Abstract

To kick off our special coverage of food and drink in labour, Paul Lewis points an accusing finger at the medical model. At times of celebration, food is usually central to the occasion. In periods of adversity, people literally cry out for food. Feeding sustains not only our bodies, but our souls; the denial of food, for whatever reason, requires careful consideration. Any such denial raises fundamental questions about our society, the political systems by which we are governed, the power and influence of elite groups and our rights as individuals to make choices which define our individual humanity. [Extract from the article's introduction].