Food shaming and food bullying.
Yes, it is a thing.
And it is largely a problem of an affluent society in which food choices are abundant.
Consider this: You go to a grocery store, and a woman carrying a basket of organic veggies and almond milk looks disapprovingly at your shopping cart that has frozen veggies, cereal and milk. The women says to you, "I can't believe you feed that to your children."
Boom, you've just been food shamed. Never mind that your frozen veggies have just as many nutrients as her fresh produce and is just as safe, and your cow's milk is just as nutritious and sustainable as almond milk.
Michele Payn, a speaker and author, is unveiling a new book in November called "Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying B.S." because she doesn't think it's okay to shame, judge or taunt others about their farming or eating choices.
"Many people have never heard of food bullying, so I wanted to help frame this issue, as it’s an alarming trend in the $5.75 trillion business of food," Payn says in her blog. "Bull Speak (B.S.) refers to the bad behaviors, deceptive label claims, marketing half-truths, and other unnecessary drama surrounding our food plates today."
"An $8 gallon of milk from a specialty store is not superior to a $2.99 gallon of milk from a convenience store," she says. "Both the perceived better label and resulting sense of superiority are often B.S. Assuming you are a better person because you bought the 'right label' of food is no different than schoolyard bullying over the 'right brand' of clothing."
Read more on Michele's blog, at Causematters.com