Your food content on Instagram has always felt so supportive for me! It honestly gave me so much permission to eat things I had previously restricted. And of course if it doesn't feel this way to other folks, I will totally understand if you want to stop posting it, but just wanted to share my experience. 💙
That means a lot, Jamie! Thank you so much for letting me know. It definitely feels authentic and a different approach than "this is everything I eat in a day to XYZ...". But it's an important conversation to have and check in with folks!
Can I just say that I love the food content you share? Mostly because you share pure JOY, like I can just feel how much you love your yoghurt bowls (which I've shamelessly copied!) and the other food options are usually very simple and full of enjoyment - please keep them coming.
In contrast, the typical WIEIAD vids just leave me feeling guilty and mostly they feel very showy - I don't feel like I gain anything from watching them!
Haha thank you, Julia! It really is JOY. Grateful for you, and thank you so much for taking the time to share this. I'm so glad you're here! I'll think of you this morning as I eat my yogurt bowl ☺️
As always your thoughts are eloquent, nuanced and deliver much needed interpretation of behaviours without judgement or ridicule.
All I can to your already detailed thoughts is that I also wonder on the impact of those creating the videos. Certainly within the *recovery* (I use that term sparingly as I believe the community has become its own disordered strand that allows eating disorders a platform hidden under the guise of getting well) community there’s been a noticeable uptick in the number of folk sharing wiead posts that range from; disingenuous - plating up meals does not equal consuming them therefore staying very unwell, reassurance seeking - ‘here’s what I eat I’ll rely on comments to assure me the portion is too small’,
triggering - faking not just the intention to consume but literally taking fake bites, click baiting - monetising their disorder in order to benefit from being unwell as justification to not recover,
ignorance of privilege - spending vast amounts of money on foods and claiming you have to go all in to recover which if they did so can everyone,
seeking perfection - will only consume items once they are photo worthy, isolating - not eating for personal or community togetherness but purely to create content.
And it’s not just in the recovery sector either, family accounts where parents create an aesthetic of idyllic mealtimes - how do the children, partners feel knowing the camera has to eat before they can, or being filmed constantly when gathering for a meal can offer space to talk as a family that’s now lost? Add in the abhorrent abuse that comes in comments when folk in certain size bodies are criticised for all their choices whereas others are celebrated when in socially acceptable bodies.
Are they trapped in cycles of creating content that is driving them away from who they are, are they so desperate to feel connected to something that they make eating a career, how do they cope when they can’t film everything, or are social manners being lost to the need to be relevant that leads to phones being the prized guest at mealtimes?
I just think it’s sad all around, the impact on those watching who feel inferior or triggered but equally those capitalising and damaging their own sense of self.
Eating should not be taboo, people can share ideas, recipes, latest moments of joy, but it’s the intention behind the share and once there is money to be earned and popularity to be gained the intent moves from honest pleasure to pressurised deception all too readily.
Eloise, thank you so much for this! No apology needed—your reflections are thoughtful and deeply compassionate. The pressures of performative recovery and aestheticized eating are so real, and the impact extends to both the viewers and the creators in ways that can be deeply harmful. Your point about intention is key—when sharing shifts from genuine connection to external validation or financial gain, it can distort what should be a deeply personal, nourishing act. It really is heartbreaking all around. Thank you for adding such a nuanced perspective to the conversation. I appreciate you very much!♥️
I couldn’t love this more. As someone who shares about my experience with Crohn’s disease and talks about food and creates recipes, I’ve become more and more mindful of this. I recently wrote an outline on why I won’t ever be sharing a What I eat in a day video. No matter how much I talk about there being no magic potion or one size fits all way of eating that fixes everything, people still ask me for what I eat in a day. Not only would this not be helpful for them, but it would be detrimental to me. I would hate to think of myself modifying my eating or any other behavior around my health because people are watching.
I don't follow anyone else's WIEIAD videos, but I love the ones from Heal With Kailin (she actually just posted one called "*How* I eat in a day" She's all about recovered eating and I really like her videos probably because they come in the context of a lot of other anti-diet content. She makes a point of not showing portion sizes, just lots of good ideas and lots of snacks, what to do when she's not particularly inspired, Trader Joe's hauls, etc. They really inspire me to be kinder, gentler and more nourishing to myself. But I can imagine if I was doing a lot of scrolling of other people's content out of insecurity, that would be problematic. Like so many other things, I guess it comes down to checking my intention behind why I watch the videos.
