Race and Dietetics

“Denial is the heartbeat of racism, beating across ideologies, races, and nations. It is beating within us.” Ibram X. Kendi

I, like many others, have been thinking, reflecting, reading, listening, and watching more content related to issues of race in America in light of the current situation we find ourselves in as a country. Racism is not new. Conversations about race and inequality are not unfamiliar to many people, but the need for people from all different backgrounds to continue to engage in this dialog has never been more needed than now. The cry for social justice, racial equity, and an end to police brutality have never been more apparent and necessary than right now. Recent events such as, but not exclusive to, the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have made it impossible to deny/ignore the fact that systemic racism is real in our country any longer. And given that fact, we have an obligation to do something about it.

It’s heartbreaking to know, like so many issues in our society, it takes terrible tragedy and loss (often repeated tragedy and loss) for us as a country (mostly white Americans) to acknowledge there is a legitimate problem worthy of solving. Things often get worse before they can get better. Sadly, I think there is some truth to that, but as a society I think we are at a crucial tipping point. We are at an all time low it seems, but now we have the responsibility to make change happen.

I was listening to an interview with Ibram X. Kindi, author of How to be an Anti-Racist, and the moderator pointed out, how we react to everything that’s happening is imperative. How we react to race related events now will either define us, or we will be defined by it. Let’s not let this momentum in the BLM movement pass. Let’s not gloss over the experiences of minority people any longer. Let’s act.

Although educating yourself and acknowledging there is a problem is an important first step, I think the hardest part is actively getting involved in anti-racist work. It can be overwhelming for people to believe they can actually make change. Although I am by no means an expert in any of this, I do think we have a responsibility and opportunity to affect change in the small sphere in which we live our lives. Within our family, circle of friends, school, job, and community. We don’t have to do some large, public act like writing a book, or becoming a BLM leader. Some of us will do those things and that’s great. But more often than not, it’s the small things we do everyday that have the biggest impact on those around us.

In the interview, Ibram X. Kendi was talking about how to get involved in the racial equality movement. He said everyone is passionate about something. Teachers are passionate about education, nurses are passionate about healthcare. So what we can do is get involved, either with our time or our resources, in an anti-racist organization within our particular field or passion. If everyone supports anti-racist policies within their own profession, that is a great start.

“Like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.” Ibram X. Kendi

I am passionate about nutrition and I know that currently the dietetics profession is not the most inclusive or representative of minorities. About 94% of dietitians are female and 81% of dietitians are white. Being a white female dietitian is not inherently bad, but when we think about the clients we are going to be working with, chances are not all of our clients are going to be white females. It’s important to recognize that as a white female, there may be some implicit bias’ or prejudices present going into counseling sessions with a person of color.

I recently attended a webinar hosted by the Chicago Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics entitled “Navigating the Relationship of Racism and Food”. The speaker was Wendi Wills El-Amin, MD, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. It was a really helpful discussion for me because she was able to walk us through the relationship of racism and food, how we can, as dietitians, interact with our clients in a way that is respectful of different racial and cultural backgrounds, and how we can, as a profession, prioritize diversity.

Racism affects every facet of our society, so of course it affects food. We know that what we eat has an affect on our health, and we also know that one of the greatest determinants of health is socioeconomic status. Therefore, those of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have poorer diets, and thus poorer health outcomes. People of color are more likely to be eligible for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly known as Food Stamps, indicating lower socioeconomic status. White Americans make up about 75% of the population but represent only 40% of SNAP recipients. African Americans on the other hand make up about 13% of the population but comprise about 26% of SNAP recipients. Racism leads to disparities like this and many others such as lower quality and access to health care.

As practicing dietitians, implicit bias can come out in the kinds of questions we ask our clients or the behavior counseling we give. Advising someone to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers markets may not be appropriate if that individual lives in a food desert without a vehicle and only has access to convenience stores. Neglecting to consider different religious events such as Ramadan could make our advice about eating and food culturally inappropriate. The way we can avoid this is by asking our clients about their own eating behaviors and listening to their responses. We, as nutrition experts, need to humble ourselves to the role of a learner.

This just scratches of the conversation surrounding race and dietetics/food. If you are interested in learning from dietitians of color check out this link to hear their experiences about becoming a dietitian and their experience in the field. Another resource talking about diversity in the field of dietetics can be found here.

Keep thriving,

Erica