Symbolic food resistance and aging: food, identity, and inequality in vulnerable older populations

Abstract Background Population aging is reshaping health and social care systems worldwide. While later-life nutrition is commonly framed through biomedical and prescriptive lenses, the affective, cultural, and symbolic dimensions of food remain underexplored, especially among older adults in socioeconomically marginalized communities of the Global South. This study introduces the concept of Symbolic Food Resistance to analyze how older adults sustain traditional food practices as expressions of care, identity, and resistance to medicalization and weakening of cultural transmission. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in an urban community in Northeastern Brazil characterized by structural inequalities, economic precarity, and limited access to essential services. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with twenty older adults, complemented by contextual field observations recorded during home visits. The interview material was analyzed through an integrated approach combining thematic analysis, discourse analysis, and grounded theory principles, while field observations supported the contextual interpretation of participants’ narratives. Results Three dimensions of Symbolic Food Resistance were identified: (1) Food, memory, and affective identity; (2) Navigating medicalization and food norms; and (3) Precarity, loss, and cultural transmission. The findings suggest that food practices may function as forms of cultural continuity, autonomy, and resilience. Conclusions This study highlights the limitations of exclusively biomedical approaches to aging by foregrounding the symbolic, affective, and cultural meanings of food. It offers critical insights for developing culturally grounded health services, community-based care, and inclusive food and aging policies in vulnerable contexts.