Your food content on Instagram has always felt so supportive for me! It honestly gave me so much permission to eat things I had previously restricted. And of course if it doesn't feel this way to other folks, I will totally understand if you want to stop posting it, but just wanted to share my experience. 💙
That means a lot, Jamie! Thank you so much for letting me know. It definitely feels authentic and a different approach than "this is everything I eat in a day to XYZ...". But it's an important conversation to have and check in with folks!
Can I just say that I love the food content you share? Mostly because you share pure JOY, like I can just feel how much you love your yoghurt bowls (which I've shamelessly copied!) and the other food options are usually very simple and full of enjoyment - please keep them coming.
In contrast, the typical WIEIAD vids just leave me feeling guilty and mostly they feel very showy - I don't feel like I gain anything from watching them!
Haha thank you, Julia! It really is JOY. Grateful for you, and thank you so much for taking the time to share this. I'm so glad you're here! I'll think of you this morning as I eat my yogurt bowl ☺️
As always your thoughts are eloquent, nuanced and deliver much needed interpretation of behaviours without judgement or ridicule.
All I can to your already detailed thoughts is that I also wonder on the impact of those creating the videos. Certainly within the *recovery* (I use that term sparingly as I believe the community has become its own disordered strand that allows eating disorders a platform hidden under the guise of getting well) community there’s been a noticeable uptick in the number of folk sharing wiead posts that range from; disingenuous - plating up meals does not equal consuming them therefore staying very unwell, reassurance seeking - ‘here’s what I eat I’ll rely on comments to assure me the portion is too small’,
triggering - faking not just the intention to consume but literally taking fake bites, click baiting - monetising their disorder in order to benefit from being unwell as justification to not recover,
ignorance of privilege - spending vast amounts of money on foods and claiming you have to go all in to recover which if they did so can everyone,
seeking perfection - will only consume items once they are photo worthy, isolating - not eating for personal or community togetherness but purely to create content.
And it’s not just in the recovery sector either, family accounts where parents create an aesthetic of idyllic mealtimes - how do the children, partners feel knowing the camera has to eat before they can, or being filmed constantly when gathering for a meal can offer space to talk as a family that’s now lost? Add in the abhorrent abuse that comes in comments when folk in certain size bodies are criticised for all their choices whereas others are celebrated when in socially acceptable bodies.
Are they trapped in cycles of creating content that is driving them away from who they are, are they so desperate to feel connected to something that they make eating a career, how do they cope when they can’t film everything, or are social manners being lost to the need to be relevant that leads to phones being the prized guest at mealtimes?
I just think it’s sad all around, the impact on those watching who feel inferior or triggered but equally those capitalising and damaging their own sense of self.
Eating should not be taboo, people can share ideas, recipes, latest moments of joy, but it’s the intention behind the share and once there is money to be earned and popularity to be gained the intent moves from honest pleasure to pressurised deception all too readily.
(Apologies for my lengthy ramble).
Eloise, thank you so much for this! No apology needed—your reflections are thoughtful and deeply compassionate. The pressures of performative recovery and aestheticized eating are so real, and the impact extends to both the viewers and the creators in ways that can be deeply harmful. Your point about intention is key—when sharing shifts from genuine connection to external validation or financial gain, it can distort what should be a deeply personal, nourishing act. It really is heartbreaking all around. Thank you for adding such a nuanced perspective to the conversation. I appreciate you very much!♥️
I couldn’t love this more. As someone who shares about my experience with Crohn’s disease and talks about food and creates recipes, I’ve become more and more mindful of this. I recently wrote an outline on why I won’t ever be sharing a What I eat in a day video. No matter how much I talk about there being no magic potion or one size fits all way of eating that fixes everything, people still ask me for what I eat in a day. Not only would this not be helpful for them, but it would be detrimental to me. I would hate to think of myself modifying my eating or any other behavior around my health because people are watching.
That is such a powerful way of looking at it, Sherry! I'm so grateful that you shared this. Thank you for being you 🙏
I don't follow anyone else's WIEIAD videos, but I love the ones from Heal With Kailin (she actually just posted one called "*How* I eat in a day" She's all about recovered eating and I really like her videos probably because they come in the context of a lot of other anti-diet content. She makes a point of not showing portion sizes, just lots of good ideas and lots of snacks, what to do when she's not particularly inspired, Trader Joe's hauls, etc. They really inspire me to be kinder, gentler and more nourishing to myself. But I can imagine if I was doing a lot of scrolling of other people's content out of insecurity, that would be problematic. Like so many other things, I guess it comes down to checking my intention behind why I watch the videos.
Such great insight, Tracy! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. If something feels kind, gentle, and nourishing...that's a good sign.