I’m doing something I’ve never done on before—sharing a series of themed posts! Be on the lookout for a new post daily during the next week.
I’m talking about a touchy and widely debated subject—weight. If you aren’t aware, there is a movement in healthcare referred to as “Health at Every Size”, or “HAES.” It offers an alternative to the predominant model which focuses on direct manipulation of weight. I use HAES principles in my practice, and in this series I’m going to explain why. It’s hard to explain fully via brief snippets on the interwebs, but I’ll give it my best try. (Contact me for resources if interested.)
When I first heard about HAES, I resisted it because it went against what I grew to believe. It happened slowly over the course of a year—I honestly don’t remember when the shift started so it’s hard to say. For a while, I straddled the fence, which is common for those who make the shift to weight-neutral care. If you feel this way, it’s ok to feel unsure for a while as you sort things out. It is a pretty normal process when it comes to challenging anything you’ve always believed in, and challenging what is widely accepted in our current culture.
Disclaimer: It isn’t wrong to want to lose weight, or to feel unhappy with how you look. The purpose of this series isn’t to make you feel ashamed of these feelings. This is pretty normal for most humans, especially in our current cultural climate. It’s true for me and most people I know. What I am speaking about in these next few posts have more to do with my approach as a healthcare provider—not promoting or prescribing intentional weight loss without your consent. I’m also going to discuss the science of weight regulation—at least what we know so far—and discuss why you may feel discouraged or defeated in your attempts to achieve lasting weight loss. (PS: It’s not your fault.) I’ll also be differentiating between those things we can control and the things out of our control when it comes to health, and discuss sustainable ways to pursue better health and well-being if that’s on your radar. (This includes WHOLE body health—body, mind, and soul.)
So, stay tuned!
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