Visual rhetoric in electronic food journaling communications

This presentation analyzes the rhetorical features of the electronic food journal as it quantifies the biological process of eating and represents food data on-screen. I will analyze the interfaces (data entry screens, networked databases of foods) and outputs (charts, graphs, and records) in terms of visual rhetoric related to embodiment literature and public health discourse. I will outline how current journaling formats account for a disruption in mind-body-technology feedback loops and provide suggestions for reimagining the visual rhetoric of the electronic journals to better-account for embodied experiences of health and wellness. The information shared within this paper will help listeners to think through issues of posthumanism, digital subjectivity, and how to best convey health data in visual design.