“A dietitian eating pizza on Instagram in order to dispel the shame around eating food that is inexpensive, convenient, and readily available? The horror!”
I’d add that only outside Italy (where incidentally, pizza is born and consumed aplenty), pizza is considered a bad, unhealthy dish. I think that its the way “foreigners” shape this dish (similarly at the pasta-based concoctions) that makes it unhealthy. A grains base, topped with vegetables (yes, tomato is a fruit all right) and some scarce protein is a super healthy food.
Thanks for the article. Having been a food marketing attorney for many years (recently retired), I wonder whether the influencers’ disclosures were based on the FTC’s disclosure requirements, which don’t require the source of the funding relationship, just that one exists. When I think about the work we did at my employer companies, our influencer agreements required only a “sponsored” or “advertisement” disclosure. Perhaps educating legal partners who are trying to make sure influencer content is compliant would help? I was unaware there were requirements on the nutrition professionals’ side.
Loved reading your take on this article! I’ll admit, sometimes I find it hard to wrap my brain around how to have a more accepting attitude around processed foods while still being anti-food-industry. Probably because I came up during the “vote with your fork!” era, so part of me feels like the types of posts described in the WaPo article are playing right into the hands of powerful corporations and food industry trade associations/lobbying groups. However. It’s not that simple, is it? Voting with your fork is a privilege—maybe the ability to create unsponsored content is, too. And demonizing/shaming people for the choices they make to survive within a capitalist hellscape (as Kayla so accurately put it) serves as a convenient distraction from the real issues. So I’m taking your words to heart: “We need to find a way to destigmatize food and drink choices made by individuals while holding food and beverage corporations accountable for the ways they disproportionately harm the health of communities of color.” Absolutely. Thanks for doing your part to put the focus where it should be!
I appreciate your insights and perspective so much! I am a chef and public health nutritionist ( not an RD!) who teaches future dietitians, nurses, DRs, and other health professionals in partnership with an integrative MD. I like how you broke this down-and agree that there is a larger systemic issue that most students in any health field don’t learn about or more importantly don’t learn to question-certainly the nutrition dept I teach in is fairly old school-i was recently told that nutrition students just need to know ‘how to fly the plane’… ( much to say about that!) I have a few additional thoughts specifically on the artificial sweeteners topic-while I am disappointed in the defensive responses related to carcinogens/cancer ( we should all be interested in accurate information about these things) there are many other impacts of artificial sweeteners we should acknowledge-especially related to gut and brain health. Like any consumable, there is not one isolated issue or dynamic in our bodies and I find that many who are defending it are using this black and white paradigm that is so often the problem in nutrition in general. Parallel to what you’ve pointed out related to the system. It is never one issue or one solution…I hope this makes sense. Trying to be concise here. thanks again!
“A dietitian eating pizza on Instagram in order to dispel the shame around eating food that is inexpensive, convenient, and readily available? The horror!”
I’d add that only outside Italy (where incidentally, pizza is born and consumed aplenty), pizza is considered a bad, unhealthy dish. I think that its the way “foreigners” shape this dish (similarly at the pasta-based concoctions) that makes it unhealthy. A grains base, topped with vegetables (yes, tomato is a fruit all right) and some scarce protein is a super healthy food.
Thanks for the article. Having been a food marketing attorney for many years (recently retired), I wonder whether the influencers’ disclosures were based on the FTC’s disclosure requirements, which don’t require the source of the funding relationship, just that one exists. When I think about the work we did at my employer companies, our influencer agreements required only a “sponsored” or “advertisement” disclosure. Perhaps educating legal partners who are trying to make sure influencer content is compliant would help? I was unaware there were requirements on the nutrition professionals’ side.
Loved reading your take on this article! I’ll admit, sometimes I find it hard to wrap my brain around how to have a more accepting attitude around processed foods while still being anti-food-industry. Probably because I came up during the “vote with your fork!” era, so part of me feels like the types of posts described in the WaPo article are playing right into the hands of powerful corporations and food industry trade associations/lobbying groups. However. It’s not that simple, is it? Voting with your fork is a privilege—maybe the ability to create unsponsored content is, too. And demonizing/shaming people for the choices they make to survive within a capitalist hellscape (as Kayla so accurately put it) serves as a convenient distraction from the real issues. So I’m taking your words to heart: “We need to find a way to destigmatize food and drink choices made by individuals while holding food and beverage corporations accountable for the ways they disproportionately harm the health of communities of color.” Absolutely. Thanks for doing your part to put the focus where it should be!
Really appreciate the depth you’ve added to this conversation, so glad to have you back in my inbox 💚
Also I can’t believe I missed the Abbey Sharp video thanks for linking to it and sharing my essay as well!
Spot on! So glad you are back sharing your voice! 🙏
I appreciate your insights and perspective so much! I am a chef and public health nutritionist ( not an RD!) who teaches future dietitians, nurses, DRs, and other health professionals in partnership with an integrative MD. I like how you broke this down-and agree that there is a larger systemic issue that most students in any health field don’t learn about or more importantly don’t learn to question-certainly the nutrition dept I teach in is fairly old school-i was recently told that nutrition students just need to know ‘how to fly the plane’… ( much to say about that!) I have a few additional thoughts specifically on the artificial sweeteners topic-while I am disappointed in the defensive responses related to carcinogens/cancer ( we should all be interested in accurate information about these things) there are many other impacts of artificial sweeteners we should acknowledge-especially related to gut and brain health. Like any consumable, there is not one isolated issue or dynamic in our bodies and I find that many who are defending it are using this black and white paradigm that is so often the problem in nutrition in general. Parallel to what you’ve pointed out related to the system. It is never one issue or one solution…I hope this makes sense. Trying to be concise here. thanks again!