©2016DietitiansforSocialJustice.Maybefreelydistributedinitsentirety.
DietitiansforSocialJusticeWelcome!Weareagroupofdietitiansandotherswhoarepassionateaboutensuringworkaroundfoodandhealthbuildsafairer,saferworldforall.Wewanttosupportandeducateourselvesandothersasweworktogetherforchangeacrossthewholefoodweb.Webelievethatbringing‘socialjusticethinking’tonutritiontalkchangeshowwethinkaboutwellbeing,kindnessandequalityandthatthiswillinfluencetheconversationswehaveinotherareasoflifetoo.Wecametogetherinresponsetoourfrustrationwithmainstreamfoodandnutritionworkwhichputstoomuchfocusonindividualpowerandresponsibilityandplaysdowncorporateandgovernmentalpowerandresponsibility.Threekeypremisesofourworkarethat,one,wearenotbornintoafairworld.Two,thereismoretohealththanlifestyle.Andthree,eatingsignificantlyimpactsqualityoflifeinmanyways,includingandgoingbeyondnutrientprofile.Conventionalnutritionmessagesaresometimesdescribedas‘neoliberal’becausetheyignorethedataontheimpactofsocialinequalityandsupportthenarrativeof‘individualchoiceandlifestylehabits’.AtDietitiansforSocialJusticewechallengeneoliberalthinkingand,asanalternative,promotesavisionofaworldwhereno-oneisstarvedoffood,companyordignity.Wedothisbyeschewingtheconventionalmodelthatseekshealththrough‘correcting’lifestyleandweight.Insteadwefocusonpromotinghealth-gain,initswidestsense,whichincludespromotingfairaccesstoservicesandresources,plusvaluingequalityanddiversity,includingtacklingsizediscrimination.Werecognisetheneedtofostercompassionandcriticalthinkingandinthiswaywebridgeself-careandsocialjustice.Whyhealth-gain?Or,what’swrongwithlifestylechange?Wheresocialfactorsdogetmentionedinpublichealthnutritionmessages,theyaretypicallyonlyconsideredinmaterialterms.Inotherwords,thematerialeffectofpoverty,poortransportandsooninrelationtoaccesstofoodandcookingfacilities.Webelievethatfoodisarightandaccesstosustainablefoodthatnourishesus,bodyandsoul,isvitalforphysical,mentalandoverallwellbeing.So,lifestylehasaplace.However,wealsoknowthatfocusingonthematerialaspectsoffoodalonewillinadvertentlyincreasehealthinequalities.Thisisbecausearangeofinter-linkedmaterialandnon-materialfactorsimpactourhealth.Forexample,imaginealargegroupofpeoplewhoselifestylesarethesame.Theyeatthesameandaresimilarlyactive.Withinthegroupsomepeoplefeelsecureandvalued,somearelivingwithracismandsomeareinprecariousemployment.Theevidenceshowsthatthosepeopleexperiencinginsecurityanddiscriminationareatincreasedriskofnutrition-sensitivediseases,suchashypertension,diabetesandheartdisease,regardlessoflifestyle.Takingthefocusoffweightandlifestyledoesn’tmeanweignorethefactthateatingimpactswellbeing.Itdoesmeanwekeepfoodinperspectiveandwedonotignorethe
©2016DietitiansforSocialJustice.Maybefreelydistributedinitsentirety.
inconvenienttruthsofthemetaboliceffectsofdiscrimination,traumaandprivilegeondiet-relatedillness.Wewant‘goodfoodforall’.Wealsoacknowledgethatfirst,goodfoodforallwillnotbyitselfbeenoughtomitigatethehealthconsequencesoflivingwithoppression.Andsecond,thataslongasthemind-setbehindoppressionexistswewillneverdeliverongoodfoodforall.Asdietitiansforsocialjusticewewanttosurfacetheseconnections.Thisshiftinfocustoadvancinghealth-gaininitswidestsensereflectsanaccurateandthoughtfulreadingoftheevidence.Italsoenablesustoworkinwaysthatdonotstigmatisepeoplefortheirweightorhealthstatusandthatsupportpeopleofallsizesandbackgroundstodevelopahealthyrelationshipwithfoodandtheirbodies.Intacklingsizediscriminationwepromotebodyrespect.Were-orientatetobodyrespectforalltomakeoppressiveweightconceptsobsolete.Wearebuildingaworldwherepeopleofallidentitieswakeupcertainintheirself-worth.Asastepontheway,wewillmarkprogresswhenfatpeoplearenotroutinelydecapitatedinstockimagesandwhenwearemoremindfulabouthowwetalkto,andof,eachotherinrelationtoourphysicalappearanceandsize.Onboard?Pleasedogetintouch.We’dlovetohearfromanyonekeentopromotesocialjusticeinandthroughfoodwork.Youdon’thavetobeadietitianorhealthprofessional!Wewelcomeallwavelengthsofcuriosityandenergy.
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TrainingDietitiansforSocialJusticedrawsontheWellNowphilosophydevelopedbyLucyAphramor.ForLucy’strainingpleaseseewww.lucyaphramor.com
