Health at Every Size
Health at Every Size (HAES) is a belief system that focuses on intuitive eating and pleasurable physical activity rather than dieting and weight loss. It was conceived by Linda Bacon in 2005.[1]
Overview
The major components of HAES are:
- Self-Acceptance: Affirmation and reinforcement of human beauty and worth irrespective of differences in weight, physical size and shape.
- Physical Activity: Support for increasing social, pleasure-based movement for enjoyment and enhanced quality of life.
- Normalized Eating: Support for discarding externally-imposed rules and regimens for eating and attaining a more peaceful relationship with food by relearning to eat in response to physiological hunger and fullness cues.[2]
Health at Every Size also acknowledges the social, emotional, spiritual, and physical factors that affect health and happiness.[3]
HAES and the fat acceptance movement
HAES is promoted within the fat acceptance movement as an alternative to weight-loss dieting.[4][5]
Scientific evidence
Recent evidence from scientific studies have provided rationales for a shift in focus in health management from a weight loss to a weight-neutral outcome.[6] In 2005, a study of around 3000 Finns over an 18-year period showed that weight loss from dieting can result in increased mortality, while those who maintained their weight fared the best.[7][8] Similar conclusion is drawn by other studies where intentional weight loss is found to be associated with slightly increased mortality for healthy individuals and the slightly overweight but not obese.[9][6][10] This may reflect the loss of subcutaneous fat and beneficial mass from organs and muscle in addition to visceral fat when there is a sudden and dramatic weight loss.[8] Intentional weight loss appears to be of benefit only to those classified as unhealthy; for those who are obese but otherwise healthy the effect of weight loss is neutral.[9] Good nutrition, social support, access to medical care, and exercise lower health risks, regardless of whether weight loss occurs.[11]
References
- ^ Reel, Justine. Eating Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Treatment, and Prevention. p. 231.
- ^ Robison, Jon (2005). "Health at Every Size: Toward a New Paradigm of Weight and Health". Medscape General Medicine 7 (3): 13. PMC 1681635. PMID 16369239.
- ^ Robison, Jon; Kelly Putnam, Laura McKibbin (2007). "Health At Every Size: a compassionate, effective approach for helping individuals with weight-related concerns--Part II". American Association of Occupational Health Nurses 55 (5): 185–192.
- ^ "NAAFA Policy Recommendations". National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.
- ^ "Activists See Diet Industry as Drain on Money, Self-Esteem". USA Today. Associated Press. August 2, 2004.
- ^ a b Bacon L, Aphramor L. (2011). "Weight science: evaluating the evidence for a paradigm shift". Nutr J 10:9. PMC 3041737.
- ^ Sørensen TI, Rissanen A, Korkeila M, Kaprio J (2005). "Intention to Lose Weight, Weight Changes, and 18-y Mortality in Overweight Individuals without Co-Morbidities". PLoS Medicine 2 (6; e171). PMC 1160579.
- ^ a b Kendall Powell (2007 May 31). "The Two Faces of Fat". Nature 447 (7144): 525–7. PMID 17538594.
- ^ a b Harrington M, Gibson S, Cottrell RC (2009). A review and meta-analysis of the effect of weight loss on all-cause mortality risk 22 (1). pp. 93–108. PMID 19555520. Text "Nutr Res Rev. " ignored (help)
- ^ Ingram DD, Mussolino ME. (2010). "Weight loss from maximum body weight and mortality: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Linked Mortality File". Int J Obes 34: 1044–1050. PMID 20212495.
- ^ The Fat Studies Reader. p. 49.
Further reading
- Bacon, Linda (2010). Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. Dallas: BenBella Books. ISBN 978-1-933771-58-8.
- Campos, Paul (2004). The Obesity Myth: Why America's Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Your Health. New York: Gotham Books. ISBN 978-1-59240-066-9.
- Campos, P.; Saguy, A; Ernsberger, P; Oliver, E; Gaesser, G (2005). "The epidemiology of overweight and obesity: Public health crisis or moral panic?". International Journal of Epidemiology 35 (1): 55–60. doi:10.1093/ije/dyi254. PMID 16339599.
- DePatie, Jeanette (2011). The Fat Chick Works Out! Fitness that's Fun and Feasible for Folks of all Ages, Shapes, Sizes and Abilities. Monrovia: Real Big Publishing. ISBN 978-1-933771-58-8.
- Ernsberger, P; Haskew, P (1987). "Health implications of obesity: An alternative view". Journal of Obesity and Weight Regulation 6 (2): 55–137. ISSN 0731-4361.
- Glenn A. (2006). "Fatness, Fitness & Health: A Closer Look At The Evidence" (PDF). Absolute Advantage 5 (3): 18–21.
- Garner, David M.; Wooley, Susan C. (1991). "Confronting the failure of behavioral and dietary treatments for obesity". Clinical Psychology Review 11 (6): 729–80. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(91)90128-H.
- Robison, J (2006). "Health At Every Size" (PDF). Absolute Advantage 5 (3): 8–13.
- Saguy, A. C. (2005). "Weighing Both Sides: Morality, Mortality, and Framing Contests over Obesity". Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 30 (5): 869–921. doi:10.1215/03616878-30-5-869. PMID 16477791.
- Jonas, Steven; Konner, Linda (1997). Just the Weigh You Are: How to Be Fit and Healthy, Whatever Your Size. Shelburne: Chapters. ISBN 978-1-57630-026-8.
