One Branch of Fat-shaming Moral Panic

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks to firecat for pointing me to Confront Death By Avoiding Fritos: The Gluten Lie, Fad Diets, & Foodie Faith by Michael Schulson. It's hosted at Religion Dispatches, which describes itself as "your independent, non-profit, Webby-nominated source for the best writing on critical and timely issues at the intersection of religion, politics and culture."

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But then to assert that your ascetic diet in turn makes you physically superior to others, in addition to being morally superior, is a step that I wouldn’t want to take. Especially nowadays, people don’t want to assert moral superiority over other people, so instead they assert physical superiority. But I think also that’s a proxy for asserting their moral superiority. Saying that I’m living a healthier life is the only courteous way left of saying I’m living a better life.

We’re so afraid, and rightfully so, of judging ourselves better than other people, that now we have proxy words like “healthier” or “longer-lived” to stand in for the desirable moral judgment that we are superior to others.

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The substitution of science-y it's healthier for the frank, it conforms to my moral system debases science as well.

This fits in nicely with the current topic at the Fat Nutritionist, where herself is trying to understand why people do the Whole 30 diet: what does it mean for them, how does it affect people with eating issues, do people indeed follow the strict structure for 30 days and then stop. Plus scores of thoughtful ideas in comments!

Drawing the ermine cape of moral superiority tightly round my shoulders, I know I've soothed myself about my fracture from wheat gluten (that fundamental element in Western culture's celebratory food) by loudly performing it's no big deal.

Comments

[firecat]

The substitution of science-y "it's healthier" for the frank, "it conforms to my moral system" debases science

Excellent! I haven't heard that particular objection before, and I like it.

[isis]

I think this is an interesting way to look at dietary choices. And it echoes the language used by Diet Cults by Matt Fitzgerald, a book I - okay, I haven't read it, but the author has written things about running that I agree with, and I read an interview with him where he talks about what he calls 'agnostic healthy eating', that is, not demonizing any nutrients or eliminating entire food categories. Which I suppose is the opposite of a religious approach to dieting, choosing a diet because it is (to you) morally superior.

[selki]

I like that concept, agnostic healthy eating.