I was too young to be a genuine hippie myself. Green with envy, I watched news coverage of the Woodstock festival while on a family vacation. (Later, in college I met people who actually went. When one said, "Yeah, after that last hit of acid, my brain has never been the same," I was glad I missed it.) However, I do think there was a lot from that era (roughly 1966-1972) worth revisiting - things like doing things for yourself, like making your own culture instead of just "consuming" what the media give you, like trying to be kinder and more considerate of others and of the world itself.

It's hard to find pictures of heavy-set hippie men (or women, for that matter) from that era. Leaving aside the question of whether or not people overall weighed less, it seems to me that the hippie aesthetic leaned towards the thin side, and so maybe fat people self-selected themselves out. Also, virtually all the visual records we have came from photojournalists, many of them straight men, who focused on the "cute hippie chicks" and probably overlooked a lot of others in the numerous depictions we have of protests, be-ins, park gatherings, and so on.

Here's one from a San Francisco protest, probably 1968 or 1969, with two heavier men in the center (click to enlarge:)





Since those halcyon days, middle age has crept up on many. So here are some old hippies for you all to enjoy, since a lot of old hippie guys got fat.
















And last but not least, Jerry Garcia (RIP)