Queering Nutrition and Dietetics

Book excerpt: This book presents experiences of LGBTQ+ people relating to food, bodies, nutrition, health, wellbeing, and being queer through critical writing and creative art. The chapters bring LGBTQ+ voices into the spotlight through arts-based scholarship and contribute to experiential learning, allowing for more understanding of the lives of LGBTQ+ people within the dietetic profession. Divided into three parts, the first explores eating, food, and bodies; the second discusses communities, connections, and celebrations; and the final part covers care in practice. Topics include body image, eating disorders, weight stigma, cooking and culinary journeys, queer food culture, queer practices in nutrition counseling, and gendered understandings of nutrition. Exploring not only experiences of marginalization, homophobia, transphobia, and cisheteronormativity within dietetics and nutritional healthcare, this collection also dives into the positive connections and supportive communities that food can create. Special attention is paid to the intersections of oppression, colonialism, social justice, and politics. This book will be beneficial to all health professionals, educators, and students creating and fostering safer, more inclusive, and more accepting environments for their LGBTQ+ clients.