My last post was about food insecurity. Today I’m focusing on another food-related issue that plagues people with diabetes: food scrutiny. The more common term for this phenomenon is the food police. I am willing to bet that every person who lives with diabetes has dealt with food scrutiny at some point. If not, please let me know, because that would be exciting news! I believe that food scrutiny can actually lead to food insecurity.
Let’s say someone with diabetes is eating somewhere out of their comfort zone, and someone starts asking them about what they can and can’t eat, or questions what they have on their plate, or suggests there is “nothing they can eat” at that venue. Any of these scenarios can lead to feeling a loss of control or frustration (or anger) which can then lead to overeating, etc. Before I go any further, I want to give credit to the people out there (and there are many) who truly don’t know about food and diabetes; whose comments are completely innocent and driven by concern. Unfortunately, it’s often hard to separate that at the time the food scrutiny occurs.
I have countless stories about my encounters with food scrutiny. I’ve been interrogated at family reunion food tables; I’ve even had the contents of my grocery cart critiqued. I have just as many stories about situations where people mistook me for the food police (this happens when one is a diabetes educator, unfortunately). I have been stopped in the grocery store (“You caught me eating XYZ”), avoided in restaurants (If I don’t look at her, she won’t see me eating XYZ), you name it. I assure you, I am not the food police.
My hope is that one day, with enough education, those who know someone with diabetes and even the general public will understand diabetes enough to know that they don’t need to scrutinize. Until that day comes, though, we can share our stories and continue to work on educating people.
Now I really want to hear your food scrutiny stories. I know you’ve got some good ones. And we share these so all people can learn and so we can relate to each other and not to criticize or make fun, especially of those who are just asking because they care.