The Food Blog Controversy
Submitted by JStrand on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 12:30
Recently Marie Claire published an article about food bloggers that’s caused quite a stir. In the article, the author suggests that so called “healthy living blogs,” which track the eating and exercise habits of bloggers, might not promote healthy eating habits, but propagate the very unsustainable low-cal, high exercise habits that they purport to live without. I don’t know how many of you read food blogs, this article specifically talks about the “Big Six,” or the top six food bloggers (for more info on them check out the article!). I actually read many of these for the better part of two years. I stopped reading them when I came to believe the exact same things the reporter wrote about in this article.
Now, I don’t want to get too far into my personal views about these bloggers – some of them really do advocate a balanced lifestyle (for them) and have some empowering messages. I even participated on my blog in one of these food bloggers “book tours” for Operation Beautiful, which promotes having a healthy self-image and defeating negative self-talk. But in light of the article and the backlash, there are a few things I think need saying.
One of the arguments made against the article was that it was one-sided, it didn’t account for the fact that these women were putting up a model of how to cook and eat healthy food on a regular basis, in a very practical way. I agree, a lot of people need ideas for how to cook healthy, and reading about other people exercising daily can be very motivating. But there’s also a negative side that needs to be recognized: There is frequent food guilt, month-long diet and exercise “challenges” to get back into “skinny” jeans (all these women are well within and probably on the low end of the healthy weight spectrum), and considering splurges a half a glass of beer (or justifying a beer as a “snack”) or low-fat frozen yogurt. All this would be fine if the message was “How I exercise and eat low-cal meals.” But it’s not, they are touted as “balanced” and healthy living blogs - they're mostly just reinforcing what every other diet and exercise magazine out there is saying.
Now – on a larger level, beyond the food bloggers, being healthy is huge right now. Everyone wants to be healthy - to eat whole grains, cook more, start walking the dog. And all these things are good. The problem is – many people don’t really want to be healthier, they want to be thinner. The conversation hasn’t changed, they’ve just replaced the word “thin” with “healthy” making it sound better. This is counterproductive for a myriad of reasons – it spreads misinformation, can justify disordered eating habits, and, of course, perpetuates the same system in which we must fit into a specific mold to be considered worthy.
Having real life examples of women telling us, “We really can have dream bodies and it’s easy if we just eat like them!” Isn’t helping create a conversation about truly becoming comfortable with ourselves, not despite some imperfections, or because we deprive ourselves, but simply because we are worthy to begin with. If we are ever going to change the conversation, for ourselves as women in control of our own bodies, and as a society, from the thin-is-healthy-and-better dialogue to I-am-worthy-period, then we must divorce the conversation of thin from that of healthy, because the two are not equal (See here, too).
We also need to start having role models that actually live the ideals of a balanced lifestyle even if, and I would argue specifically because, they are a few pounds heavier than those who cut out what most of us consider some of the best things in life. I think what a lot of women would really like is just to feel comfortable in their own skin. We need to see other women standing up as the vanguard who are thick and lovin' life and lovin' themselves and being sustainably healthy. And somewhere down the line, we need to start congratulating ourselves for achievements that aren’t body and food related, because there are really just more important things out there.
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Food Blogs
I have to say this is all a bit foreign to me, as I do not follow blogs and mainly only read them when it is a friend's who I wish to keep in contact with. This being said, I know several friends who enjoy following food blogs - mostly 'foodie' friends, who follow food blogs of the indulgent type, those which highlight unique recipes with how-to's and other fun culinary facts. These I find quite fun and will happily check out the odd recipe if I am feeling adventurous (though I must admit I do not find as much pleasure slaving away in the kitchen as some do!) I mostly stick to the same recipes that are quick and easy, but full of flavour.
What I find odd about some of the blogs in question (from what I've just perused) is what Chloe pointed out. They aren't sharing fun recipes, they are just listing everything they ate that day along with documenting their, laudable, dedication to running very long distances. While I understand that this is what they enjoy and they are probably eating the right amount and running safely, it is worrying that this has become such an obsession for so many women (as evidenced by their many followers and defenders against the Marie Claire ordeal). For healthy and safe running tips, why not follow established professionals from mags like Runners World? And for healthy food, well, I can't help but feel this should be common sense. Eat natural, eat when you're hungry, and indulge (in moderation) but whenever the hell you feel like it! It makes me sad that thinking about what they should or should not eat takes up so much of women's time.
