Allergic Intimacies: Food, Disability, Desire, and Risk

The book "Allergic Intimacies" explores food allergies in the US from the perspective of disability and race, highlighting the lack of access to testing and treatments for many people of color. It argues that racism and ableism create unique precarity for disabled people of color and that food allergic communities need to move beyond individualized approaches to more robust coalitional efforts grounded in disability and racial justice.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 17 January 2023
Publisher: Fordham University Press

Are food allergies disabilities? What structures and systems ensure the survival of some with food allergies and not others?

Allergic Intimacies is a groundbreaking critical engagement with food allergies in their cultural representations, advocacy, law, and stories about personal experiences from a disability studies perspective. Author Michael Gill questions the predominantly individualized medical approaches to food allergies, pointing out that these approaches are particularly problematic where allergy testing and treatments are expensive, inconsistent, and inaccessible for many people of color. This thought-provoking book explores the multiple meanings of food allergies and eating in the United States, demonstrating how much more is at stake than we realize, at a critical time when food allergies are on the rise: An estimated 32 million Americans, including one in thirteen children, have food allergies. Diagnoses of food allergies in children have increased by 50 percent since 1997. Yet, as the author makes clear, the whiteness of the food allergy community and single-identity disability theory are inherently limiting and insufficient to address the complex choices that those with food allergies make. Gill argues that racism and ableism create unique precarity for disabled people of color that food allergic communities are only beginning to address. There is a huge disparity in access to testing and treatment, with African American and Latinx children having higher risk of adverse outcomes than white children, including more rates of anaphylaxis. Food allergy professionals have a responsibility to move beyond individualized approaches to more robust coalitions.

The book also highlights the ways in which food allergies are intertwined with broader social and political issues, such as food justice, environmental sustainability, and the politics of health. Gill argues that food allergies are not just a medical problem but also a cultural and social one, and that addressing them requires a holistic approach that takes into account the multiple intersecting factors that contribute to their prevalence.

Overall, Allergic Intimacies is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding food allergies from a disability studies perspective. It offers a nuanced and comprehensive analysis of the cultural, social, and political factors that shape food allergies and provides valuable insights into the experiences of those with food allergies. By challenging the dominant narratives about food allergies and advocating for a more inclusive and equitable approach to addressing them, Gill contributes to a more just and inclusive society for all.

Weight: 238g
Dimension: 152 x 230 x 120 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781531501167