Paulette Goddard Professor Marion Nestle Discusses "Let's Ask Marion"

In honor of the release of her newest book, Let’s Ask Marion: What You Need to Know about the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health, food studies pioneer and Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita Marion Nestle participated in a Q&A discussion exploring the social, political, and economic issues impacting our nation’s food systems and culture.

Hosted by NYU Special Collections, the NYU Steinhardt Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, and food and restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, the Q&A session mirrored the key themes laid out in Dr. Nestle’s new book: the politics of personal diets and health, the community politics of food choice, and the global politics of diets, health, and the environment. In Let’s Ask Marion, Dr. Nestle addresses each of these three topic areas with a series of short essays in response to questions posed by Kerry Trueman, an environmental advocate, writer, and consultant.

Incorporating questions from both the book and audience participants, Clark Wolf engaged Dr. Nestle in a conversation that ranged from a discussion of “What is a healthy diet?” to a comparison of food safety in the United States and Europe. Dr. Nestle also commented on the impacts of COVID-19 on global food systems and the importance of voting.

Please don’t just vote with your fork – vote with your vote.

Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita Marion Nestle

The book talk was also a part of NYU’s Womxn 100 initiative, a year-long series of programming commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, though not all womxn gained access to their vote at that time.

“Please don’t just vote with your fork – vote with your vote," Dr. Nestle said. "If you do anything to advocate this year, vote. These are exactly the themes in my latest book.”