Feminism + Dietetics

When people hear the term "dietitian" a lot of people usually think: "food police." And immediately start to apologize to me for whatever they are eating.

I started in my dietetic career with very high hopes. I thought I was going to revolutionize the world with the information that I had about how food could impact our physical and mental health. Something that clearly, our obese country needed, right? However, by the time I graduated with my degree in dietetics, I was pretty low in my life. I felt frustrated, I felt I had entered a profession that could only tell patients what was government approved, even if there was science to contradict it. Dietitians had virtually no power in a clinical setting (at least in the state where I graduated), and we did not even have the power to change a patients meal plan. I felt like I had wasted three years of my life, but I was already in debt up to my eyeballs, I might as well go the extra mile and go through an internship so it would be official.

My internship exposed me to the darker side of dietitians, that I had blissfully missed prior.  I heard others commenting on how "disgusting" fat people where, especially if they were out at a fast food restaurant eating a burger (even if said commentator  was eating the exact same thing).
Now, at this point in my life I was struggling with a lot of things. I was struggling with weight gain (which if you work in the registered dietitian (RD) community sucks), I was experiencing culture shock to my new state, I knew no body in the area, and I was trying to handle anxiety and depression, and my internship work load. I was mad, vulnerable, and was struggling with all sorts of different levels of self-loathing.
Then, I experienced, for the first time, somebody shaming me over my food choices in public. And I was PISSED. I was eating a jelly croissant, it was early in the morning, I was hungry, and I love croissants. Another intern proceeded to ask me "Are you seriously eating that?", and I went off on her. Just a little. I asked her if I was offending her, to which she replied with a shocked expression "no." And then I realized, she though that she was doing me a favor. The future dietitians of this area thought it was acceptable to comment on peoples foods like that!

Some people draw the line at jelly. 

That was when I realized there was a gap between dietetic professionals and the community we were supposed to be helping. We can't help people improve their nutritional intake if we are going to judge them, make underhanded comments, and fat shame people in public or private!

I knew there was a gap, but I wasn't sure how to fill it yet. So I kept going.  More recently I was doing research for a book I'm writing, and I found this amazing study. And I finally had my epiphany moment.  I finally found a way to practice dietetics without going against my feminist ideals. It was by throwing out the weight book! Focusing on weight, be it my weight, or my clients weight has never once resulted in magical weight loss, or magical happiness. And shaming somebody for their weight or food choices certainly doesn't get anyone anywhere.

All food can be part of a happy, healthy lifestyle! Surprise!

But when I started to focus on how foods made me feel, and made a point to try to be as mindful as possible every time I ate, I found that would instinctively make healthier food choices, and I would truly enjoy foods like ice cream, cake, and cookies and be satisfied with only two or three, instead of the usual whole box that I used to just vacuum down without tasting a single cookie.

For me, that is where feminism and dietetics can join together to make some pretty awesome stuff happen.

Mindful eating is a feminist aspect for me because it is about honoring your body as it is, listening to what your body needs, and being happy with your body as it is right now. It isn't about changing your body because you "should" be a certain size.  Mindful eating is about enjoying everything you eat, be it a celery stick, to a triple decadent chocolate sheet cake. Because all food IS good food, and by listening to and honoring our bodies internal cues we can learn for ourselves what our body needs, what our body doesn't need, and ultimately how to enjoy one of the best aspects of life every time. No shame, no guilt, and no pressure to be a "healthy" weight.

So join me, in having our cake, and eating it too.

All photos from pixabay.com, and stocksnap.io.