What is HAES?
Health At Every Size
A Weigh Out and WellCentered Eating Disorder Treatment Programs Support and Promote the Health At Every Size Movement (HAES)
We believe healthy people come in all shapes and sizes. Rather than focusing on weight loss, we focus on improved quality of life, on reduced health risks, on emotional and physical well-being, internally regulated, non-restrictive eating (no more dieting), on joyful activity and movement, and on size-acceptance. (Weight is seen as one single measurement that may or may not have a direct bearing on a person’s health.)
Rather than buying into some cultural belief that states that everyone must be “thin”, we believe everyone has a natural weight range where his or her body functions well, feels good, and is free of the health risks that are within his or her control to avoid. (Note…not all health risks can be avoided through the adoption of a healthier lifestyle. But many can be.)
The Health At Every Size Movement Has 5 Basic Tenets:
- Health Enhancement – attention to emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, without focus on weight loss or achieving a specific “ideal weight”
- Size and self-acceptance – respect and appreciation for the wonderful diversity of body shapes and sizes (including one’s own!), rather than the pursuit of an idealized weight or shape
- The pleasure of eating well – eating based on internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite, and individual nutritional needs rather than on external food plans or diets
- The joy of movement – encouraging all physical activities or the associated pleasure and health benefits, rather than following a specific routine of regimented exercise for the primary purpose of weight loss
- An end to weight bias – recognition that body shape, size and/or weight are not evidence of any particular way of eating, level of physical activity, personality, psychological issue or moral character; confirmation that there is beauty and worth in EVERY body
