Before skim, 1/2%,1,2, there was milk, and cheese. There was also Bacon with Steak. Besides extra calories full fat animal products provide a needed fuel for male hormones.
I once trained with a JV level Kenyan at the time I thought if he wants to improve why not drink 1% milk and try to get leaner...Fast forward 6months of drinking whole milk, beef, and ugali with ghee and he went from out of shape 33 min 10k to 30 flat. He would always say he needed the Fat because he's an athlete.