i've learned more about intuitive eating while curating the #FoodIsPolitical series at @wearyourvoice than i knew of prior to it, and while i believe the concept has immense value, i don't think it's enough on its own.

thread. cw: disordered eating, Eating Disorders

intuitive eating is a guidance tool to help promote better eating habits and a healthier relationship with food. its chief principle is "eat when you're hungry" but the question that always remains for me is: what happens when you don't have enough food to eat intuitively?

alongside the concept of intuitive eating, contributers have also explored things like disordered eating/Eating Disorders, food insecurity, and the connections thereof for #FoodIsPolitical. the more i read, the louder the question gets.

what can intuitive eating offer when the very systems we live under necessitate our disordered eating because it manufactures scarcity? many are unable to honor our hunger because racial capitalism says we don't deserve to have enough food to fill our bellies in the first place.

i'm sure i'm not the first person to ask these questions, but i haven't really seen the nutritionists, dieticians, or ED recovery specialists who promote intuitive eating asking them. what good is it to preach intuitive eating to folks who don't have resources to eat intuitively?

what further shame does it create to tell people they are not properly honoring their body if they only eat one meal a day when that is the only meal they can afford?

if the goal is to get people to have a better relationship with food, then there has to be more to offer than simply telling people how to eat better. every person who makes a career of teaching intuitive eating should also be openly engaging in/supporting food justice work.

combating diet culture will always be important and necessary, but it's only one aspect of the larger picture when it comes to food and our relationship to it.

i want everyone to have a better relationship with food, and i also want everyone to have better access to it. from where i stand, it feels irresponsible to address the relationship aspect without also addressing the issue of access.