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A review by mkatibah
Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan
2.0
Michael Pollan stuffed quite a lot of harmful and restrictive language into this seemingly quaint little guide to eating. He is an author and thinker that I have admired for some time but this rule book perpetuates fatphobic ideas that I have been actively retraining my brain against.
He doesn’t shy away from the crucial role that advertisers and corporations play in selling off “food-like substances” as real food and I do appreciate his reverence to the sanctity of food and communal experiences but they are consistently tinged with the ultimate goal of weight loss. He recommends eating with people for the social aspects but also as a distraction from eating too much.
Many of the rules don’t take privilege and access into account. Yes, someone may genuinely want to shop at a farmers market rather than stopping at a fast food joint, but who’s to say their decision didn’t take multiple factors into account including cost and time? Also if someone’s income is not stable and they may not know when their next paycheck is coming in, it makes sense that they would purchase food with a longer shelf life rather than fresh produce. Demonizing processed foods and labeling a food as “wrong” or “evil” perpetuates the restriction and relapse behavior that only makes someone feel worse about their body and their decisions.
I recognize many of these rules (use a smaller plate, treat treats as treats, don’t always eat when you’re hungry) from the times they have bounced and echoed in my own head. My personal food journey held a lot of space for restriction, demonization and “no” lists that made me either hate a specific food for making me gain weight or hating myself for giving in. It completely sucks the joy out of eating.
Food is powerful. It is colorful fuel for our bodies that has been cared for, tended to, and cultivated by other people. I’d rather not waste my time squeezing the excitement and beauty out of eating experiences by twisting my head to remember 83 restrictive rules. No, I’d rather spend my energy as a conscious consumer who seeks to honor the people who harvest and prepare the food in the market bin, grocery store aisle, or restaurant table.
He doesn’t shy away from the crucial role that advertisers and corporations play in selling off “food-like substances” as real food and I do appreciate his reverence to the sanctity of food and communal experiences but they are consistently tinged with the ultimate goal of weight loss. He recommends eating with people for the social aspects but also as a distraction from eating too much.
Many of the rules don’t take privilege and access into account. Yes, someone may genuinely want to shop at a farmers market rather than stopping at a fast food joint, but who’s to say their decision didn’t take multiple factors into account including cost and time? Also if someone’s income is not stable and they may not know when their next paycheck is coming in, it makes sense that they would purchase food with a longer shelf life rather than fresh produce. Demonizing processed foods and labeling a food as “wrong” or “evil” perpetuates the restriction and relapse behavior that only makes someone feel worse about their body and their decisions.
I recognize many of these rules (use a smaller plate, treat treats as treats, don’t always eat when you’re hungry) from the times they have bounced and echoed in my own head. My personal food journey held a lot of space for restriction, demonization and “no” lists that made me either hate a specific food for making me gain weight or hating myself for giving in. It completely sucks the joy out of eating.
Food is powerful. It is colorful fuel for our bodies that has been cared for, tended to, and cultivated by other people. I’d rather not waste my time squeezing the excitement and beauty out of eating experiences by twisting my head to remember 83 restrictive rules. No, I’d rather spend my energy as a conscious consumer who seeks to honor the people who harvest and prepare the food in the market bin, grocery store aisle, or restaurant table.