it's a close friend or family member who you know is on a weight loss journey, check in with them and see how they'd like you to note their changes. Maybe they'd rather you not say anything at all, or maybe they'd enjoy some encouragement.

Either way, remember it's not cool to comment on someone else's body without their permission.

Instead, try: "You seem so happy lately!"

3. Calling food "naughty" or "bad" or "guilt-free."

Food is just food. It can fuel us, comfort us, bring us joy. But it does not have an inherent morality.

There's no such thing as "good" and "bad" foods, or foods that should automatically make you feel bad because you ate them.

Even if you're watching what you eat, deciding certain foods are good and certain foods are bad is a surefire way to stress yourself out and develop a negative association with eating.

Plus, your "guilty" food could be someone else's favorite treat that totally fits into their eating plan, so why bring them down?

Instead, try: Nothing. Just eat!

10. "Carbs are so bad for you."

Whether it's carbs, or fat, or anything else that doesn't fit into your personal eating plan, no one else needs to hear it. If it's working for you, that's cool, but don't try to push your eating habits on anyone else.

Instead, try: "Shush. No one cares about your diet."

If you want to make safe, smart changes in 2019, here are some stories we've done about exercise, eating, and weight loss:

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10 Harmful Diet Culture Phrases You Should Probably Stop Using

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What exactly is diet culture? It's an insidious and pervasive way of thinking about body size that assigns a moral virtue to some types of bodies (namely smaller) and types of food, but not others. Food becomes "good" or "bad" and eating certain kinds will trigger negative feelings, like guilt and regret (or so diet culture would have it).

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VINTAGE 1956 MAYBELINE MAKEUP COMMERCIAL - FEMALE WAR PAINT

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Lucky Strike Cigarette Commercial: Marching Cigarettes (1948)

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The Andrews Sisters - Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel) 1939