[Last modified: November, 1 2024 10:50 AM]
In terms of the political dimensions of my research, I am thinking mainly about policy. I grew up in the US where the food labeling policy is very poor in terms of gluten disclosure. However, in the UK where I will likely conduct my research, the food labeling laws are much better. These laws stipulate that any amount of gluten in food over 20ppm must be disclosed in bold on an ingredients label and that in order for foods to omit gluten from their labels, they must have undergone prior testing and meet these criteria. Perhaps a comparison could be interesting between peoples experiences in the US and the UK as the different policies might lead to different anxiety levels, likelihood of eating out, and even experiences of symptoms. It’s interesting to think about the power that each government has, through their policies, to either make citizens with coeliac disease feel safe, included, and cared for or indeed excluded and nervous when it comes to eating.
I am also thinking about how doctors are educated, or not educated, about coeliac disease. I know from experience that in the US, medical doctors often only learn about coeliac disease for 15 minutes while in their nutrition rotation. This has biopolitical implications in terms of how seriously coeliac disease is taken by MDs as well as the patients who they diagnose and explain the condition to. Thus, someone is more or less likely to adhere to their gluten free diet depending on the education their doctor received. Therefore, through disciplinary power, doctors in both countries can produce and reproduce narratives of coeliac disease being not a big deal and the lifelong gluten free diet being a ‘simple’ solution.
Finally, I think about the economic dimensions to coeliac disease and how the UK offers food on prescription to those with coeliac disease, thus attempting to lower the financial burden, while the US does not try to subsidize gluten free food despite it being a necessity for those with celiac disease. Additionally, there is no money for the medical system or pharmaceutical companies to make after a coeliac diagnosis because it typically only requires a lifelong gluten free diet and vitamin and nutrient supplementation. Thus, I wonder about the politico-economic elements of coeliac disease and how these contribute to the disease being taken seriously by physicians, patients, and the general public.