Health At Every Size is Not Anti-Weight Loss or Anti-Weight Loss Desires

Back in February, Heather Caplan emailed me asking if I wanted to be a co-host on her podcast. I love being invited onto podcasts and while I would love to have my own podcast, the reality is, I have zero interest in learning the back end of podcasting. Heather on the other hand, has mastered the back end in addition to being a dynamic, humble, entertaining and knowledgeable host. And the podcast title, RD Real Talk, I naturally jive with 🙂 All that to say, it was an honor to be invited to co-host with her and it’s probably my favorite thing I’m a part of right now – talking and recording with her 2x a month as both a friend and colleague. We give life updates, answer listener questions and talk about topics we hope are interesting, all while keeping it real of course. We are human too.

I get a lot of emails and messages with questions about Health At Every Size. And I’m so glad! Because continually asking questions is the best way to learn – to always be curious. In our most recent episode, we answered a listener question about what HAES really means. Yesterday, I read over Heather’s intro post to this episode and its was so, so good I had to share snippets here.

I’ll start this post with a confession of my own: I didn’t understand the social justice roots of Health At Every Size® (HAES®) until about a year ago. I can’t pinpoint a moment, or anything in particular that made me realize how much I didn’t know. I just knew I was missing something, and as always, there was more work to do. On an almost daily basis, I remind myself I’m still learning—I’m not The Expert in, really, anything other than my own mind and body. (And even then sometimes I’m like OK, haven’t figured that out yet!) –> I had a very similar experience to Heather with the social justice roots of HAES. And two hands raised over here for always being a learner and not knowing everything or being an expert in anything. I resonate more with specializing in ____ versus being an expert in _____. I like to think I concentrate and engage in particular areas vs being an expert.

First, let’s clarify Health at Every Size (HAES®). There are a lot of misconceptions, misrepresentations, and misunderstandings of this movement, and few people who are new this paradigm really know where to go for quality, well-researched, and credible information about HAES®.  (Which is true of most things, yes?) So, first, take a moment and browse the ASDAH website, especially before reading opinion pieces or misinformed rants. On ASDAH’s site you’ll find everything from the facts to the diverse Advisory Board to HAES®-practicing healthcare providers.

HAES® reminds us that health is multifaceted, and not just metabolic. Also, that health is not something anyone owes to us, or has to pursue. It’s your prerogative.

We remove weight from the equation, and look more at symptoms we may be able to improve, and what kind of behaviors might help improve those symptoms. The flip side of that, in a weight-normative fat-phobic world, is saying “You have these symptoms BECAUSE of the weight.”

HAES® asks us to stop making assumptions about people based on their weight. HAES asks us to be neutral about weight. If behavior change leads to improved health for someone, or helps them better manage chronic diseases, or helps them improve their mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and in some cases these behavior changes also happen to result in a change in weight? Cool. No big deal (about the weight—but really great news about all the other stuff!).

On that note, as Robyn points out, “We don’t even know how to help people lose weight and keep it off. Recommending {weight loss} to someone is like recommending a medication that we know only works 5 percent of the time, and under extreme circumstances.” HAES® asks us to not prescribe intentional weight loss.

Make sure you click over and read the whole post where we answer this listener question. And if you want to learn more, listen to the full episode here!

Q: How do you address clients who want to lose weight because the extra weight truly IS causing issues (e.g., osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, painful periods, difficulty moving around, or not wanting to pay tons of money for an additional seat on an airplane, just to name a few)? I understand the concept of health at every weight, but it’s hard to deny that a significant amount of extra weight interferes with living an enjoyable life.

Lastly, I’ve included some blog post links below and a link to my online course where you can earn 2 CEUs if you’re interested in furthering your learning in this area. I’m always learning and I certainly don’t know everything. And that’s okay! If you’re new to this conversation, you’re in good company. We are all learning. Whether you’re familiar with HAES or not, whether you disagree or are questioning or are fully on board. Or maybe you’re someplace else entirely – thanks for reading and like Heather says, staying curious. We all benefit when we open ourselves up to listening and trying to understand the other side – no matter what side of the fence you’re on.

Health at Every Size is Not Anti-Health

Intuitive Eating and HAES Learning Resources 

Should I Lose Weight? And Can I Lose Weight Without Dieting?

Online Course –> Bridging the Gap Between Clinical Nutrition and Intuitive Eating