In modern fitness culture, good posture is often accepted as an unquestionable ideal, taught from childhood as a sign of physical health and discipline. However, this obsession with posture has troubling roots in the history of eugenics, colonialism, and ableism.
The Eugenic Influence on Posture
The eugenics movement, which emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, aimed to "improve" the white race by promoting traits deemed superior, such as intelligence, physical fitness, and "whiteness." Figures like Francis Galton, who coined the term "eugenics," pushed for societal measures to control breeding and promote so-called "better" bloodlines. This racist pseudoscience gained momentum in America, where institutions like Harvard University eagerly embraced it.
One of the more bizarre applications of eugenics at Ivy League schools was the practice of taking nude posture photos of incoming first-year students. Beginning in the 1940s, Harvard and other prestigious schools required students to pose naked to assess their posture, supposedly to track conditions like scoliosis. However, the real agenda went much deeper. Led by eugenicists like William Herbert Sheldon, these photos were used to develop somatotypes, a system of classifying bodies based on their shape and correlating this with intelligence, race, and character traits. Sheldon believed that certain body types (often associated with white, upper-class males) were inherently superior, promoting a racist and classist ideology under the guise of "science." Like other eugenicists of his time, Sheldon shared many beliefs with Nazis.
Shockingly, this practice persisted for decades, and the photos were even used in medical research unrelated to posture, including studies linking body type to smoking and masculinity. These images, many of which were stored at the Smithsonian, became a scandal when it was revealed that they had been taken without proper consent and used in ways that violated students' privacy. Many of these students were also minors.
Posture Panic and Its Roots in Ableism and Racism
In the early 20th century, the eugenics movement fueled what historians now call "posture panic." Bad posture was framed as not just a health risk but a marker of degeneracy, bad breeding, and racial inferiority. This led to widespread campaigns in schools, workplaces, and even military settings to monitor and correct posture. Eugenicists argued that slouching and poor posture signified physical and moral decline, particularly among immigrant populations and communities of color. Correct posture was often linked to whiteness and superiority, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that tied physical traits to racial hierarchies.
This obsession with posture fed into broader anxieties about physical ability. "Good" posture became a way to signify not only health but also conformity to social norms, while "bad" posture was associated with disability, laziness, and weakness. This belief system further marginalized individuals with disabilities, whose posture or movement might not align with these rigid standards. It also pathologized anyone who didn't fit a narrowly defined model of physicality.
Germany's Influence on Posture and American Health Ideals
During this same period, Germany's influence on American ideas of health, particularly through the lens of eugenics, was profound. German scientific and philosophical ideas about the body, health, and the state shaped how physical fitness, including posture, was understood. The German model of health was not just about individual well-being but framed as a reflection of the health of the state itself, deeply entwined with racial purity and national strength. This model found enthusiastic reception in America—just as American apartheid found enthusiasm in Germany.
In Nazi Germany, physical fitness, posture, and bodily discipline were key components of the regime's racial hygiene program. The state emphasized the ideal of the "Aryan" body, one that was physically fit, disciplined, and straight-backed—an embodiment of strength and purity. Posture became a visible marker of one's physical and racial fitness, as the Nazis sought to build a population that conformed to these ideals of bodily perfection. Schools and youth programs reinforced these ideals through rigorous physical education programs that sought to "correct" posture and physical form as part of cultivating an ideal race.
American eugenicists looked to Germany's practices as a model, believing that posture and physical fitness were reflections of an individual's—and a race's—health and moral worth.
The Eugenicists Won
Influential figures like John Harvey Kellogg and others in the American eugenics movement admired Germany's holistic integration of health, race, and state policy, incorporating similar ideals into American health and educational systems. Kellogg, best known for his creation of breakfast cereals, promoted "biologic living," which emphasized strict health regimens, including dietary restrictions and posture correction. As part of his influence, children in some schools had their silhouettes measured as a way to monitor and "correct" their posture, which he believed was linked to overall health and moral integrity. This practice was grounded in his eugenics ideology, where physical traits, including posture, were seen as reflections of racial purity and fitness. Kellogg, a proponent of racial segregation, supported forced sterilization and believed in preserving what he considered the "superior" white race. His focus on health was inseparable from his deeply white supremacist worldview, which shaped much of his work and legacy in public health and education.
The Role of Posture in Colonialism and Control
Posture was also used as a tool of control in colonial contexts. European colonizers viewed the physical bodies of Indigenous and non-European people as inferior, needing correction and discipline. Missionaries, colonial administrators, and educators often implemented posture-training programs as part of their "civilizing missions," aiming to impose European standards of physicality on colonized populations. These programs went hand-in-hand with broader efforts to erase Indigenous cultures and force assimilation to Western norms. European calisthenics became so hegemonic that some communities of color have mistakenly come to believe these movements are native traditions.
In these ways, posture became a marker of both racial and cultural superiority, reinforcing the colonial power dynamic where European bodies were seen as the standard to which all others should aspire. This legacy continues to influence not only our views on posture but also on standards of beauty and attractiveness.
The Legacy of Posture Obsession
Today, posture is an integral part of the multibillion-dollar health, fitness, and wellness industry. Some of the language of eugenics and ableism may have faded from public discourse, but the underlying assumptions persist—posture is often still presented as a moral, social, and physical ideal to which everyone should aspire. More often than not, the eugenics language and logic are out in the open, yet they are so normalized that few recognize them for what they are.
However, much of what we take as "fact" about posture has little scientific basis. For instance, research now shows that there is no clear link between specific postures and long-term health issues like back pain. Yet, the belief that poor posture is a moral failing or physical deficiency remains deeply ingrained.
Questioning the Origins of "Good" Posture
The story doesn't end with posture and bodily control—the origins of commercial fitness and wellness have roots in body fascism, eugenics, colonialism, and ableism. As we strive for health in a modern society, it's crucial to question where these ideals come from and to recognize the ways they have been used to control and oppress. The history of posture reminds us that what we accept as "normal" or "ideal" is often shaped by harmful forces—and it's up to us to unlearn the past for a better, more inclusive vision for the future.
– Sam
