Queer Theory, Weight Loss and Marketing

Using insights from political, feminist and queer theorists, Dr. Linea Cutter will present a critique of diet culture in the United States. She will contextualize the popularity of diabetes and weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy as part of a longer gendered history of appetite suppressant use and marketing, drawing on the work of queer theorist Paul Preciado to show how diet pills, medications and food additives can be conceptualized as forms of power that shape the way that individuals manage their bodies and everyday behaviors like eating. Dr. Cutter will demonstrate that diet and weight loss medications are often marketed as tools to help individuals discipline their unhealthy cravings, achieve gendered and racialized bodyweight ideals, and make responsible choices in a food system saturated with hyperpalatable, ultra-processed foodstuffs.