social factors – stigma, racism, trauma for example – were implicated in pathways predisposing people to so-called diet-related disease.


“As part of this change I questioned the reliability of an ‘Eat Well’ guide approach to tackling inequity in heart disease. By focusing exclusively on nutrients to explain racialised­differences­in­coronary­heart­ disease (CHD) we were using a model that was designed to erase any metabolic consequences of living with oppression or privilege. In other words, we were choosing to ignore social metabolism and therefore social justice.”


The upshot for Lucy was a realisation that she should shift focus away from traditional theory around diet and weight loss. Lucy looked at what it meant to be a radical dietician and began to forge relations with like-minded practitioners from around the world and “together we established World Critical Dietetics (WCD). We’re about to host the 14th World Critical Dietetics conference, WCD is a vibrant forum, a collective indebted to the impas- sioned praxis of Canadian dietitian Jacqui Gingras. Her commitment to professional change helped those of us deeply troubled by­dietetic­norms­to­find­each­other­and­ re-imagine our scholarship and practice.” One clear message is that traditional food and­diet­advice­is­not­a­one-size-fits-all.


Lucy says: “If we promote the advice as uni- versally appropriate, we cause harm as we leave people behind and mobilise oppressive ideologies such as ableism and racism. “When we uncritically accept popular nutrition messages as beyond scrutiny because they invoke ‘science’ as often happens with ‘healthy eating,’ we can unintentionally contribute to personal suf- fering and embed structural violence. “Healthy eating advice centres biomed- icine as indisputably appropriate and incontestably robust, as if there are not other useful frameworks for exploring links­between­food­and­flourishing.­In­ this it continues a colonial legacy, erasing Global Majority wisdom and sciences. “Medical librarians have a powerful posi- tion as reliable authorities, and the fact I’ve been invited to speak illustrates a profes- sional commitment to equity and epistemic justice. But we don’t change things if we think they’re working well – so it’s impor- tant to collectively grow the skills to notice where hidden assumptions contradict values­and­goals­and­figure­out­how­best­to­ respond in any given situation or place.” Lucy­points­to­high-profile­campaigns­ that centre around cutting out particular food types, for example fat, salt or sugar. They say that the risk here is that other contributing factors are ignored, and this can lead to a racialised view of diet or one


that ignores the impact of class. “Messages like this that isolate nutrients and ignore context exaggerate the role of food as a variable in the prevention and treatment of so-called diet related disease; and they serve to strengthen the status quo by disappearing other relevant varia- bles – variables that can more strongly impact e.g. blood pressure – such as living with racism, a history of trauma, violence etc. In short, they oversimplify what is complex and this matters because the resulting narratives enact a set of values that disproportionately harm those already marginalised and prevent more useful approaches being developed that would serve everyone and not cause harm. “There’s a name for this approach – nutritionism. Nutritionism is an ideology that constructs bodies as atomistic calorie burning machines (some readers will know this as the body of liberal humanism) and treat food as a vehicle for nutrient transfer. Thinking through disconnect, rather than interconnection, externalises harm, and teaches us to relate to food as a commodity, disconnected from place, grower, season, culture, which thwarts a wider climate jus- tice and sustainability agenda that requires whole-systems thinking.” For more details on ICML 2026, including the full programme and how to book your place, visit www.hlg-conference.com/icml2026. IP


June-July 2026


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 31


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