By: Aimee Schiefelbein, M.A., LMHC
Many years ago I began the journey of searching for a solution to help me heal from a history of chronic dieting, disordered eating, and subsequent body dissatisfaction. What I eventually found was a movement that's counter cultural to anything I had ever experienced. That movement was called Health At Every Size (HAES). As I read more, I found the approach to be compassionate, ethical, and honoring of my body. Eventually I sought professional training to became a Health At Every Size Facilitator and I now use this approach to support others on this path.
Weight and size discrimination or idealization is a social justice issue that hurts everyone. With body preoccupation and eating disorders on the rise, I see it as my job as a therapist to also acknowledge the systems and structures that bring people to my office in the first place. There is so much to be said on this topic but for the sake of brevity I will point out one of those realities: People in larger bodies are disproportionately from marginalized and disadvantaged groups, namely, people of color and poorer populations. Given this, weight and the "war on obesity" is a red herring for other axis of oppression. There is a huge need to address the systems and policies that support equal access. HAES is a philosophy makes room for those realities. It's a cop-out to blame the individual for contributing to their own weight by oversimplifying it as an issue of "calories in, calories out." Many people intuitively acknowledge health is multidimensional but it's more difficult to recognize these realities when there are so many messages to the contrary. SO...what are HAES values anyway?
CORE HAES VALUES:
WEIGHT INCLUSIVITY: HAES respects body diversity and rejects pathologizing certain weights and idealizing others. Health At Every Size values self-knowledge and each person's lived experience of their own body needs. There are plenty of people in culturally-sanctioned smaller sized bodies who are not getting the care they need to support their wellbeing, based solely on perception of health based on size. Alternatively, there are plenty of larger sized people who experience size discrimination. In the context of therapy with HAES, the focus is on understanding your behaviors, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Even with all things being equal, body size can vary among individuals.
EATING FOR WELLNESS: People of all sizes eat for all kinds of reasons, for nutrition, for pleasure, for hunger, and as a social endeavor --to name a few. This is contrary to messages about the importance of an externally-regulated eating plan or evaluating foods as either good or bad. From a HAES perspective, "health" is addressed through connection to others, through physical, economic, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
SUPPORT FOR LIFE ENHANCING MOVEMENT: People of all sizes and abilities are supported to engage in movement to the degree that feels good for their body.
Stay tuned, there is more where that comes from. For more information about the science behind HAES, check out Linda Bacon's book Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth about Your Weight.
Aimee Schiefelbein, M.A., LMHC is a Counselor in Seattle, Washington who respects and celebrates all bodies. Contact her here to learn more about counseling services.