Imma Eat That Takes the Cake
Imma Eat That is a blogger named Kylie who writes about maintaining a healthy relationship with eating and movement in the face of the increasingly pervasive diet culture in society. She is a registered dietitian specializing in eating disorders in Houston, Texas. She not only discuses her journey to recovery from an eating disorder, but also provides helpful tips for staying strong in recovery. Her voice is conversational as she relates to the struggles that accompany an eating disorder and the fight for self-confidence. Her first post is titled “Good for Them, Not for You.” The subject addresses how to respond to people who openly discuss their diets and food restrictions. She often uses sarcasm to highlight ridiculous food beliefs heard in a culture that is obsessed with food and appearance. For example, Kylie states “a family of proteins found in grains (aka gluten),” in reference to a food group that people often restrict. Her sarcastic tone of voice is often supported with scientific wording to reiterate that common food beliefs are uneducated. Her conversational tone of voice is emphasized when she says “Okay, maybe you won’t say all that out loud…but you could.” She is identifying that standing up for one’s personal recovery and their belief that food restriction makes them feel worse is difficult to convey out loud. Her sassy tone of voice is seen in her use of italics when expressing her distaste with a particular aspect of diet culture. The statement “people like to spew their latest food eliminations,” demonstrates her irritation when people express their opinions on food. Perhaps the greatest part of Kylie’s writing is her comforting tone of voice that reassures her readers. “I’m here to say that not eliminating a food can be the most healthy and life-giving option for you.” She is great at validating the triggers of dieting and disordered eating, while recognizing that recovery is the healthiest way to live life. She is credible because of her past struggles and fight to live a happy and healthy life free from her eating disorder.
Another post is titled “On Overeating.” This writing is about Kylie’s experience dining with her husband and his parents at one of her favorite restaurants. The tone is very informal as she tells the story with multiple pictures from the meal. Her casual tone of voice is set early in the post when she finishes the first paragraph with “Woohoo!!!!! Lol,” in response to her first evening out since giving birth. In the middle of describing her main course, Kylie adds “Have you ever had it?” further enhancing the conversational tone of the writing. Kylie is very proud of her relationship with readers, which is demonstrated in the way she engages them often. This blog also utilizes italics to emphasize particular words. “But we didn’t sit around and talk about it…we were there to enjoy,” refers to feeling overly full after a good meal. Kylie is trying to support that occasionally overeating is a normal part of living.
Sometimes indulging contributes to an overall experience and that is ok. Kylie addresses serious topics in her blog, but keeps the tone light by incorporating funny happenings in her personal life. At the end of this story she posts a picture of her in the outfit she wore to the dinner. She followed the photo with “I was super in love with my palm leaf pants, but Maggie ripped a hole in them when I got home…so they probably won’t be worn out of the house again. Lame.” This statement offers a comic relief and incorporates humor into her writing. Kylie acknowledges the seriousness of eating disorders, but believes they must be handled with compassion and through connection.
