Our Fall 2024 publication explores topics surrounding food and nutrition. As we reflect on this topic, it is impossible to ignore the deeper, more intricate layers of food and nutrition that go beyond the basic notion of sustenance. From diet culture, to food inequities, to a more scientific understanding of the brain-gut axis, our issue explores the different aspects of food and nutrition and the ways they impact individuals and social structures as a whole. In our own Durham community, we recognize the impact of food insecurity on families, and even on campus, we observe how students’ relationships with food evolve and become more complex.

It is no longer enough to say “You Are What You Eat” without understanding the context of how and why we eat, and who gets to eat what. By critically examining the forces that shape our choices - whether they are internal, such as allergies, or external, such as food deserts and economic inequality - we can better understand the barriers that prevent equitable access to nutrition. At the same time, we seek to shed light on emerging scientific research into the microbiome, which underscores the profound connection between what we eat and how we think, feel, and act. In unpacking these complex topics, we have the opportunity to dismantle harmful narratives around food and health, while fostering a more inclusive and informed approach to nutrition and well-being.

The Duke Medical Ethics Journal team appreciates you for taking the time to join us in celebrating our tenth issue and the pieces that we have prepared for you. Our writers, bloggers, review editors, and graphic designers have worked endlessly to bring relevant topics to light and to raise questions that help us reflect on our relationship to food and nutrition. We hope to be able to encourage a community-wide appreciation for a more inclusive and informed approach to nutrition and well-being. 

Thank you for joining us in experiencing our team’s tenth publication. 

Sincerely, 

Co-Presidents 

Makayla Gorski & Eugene Cho

DMEJ Staff  Fall 2024