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Episode 30. This week I am going to share some of my reflections on the Health at Every Size® movement and how we will discuss this important topic on this podcast and in this blog. I cover why it isn’t more widely accepted in medical settings and otherwise. And what we can do about it.
What to Expect in this Blog Post and Podcast Episode:
- I will share some thought based on many conversations with my colleagues (Health at Every Size® -aligned and otherwise) as well as my clients.
- I will also share how I think about the Health at Every Size® movement, how it has shaped the language I use, and the approach I take.
- This conversation is great for healthcare professionals or people trying to navigate the healthcare system. I will also talk about other conversations we have had on the podcast about these crucial topics.
- I’ll talk about why one of my major goals on this podcast is to have productive and respectful conversations about the Health at Every Size® movement and how weight inclusive approaches can be successfully incorporated into medicine
- Where the movement misses the mark and may have blind spots, and what we can do about it.
So make yourself comfortable and let’s dive in!
Are You New Here?
Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.
We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.
Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Podcast here!
- Introduction: What is this podcast all about?
- Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and Health
- Episode 2: How Dieting Steals Our Motivation
- Episode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)
- Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress
“I’m terrified I’m wasting my life.”
I wrote this in a journal in the middle of the diet-binge cycle. And frankly, I kind of was.
I’m here to tell you it’s never too late to gain control of your eating, respect your body, and live a life that’s TRULY consistent with your values. But you need to take the first step.
One of the very first steps in developing truly autonomous and body respecting motivation is to clarify what actually matters to you. Not your mom, not your sister, not your best friend, YOU.
The more you reflect on this, the more you can connect your values to your behaviors in a sustainable and empowering way.
Grab your free guide today at DrHondorp.com/goals. It’s never too late to stop dieting and start truly living.
The Health at Every Size® Framework
Just like Intuitive Eating, I think of Health at Every Size® as a framework. A way of viewing or orienting towards our health, weight, eating, etc. Dr. Lindo Bacon wrote the book Health at Every Size in 2010. I found the book and read it soon after I read Intuitive Eating in maybe 2014 or 2015. Then I remained working in the healthcare system, in a Preventive Cardiology clinic and a Bariatric Surgery clinic for several years.
Health at Every Size® – Some Data
In this book, Dr. Bacon makes several science-backed arguments that greatly question our current approach to weight loss. As we talk about in this podcast, the statistics are true that behavioral weight loss (e.g., diet and exercise) is really ineffective long-term.
There is a lot of data in this book, but in short, we cover the fact that although people with higher body weight are often associated with higher health risk, this does not imply causation.
Within this relationship (higher health risks occur more in larger bodies), we aren’t taking into account things like stress, internalized weight stigma, and many other factors that greatly impact our health beyond just the number on the scale.
For a more detailed post on the science and data behind the Health at Every Size movement, please see this blog post and listen to my conversation with Dr. Jillian Murphy.
Health Habits Data
In the very first episode of this podcast, we review the data regarding health habits, and how if you are engaging in regular exercise, balanced eating, not drinking to excess and not smoking, your risk of death is the same regardless of your body mass index. See that episode post for a visual of this graph.
The Social Justice Component
But it’s more than that. Because even that can be stigmatizing. Like, well if you are exercising all the time, eating perfectly and in a larger body, well okay, then I guess you’re fine.
For a deeper understanding of the social component of the movement, please see the website for the Association for Size Diversity and Health.
But essentially, fatphobia, weight bias and/or weight discrimination (essentially terms for similar things) are crucial to consider if we actually want to move towards being healthier human beings.
Questioning our Paradigm
As I learned about Health at Every Size® I thought, “yeah, this makes sense.”
And yet, very few people in healthcare have heard about Health at Every Size®. And it’s still very misunderstood among those who do.
We talked about this on my previous episode with Annyck Besso, MS, RD, but I notice that many of the myths and misconceptions I have had are still very present, even among people who think they know what Health At Every Size® is about.
Health at Every Size® Myths
Some of the main myths I see, and I used to hold, include:
- Health at Every Size® is against weight loss, and trying to normalize really unhealthy habits (e.g., eating a lot of processed foods)
- Health at Every Size® is promoting weight gain by normalizing unhealthy bodies
- It is against people making lifestyle changes to improve their health
- It is saying that everyone is and can be healthy at any size
Groups that Feel Unseen by Health at Every Size®
At times, I see people that I work with assume that HAES® supporters are just thin white women promoting this movement, without a full understanding of what it’s like to be in a larger body. Which very well may be the case at times.
