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The Intersectionality of Control
Just as the diet industry perpetuates unrealistic ideals, alcohol companies target women and girls with calculated precision, contributing to a pervasive cycle of control and manipulation, but the impact goes far beyond gender.
The intersection of dieting pressures and alcohol marketing creates a web of control that ensnares women from multiple angles. Society’s obsession with appearance drives women to diet, while the diet industry profits from their insecurities. Simultaneously, the alcohol industry exploits these same insecurities by promising an escape from societal pressures through alcohol consumption.
Author’s Note
This article delves into the multifaceted nature of Body Mass Index (BMI), dieting, and alcohol consumption, examining them through an intersectional lens that considers race, ethnicity, age, ability, and other identity factors. These intersections shed light on the ways in which people experience and resist the control that BMI standards, dieting pressures, and targeted alcohol marketing exert, and how they mirror each other in who they target and how they market. However, this is not a complete story. There are whole books written about these topics and…
