What is Health at Every Size?

In our culture, individuals are judged and discriminated against for their weight and body size. Individuals in larger bodies are often deemed unhealthy and lazy, while those in smaller bodies are idolized and considered healthy. This misconception is not only unfounded, but it is also tremendously damaging. Health at Every Size (HAES) is an approach that challenges this misconception and promotes respect for the diversity of body shapes and sizes. 

By: Nicole Guzman

Health at Every Size (HAES) shifts from a weight-focused paradigm to a health-focused one. Rather than encouraging weight control, HAES advocates for body acceptance. Specifically, HAES is based on honoring your body’s needs and discovering sustainable behaviors for overall wellbeing. The approach supports intuitive eating, life-enhancing physical activity, and body diversity. It is important to recognize that HAES does not mean “healthy” at every size. This is a common misinterpretation when it comes to HAES. However, weight is not the only indicator of health, as one can be healthy or unhealthy at any size or weight. 

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Health at Every Size has 5 core principles: 

1. Weight Inclusivity: accept the inherent diversity of bodies and recognize that bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. Reject the pathologizing of specific weights.

2. Health Enhancement: support equal access to health services and information that improve wellbeing by taking individual physical, economic, social, spiritual, and emotional needs into account. 

3. Eating for Well-being: promote flexible and individualized eating that is based on hunger, satiety, nutritional needs, and pleasure rather than eating plans focused on weight control. 

4. Respectful Care: acknowledge our own biases and work to end weight discrimination and weight stigma. 

5. Life-Enhancing Movement: support joyful physical activity and movement, such that people of all sizes, abilities, and interests can engage to the extent that they choose.

Benefits of the Health at Every Size Approach

Research on the HAES approach has found positive long-term health outcomes, including: 

  • Lower levels of disordered eating

  • Improved mood

  • Increased self-esteem

  • Improved body image

  • No weight cycling

  • Resilience to weight stigma

  • Lower blood pressure

  • Improved lipid profiles

How Health at Every Size Helps in Eating Disorder Recovery

HAES supports eating disorder recovery by helping clients create peace with their bodies and food. 

  • HAES supports a holistic approach to treatment by recognizing that health is made up of many factors such as economic, social, and emotional factors. This may include self-esteem, stress, trauma, and so on. Each one of these must be addressed in the treatment of eating disorders. 

  • HAES de-centers weight. While weight restoration is critical in the treatment of eating disorders, the focus of treatment should be on creating flexible, individualized eating based on internal cues. 

  • HAES allows clients to develop a neutral and peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. When we listen to our body’s needs, we promote positive self-esteem and respect for our bodies. 

Ultimately, HAES supports clients in rejecting diet culture, listening to their internal wisdom, and creating peace with their bodies and food. HAES is an incredibly valuable tool that can be used in the treatment of eating disorders. 

At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center, we are dedicated to treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including orthorexia and other less-recognized disorders, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. We support a Health at Every Size treatment model and understand that each client is unique. 

Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and services. Book a free consultation call with our admissions team below or read more about our philosophy here.

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This post was written by BALANCE intern, Nicole Guzman.

Nicole is a second-year graduate student at Hunter College pursuing her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics. Nicole graduated from Fordham University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After struggling with disordered eating behaviors, Nicole became passionate about sustainable wellness and debunking common nutrition myths. In the future, Nicole hopes to help individuals cultivate positive relationships with food, confidence, and wellbeing.

Resources

1. ASDAH-HAES-Principles.pdf. Accessed October 25, 2020. https://asdah.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ASDAH-HAES-Principles.pdf

2. Ekern B. Diet Culture, Eating Disorder Recovery, and Health at Every Size®. Eating Disorder Hope. Published February 27, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2020. https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/diet-culture-eating-disorder-recovery-health-every-size

3. Penney TL, Kirk SFL. The Health at Every Size Paradigm and Obesity: Missing Empirical Evidence May Help Push the Reframing Obesity Debate Forward. Am J Public Health. 2015;105(5):e38-e42. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302552

4. The Health at Every Size® (HAES®) Approach. ASDAH. Accessed October 25, 2020. https://asdah.org/health-at-every-size-haes-approach/

Body ImageMegan MadsenHAES, Health at Every Size, Body Diversity