After Hillary Clinton's win in the New York primaries on Tuesday, she is one step closer to becoming the Democratic party’s nominee -- and to becoming the first female president of the United States. But lest you forget that she is still a woman, we present to you exhibit number 4,356,875 that Clinton is policed because of her gender: While campaigning in New York, Clinton got heckled for daring to eat in public.
The candidate was at Mikey Likes It Ice Cream in the East Village the day before she won, drumming up support by partaking in various local foods as one does while running for President (she also had boba tea, red velvet cake and cheesecake while campaigning in New York in the days prior).
When presented with a dish of amazing-looking ice cream, Clinton did what most of us would do: She started digging in. No sooner had she taken a spoonful when she was interrupted by a male reporter's question: “Do you know the calorie count? What’s the calorie count?"
Thankfully, the other reporters on hand, as well as Mikey himself, had Clinton’s back. They met the question with a chorus of boos, and Clinton herself responded, “Oh, come on!"
Come on, indeed. Clinton is certainly not the first woman to be policed for eating in public -- and this isn't even the first time she, herself, has faced this kind of shaming.
Not only is it sexist, it's actually counterproductive: Research shows that shaming people about their food choices, as well as their body type or weight, can actually backfire. Girls who are told they’re “too fat” by the time they’re 10 are more likely to be obese adults, and people who associate negative feelings like guilt to things like chocolate cake are also more likely to have unhealthier eating habits and lower levels of perceived ability to eat healthily when under stress.
For the record, there are about 285 calories in one cup of chocolate ice cream, which would take about 75 minutes of walking to burn off. It’s safe to say that the amount of running around Clinton did in New York has her more than covered when it comes to indulging in a sweet treat. But that’s nobody’s concern except for Clinton’s, which is probably why the crowd of people at Mikey Likes It Ice Cream shouted down the calorie police that day.
And by the way, Bustle points out that none of the male candidates eating their way through New York were confronted with similar questions. We wonder why.