Candida, food discipline and the dietary taming of uncertainty
Author
Faculty Advisor
Date
2012
Keywords
care of the self, Candida, undefined illness, illness dieting, food discipline
Abstract (summary)
Discourses of nutritional health are strongly associated with illness, and have recently been linked to the prevalence and management of chronic undefined disorders. Using the case of Candida—a yeast-related disorder of vague symptomatology—I explore the role of food in the narratives of twenty-four people living with Candida. As Candida remains a speculative illness within the boundaries of biomedical science, it is relevant to critically explore the often-focal role of food in the management of this condition, and to consider the range of personal, social and cultural motivations at work in its dietary regulation. Taking up Foucault's theory of docility, I trace the ways in which dietary practices can be understood as normalizing the Candidad-body by helping to create a sense of certainty and control in the persistent face of illness ambiguity. In drawing on Foucault's later work, I move beyond illness dieting as solely a disciplinary regime and explore the ways in which dietary regime can also be conceptualized as a practice in the care of the self, fostering a heightened, often-changing sense of self. While Candida dieting practices will never fully operate separate from the pervasive discourses of nutritional science, they can offer productive possibilities in the regulation and maintenance of an illness not fully recognized by biomedical science.
Publication Information
Overend, A. (2012). Candida, food discipline and the dietary taming of uncertainty, Food, Culture & Society, 16 (1), 145 – 160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2752/175174413X13500468045560
Notes
Item Type
Article
Language
English
Rights
All Rights Reserved