Position Paper: Health at Every Size

Position Paper: Health at Every Size
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5th November, 2020
The genetic make-up of a person influences his or her body size, structure, shape, and weight. Frequently, body size and weight are associated with what is “healthy.” However, what is “healthy” differs from one person to another secondary to the genetic make-up and an individual’s characteristics. Hence, the advocacy of health at every size (HAES) must be supported to combat the stigma against the different perception of body weight and its correlation with the overall health. HAES began in the early 2000s. Its principles are created secondary to the lack of success of the traditional approaches to weight loss. HAES argues that the traditional approaches are ineffective and damaging to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being of an individual. It gained its popularity due to its primary objective, which is to enhance the overall well-being of a person, not just merely to reduce weight. Additionally, HAES pointed out that the notion of “eat less, move more” became the ultimate failure of many obese individuals, is incorrect because failures like these give negative feelings to the individual by thinking that they are “abnormal.” In turn, the feelings of failure and the prejudice against them further drive their poor lifestyle behaviors that contribute to the ineffective weight loss habits (Penney & Kirk, 2015). It is essential to tackle the significance of the HAES in the field of weight loss and management to improve the overall lifestyle of the individual and to have long-term effects without having to inflict damage to the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of a person.
The traditional approach reflects a concept where every person must be thin enough to have good health, long life, and happiness. Overweight and obese people are overpowered because they are treated as if they have no willpower and happiness, and good health can only be achieved through religious dieting (Robinson, 2005). By contrast, the HAES approach contradicts the traditional weight loss programs that solely focus on losing fats and weight, without encouraging body positivity. HAES encourages the following: 1) Body acceptance; 2) Intuitive eating; and 3) Active embodiment. Despite the promotion of these three concepts, the primary aim of HAES is to develop a healthy lifestyle. To accomplish it, HAES proposes to investigate on an individual’s behaviours and responses to a negative perspective concerning his or her body and to discover the primary cause of these behaviours (Penney & Kirk, 2015).
Many types of research have been conducted to test the HAES approach, and the results are often contradicting based on a particular population, ethnic group, social class, or organizations within a community. Bacon & Aphramor (2011) analyzed seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with the participants who practice the HAES regimen. The results suggest that body discontentment or any negative body perception induces harm by decreasing the self-esteem and self-confidence of an individual. This leads to less favourable life choices.
Also, there is massive evidence proposing that...