C. Joseph Genster
Encyclopedia
Charles Joseph Genster was an American business executive at the nutrition company Mead Johnson
who oversaw the development and marketing of Metrecal
, a liquid diet drink that became a weight loss craze in the early 1960s.
Genster was born September 5, 1917, in Sheffield, Illinois
, where he graduated from high school when he was 16 years old and spent a year working on a farm before attending college. While he was in college he enlisted in the United States Army
during World War II
and saw action in North Africa
and Italy
, winning a Silver Star
and leaving service with the rank of captain. He returned to college and earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and earned a master's degree at Harvard Business School
. He was recalled to Army duty during the Korean War
and was ultimately hired by Mead Johnson in 1957.
As group director for nutritional specialties, the firm already made nutrition products for infants and children, and his team conceived of the idea of using many of the same ingredients to create a weight loss product. Originally sold in powder form, the name was generated by an IBM
computer program. The Metrecal plan had dieters consume four cans daily, with each can providing 225 calories for a total of 900 calories per day, a quantity that was far lower than adults typically consumed and that would guarantee weight loss of a half pound per day, if no other food was consumed. It was a marketing success from its launch in 1959, and Time
gushed the following year that "no diet fad has ever taken the U.S. so overwhelmingly as the craze for the food supplement Metrecal". The main criticism was taste, with Betty Friedan
describing in her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique
that women "ate a chalk called Metrecal".
Genster was named president of the Edward Dalton Company, a new division within Mead Johnson that was centered on Metrecal. In that role he won advertising awards for campaigns that used the term "figure enhancement" rather than "weight loss". Genster oversaw the addition of chocolate, butterscotch and several other flavors, and created brand extensions such as Metrecal cookies and clam chowder
, many of which were first tested on his own children. In 1963, Peter Wyden wrote in The Overweight Society that "the American consumer made clear that Joe Genster and his teammates had won a hallowed place in the hearts of their countrymen". Genster himself lost 20 pounds while he was on the diet, but Wyden noted that "even reasonably steadfast diners simply grew tired" of consuming the product several times daily, day after day, and the fad faded.
Genster died at age 92 on August 17, 2010, at his home in Princeton, New Jersey
. He was survived by four daughters and 10 grandchildren. His wife, the former Barbara Anna Burke, died in 2006.
Mead Johnson
Mead Johnson & Company is a company which was majority owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb after an acquisition in 1967, but was spun off in 2009 as an independent firm. Mead Johnson is a major manufacturer of infant formula both domestically and globally with its flagship product Enfamil...
who oversaw the development and marketing of Metrecal
Metrecal
Metrecal was a brand of diet foods introduced in the early 1960s. Though its products were criticized for their taste, which newer varieties of flavor tried to improve upon later, it attained a niche in the popular culture of the time. Created and marketed initially by C...
, a liquid diet drink that became a weight loss craze in the early 1960s.
Genster was born September 5, 1917, in Sheffield, Illinois
Sheffield, Illinois
Sheffield is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 946 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area. Sheffield was founded by Joseph E. Sheffield and Henry Farnam in 1852. Sheffield and Farnam constructed the Chicago...
, where he graduated from high school when he was 16 years old and spent a year working on a farm before attending college. While he was in college he enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and saw action in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, winning a Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
and leaving service with the rank of captain. He returned to college and earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and earned a master's degree at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. He was recalled to Army duty during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and was ultimately hired by Mead Johnson in 1957.
As group director for nutritional specialties, the firm already made nutrition products for infants and children, and his team conceived of the idea of using many of the same ingredients to create a weight loss product. Originally sold in powder form, the name was generated by an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
computer program. The Metrecal plan had dieters consume four cans daily, with each can providing 225 calories for a total of 900 calories per day, a quantity that was far lower than adults typically consumed and that would guarantee weight loss of a half pound per day, if no other food was consumed. It was a marketing success from its launch in 1959, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
gushed the following year that "no diet fad has ever taken the U.S. so overwhelmingly as the craze for the food supplement Metrecal". The main criticism was taste, with Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan was an American writer, activist, and feminist.A leading figure in the Women's Movement in the United States, her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with sparking the "second wave" of American feminism in the twentieth century...
describing in her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique
The Feminine Mystique
The Feminine Mystique, published February 19, 1963, by W.W. Norton and Co., is a nonfiction book written by Betty Friedan. It is widely credited with sparking the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States....
that women "ate a chalk called Metrecal".
Genster was named president of the Edward Dalton Company, a new division within Mead Johnson that was centered on Metrecal. In that role he won advertising awards for campaigns that used the term "figure enhancement" rather than "weight loss". Genster oversaw the addition of chocolate, butterscotch and several other flavors, and created brand extensions such as Metrecal cookies and clam chowder
Clam chowder
Clam chowder is any of several chowders containing clams and broth. Along with the clams, diced potato is common, as are onions, which are occasionally sauteed in the drippings from salt pork or bacon. Celery is frequently used. Other vegetables are uncommon, but small carrot strips might...
, many of which were first tested on his own children. In 1963, Peter Wyden wrote in The Overweight Society that "the American consumer made clear that Joe Genster and his teammates had won a hallowed place in the hearts of their countrymen". Genster himself lost 20 pounds while he was on the diet, but Wyden noted that "even reasonably steadfast diners simply grew tired" of consuming the product several times daily, day after day, and the fad faded.
Genster died at age 92 on August 17, 2010, at his home in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
. He was survived by four daughters and 10 grandchildren. His wife, the former Barbara Anna Burke, died in 2006.