Maybe these bloggers don't have an eating disorder per se, but surely taking photos of everything you eat, documenting it to thousands of other girls who then feel they must emulate you, and then following this with how many miles you ran that day, is obsessive behaviour related to eating and exercise - which screams disordered eating to me!
Reading this post was
Reading this post was interesting, especially as someone who regularly reads many food (including those written by women promoting a healthy diet and sustainable eating) and 'lifestyle' blogs and has never heard of any of the "Big Six" aside from eatliverun. I think that it's a slippery slope when a writer decides to tout someone's (or their own) work as being an example of a 'balanced' or 'healthy' lifestyle, because really, what is balanced or healthy for them may not be healthy for me, or many other women, and you definitely made this key point.
However, I do have to also point out the irony of Marie Claire posting this article. As a website with both a "Virtual Body Makeover," "From Fat to Fitness blog," fitness advice and a magazine which basically promotes the same concepts that the "Big Six" are currently under fire for, it was an interesting choice. The purpose of the blogging platform is for an individual to be able to voice their opinions, talk about what the like, etc, which is why it's difficult to fault these women for doing what they do. But when the group pointing fingers, in this case Marie Claire (or any women's magazine for that matter) isn't doing much more good themselves, it's hard to take them seriously. Perhaps instead of harping on the 'damage' that these writers can inflict on others through their blogging (and personal choices, whether we consider them healthy or not), Marie Claire could have given readers a myriad of sites/blogs that actually do serve to make readers feel good about themselves, their opinions and their lifestyles, because they certainly are out there, even if they aren't getting the same kind of attention as these six.
Haha yeah I didn't miss the
Haha yeah I didn't miss the irony there, the pot calling the kettle black. And actually that just sort of underscores the problem - even the people accusing other people of having possibly harmful messages are also buying into and propgating these harmful messages (and lets face it that's pretty much the state of all media these days) - all the more reason for new perspectives. Which is why I'd sort of prefer a bit of hypocracy on the part of the reporter and still get this message out than have a system with no confrontation. And it's a good point that bloggers are allowed to say whatever they want, I'm not faulting that, but they are, admittedly and purposefully, holding themselves up as examples and role models with specific mission statements and pricipals. I don't think it's wrong to point out when they fall short of those things - I also think it's a good thing to alert people to the undertones of what they're mentally ingesting, to give an opposite viewpoint to make people actually think about underlying messages or implications they're getting through sites like this.
True, I can definitely agree
True, I can definitely agree with you on the fact that something needed to be said about the standards that these blogs are holding themselves to, and I suppose Marie Claire is better than nothing-at least it's reaching the right target audience that way. I also agree that when bloggers such as these are given a greater platform for their views (the conference, being one example, as well as endorsements), they need to be held under harsher scrutiny.
I like your point about
I like your point about separating 'thin' from 'healthy'. Health and wellness are things that I really struggle with. If we go by the definition of 'healthy', clinically speaking, I'm just that. My blood pressure is awesome and my blood work results? Great! I exercise regularly and avoid junk food... although I don't mind indulging here and there. My BMI and weight is normal (though there is room for improvement). I don't smoke, I only have an occasional drink...
So why am I so obsessed with being 'thinner and more fit'? It's quite aggravating. Though, to be fair part of the reason is because I really enjoy running and working out (I've done sports since I was a kid) so having less body fat makes running/working out more enjoyable. But I can't overlook the part of me that wants to lose a little more fat due to vanity. And while I'm comfortable and happy with who I am on the inside, being comfortable in my own skin? Well, not quite there yet, although all my charts say I should be.
If you ever find those role models that have a more ideal balanced lifestyle let me know:) It would interesting to hear what they have to say.
I am an avid follower of food
I am an avid follower of food blogs, but I only follow the ones with beautiful pictures and quite indulgent recipes...(I never make them. I just look at them and drool.. haha). I checked out the ones on the Marie Claire article, and they actually don't look that interesting. I think healthy food blogs might work more if they actually post simple flavorful, and healthy recipes, instead of a picture of the bowl of skimpy oatmeal or granola that the blogger ate for breakfast...I mean, we already know what oatmeal looks like, right? The problem is that people look at these blogs and feel pressured to be like the bloggers. Instead of looking at these blogs as something we should live by or emulate, we could simply see them as a record of someone's lifestyle. We could learn from it, but to a certain degree.