Behind the cocktails and movie stars, stewardesses’ jobs depended on staying under strict weight limits. When Patt Gibbs is suspended for gaining a few pounds, a company doctor hands her diet pills with potentially dangerous consequences. As women push their bodies to extremes, Patt begins to fight back and discovers how costly defiance can be.

You heard archive from the documentary The Rise of Labor from the CIA collections of the U.S. National Archives.

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

Eating Disorders

• NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) – helpline chat, screening tool, and resources - https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Eating Disorders & Body Image

• BEAT Eating Disorders – helpline, online chat, and resources - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Eating Disorders & Body Image

• Butterfly Foundation – helpline + online chat for eating disorders: 1800 33 4673 - https://butterfly.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

Eating Disorders 

• NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre) – helpline and online chat https://nedic.ca/