Additionally, people in larger bodies who learn about HAES® and still desire and pursue weight loss often can be made to feel feel that they are doing something wrong by doing so (they are not – the whole point of Health at Every Size is to reduce weight stigma and put people in all body sizes back in the driver’s seat to make empowered choices for what is right for them and their body).
Health at Every Size® as a Framework for Acceptance and Honest Conversations
The way I see the HAES® movement, at least when we remove the extreme shaming among those who yell at people for using terms like food addiction (this is a whole other conversation entirely that I will semi-reluctantly delve into in the future), is that it provides a framework to challenge existing ideas and beliefs about bodies and health.
It helps us challenge the framework of “just lose weight” and challenge our assumptions about what that means.
It also is a social justice movement fighting for more equity and inclusion of diverse bodies, which therein improves our health and well-being.
Can you support the HAES® Movement and Still Choose Bariatric Surgery?
I think the answer is yes.
Autonomy means full choice without excessive pressure. So within any framework, Intuitive Eating or Health at Every Size®, we can choose what feels right for us.
Do we need to rethink our obsession with weight loss as the end-all-be-all and pressure towards surgery? Yes, we really do.
We have to ask ourselves: Are we really supporting autonomy if we say things like “weight loss surgery is never a good idea.”
I don’t think we are.
Can you support the HAES® Movement and Still Choose to Focus on Health-Promoting Fields like Plant-Based Education, Lifestyle Medicine, Etc?
I absolutely think so. In fact, I think it’s crucial that we do so.
Can you support Health at Every Size®, and still choose to research concepts like food addiction, and look at ways to call out the food industry for the things that they have done to our health?
Again, yes. I very much think that you can.
What about supporting HAES® and plant-based nutrition as a solution to some of the health related and economic and environmental challenges we are having? Check out what Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster is up to on the Veggie Doctor Radio for some excellent content on these topics.
At Times, You May Not Feel Like You Fully Belong Anywhere, But What if You Belonged to Yourself?
Brene Brown talks about the basic human need to feel that we belong. And of course, Self-Determination Theory says the exact same thing.
It’s tempting to try to jump into a camp and believe everything they believe. But that isn’t always the right thing to do. That isn’t always what is best. In fact, it almost never is. Because it doesn’t make sense that even one person would have the 100% exact aligned experiences and beliefs that we do.
So why do we think we have to 100% agree with everyone in the same social movement as us?
Finding True Belonging Within Ourselves
I believe in the Health at Every Size® movement deeply. But I absolutely don’t agree with all of the things people inside that movement do and say. I imagine that I and other Health at Every Size® movement aligned persons agree on a whole bunch of topics, maybe even 97% of them, but all?? That’s ludicrous.
We need to be having conversations with those we disagree with, respectfully, to brainstorm true health solutions and to challenge old, unhelpful assumptions.
It’s uncomfortable, but oh so worth it.
For a wonderful guide in how we can respectefully disagree (something I think we ALL need to work on these days), I highly recommend the book Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown.
Not to be dramatic, but beyond health related topics, I think learning and applying the skills she notes in that book are crucial for our survival as a species.
Main Takeaways
- The Health at Every Size® movement is misunderstood. I think there are many reasons for this, but one is that even among a wonderful movement that I fully believe in, we have become too polarized, dogmatic and rigid. Health at Every Size® and Intuitive Eating frameworks can grant autonomy and freedom, under which individuals can make a variety of lifestyle and treatment choices that are best for their health. And only they can really know what’s best for them.
- Health at Every Size® is gaining traction. And after reflection of everything I’ve been seeing online, I still fully believe all of the underlying premises of it. I think it opens up much more equitable and just conversations, if we let it.
- You are the boss of you. You that you are the boss of you, and you know your body best. Even when it feels impossible, self-trust can be learned with time and practice. It will likely feel scary, but that probably just means you are doing it right.
- Within any movement (Health at Every Size® or otherwise), make sure you are respectful, and make sure you belong to yourself.
Support Independent Bookstores Near You!
Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?
Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!
As mentioned above, I highly recommend Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown as a guide to remaining true to yourself and to having respectful and productive conversations with people who you do no agree.
So if you believe in support local business, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!
The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.
Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.
Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).