[Last modified: October, 6 2024 05:24 PM]
Topic: Coeliac Disease
I am interested in exploring coeliac disease. Namely, I am interested in the idea that for individuals with this autoimmune disease, food is both a source of illness (in the form of gluten) and a medicine (the gluten free diet). I am curious how people with this disease negotiate their relationship to food, to a body ‘fighting against’ them, and to others around them as food is a profoundly social experience.
Question(s):
- How do people with coeliac disease relate to food?
- What is the experience of eating like with a coeliac diagnosis?
Methods:
Through semi-structured interviews, I would interview various people about their experience with pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, and the gluten free diet they are prescribed. I am curious about speaking to family members who may or may not have coeliac themselves about their experiences as well as medical professionals, especially gastroenterologists and dietitians. Finally, I would want to hear perspectives from those diagnosed at or soon after birth who have likely never eaten significant amounts of gluten to see how their experience and relationship to food differs.
Additionally, I would be interested in using photography and video as methods through which to observe and analyze eating. I am interested in the emotions, spoken or otherwise expressed, and the body language associated with eating in restaurants with others. It would also be interesting to use these methods to observe how those around the individual with dietary restrictions react and interact with coeliac disease, the gluten free diet, and discourses around gluten.
Potential findings:
I wonder if, as food becomes a source of danger and anxiety post-diagnosis, if restricted eating patterns ensue. Conversely, I am curious about the biological development of coeliac disease after experiencing disordered eating and the resulting stress that this puts on the digestive system. I think it is likely that patterns of disordered eating might be something I observe or hear about in my research about experiences of coeliac disease. Yet, I expect that I also might find that some individuals form a closer relationship with their body and food after diagnosis. This may emerge in the form of wanting to understand more about their nutrition needs, how they can support healing holistically, or through an increased interest in cooking and baking. More generally, I expect that people with coeliac disease will have a complex relationship with food, eating and social life post diagnosis.