Health at Every Size
67% of women would rather be mean or stupid than be fat, according to Delta Delta Delta, the sorority responsible for enormously successfully Fat Talk Free Week. Yes, you read that right: two-thirds of our daughters, sisters, and female friends would rather others perceive them as nasty and unintelligent rather than shop in the Women’s Department (and the ridiculousness of the label “Women’s Department” is a whole other feminist rant post, don’t worry…). Further, 56% of women would rather be hit by a truck than be fat!
These statistics tell an incredibly heartbreaking story, one that encapsulates our current cultural attack against people who are overweight. To say that the majority of women in our society would rather be maimed, killed, or considered unworthy of association than be overweight is quite telling of just how entrenched the thin ideal has become.
While many of us would be hard-pressed to admit that we’d rather be permanently disabled than carry extra pounds, others are more open in their weight-bias and will veil their sentiments in statements like, “Being fat is unhealthy, and my health is very important to me.”
Linda Bacon, PhD, a nutrition professor and body image expert, turns such an assumption, and others like it, on their proverbial ear. Bacon, a leader in the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement, uses empirical research to support her claims that fat does not equal a lack of health and that the current anti-fat zeitgeist serves only to harm our society.
Bacon’s enthusiasm for a new perspective is backed by studies like that conducted by Paul Campos and his colleagues that address the so-called obesity crisis. Campos et al. incorporated factors like fitness, activity, and nutrient intake – factors that many other studies that address the dangers of being fat leave out – and reported that overweight individuals are not at increased risk of disease.
This does not mean that laying on the couch eating potato chips is a healthy way of life, at least not all the time. It simply means that being fat alone does not mean we are unhealthy. Campos’ study, along with others, asserts that most health indicators, such as blood pressure and insulin sensitivity, can be improved through changing
health behaviors, even if no weight is lost.
This flies in the face of many recent anti-obesity initiatives that warn of an early death following a lifetime of donuts and internet-surfing. In fact, HAES proponents are quick to point to studies, over 26 of them, that indicate overweight people actually live longer than those of normal weight.
If you’re shocked, that might be because our diet- and weight-loss obsessed world has drilled the “fat is bad” mantra into our heads from the time we were young children. How else do explain why 81% of 10-year-old girls have already dieted at least once? Or why employers continue to reward very thin women while paying overweight women significantly less?
While you may find yourself struggling to accept the HAES movement – many people do – at least consider how our current diet-centric perspective and sentiment behind a “war” on obesity can be ultimately destructive to our self-esteem and overall health. As I have talked about on this site, shaming overweight people does not work as an effective health intervention.
We need to take a step back from all that we have been taught and socialized to believe and consider how we can encourage healthy lifestyles. I will leave you with a message from the Surgeon General, who is taking a more body-positive stance on improving the nation’s health.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you believe you can be healthy at every size? How has our diet-culture impacted you?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win in the Nourishing Reads Giveaway!
21 Comments
One Trackback
-
[...] of Nourishing The Soul, a body, mind, and spirit blog had a lot of interesting things to say about The Health At Every Size Movement. Her thoughts on the current state of affairs in this country regarding the way that we treat obese [...]
Megan @ ascension blog
918 days ago
“Do you believe you can be healthy at every size? How has our diet-culture impacted you?”
These two questions speak directly to what’s been rankling in my head this morning. I weighed myself at the gym – first time in a few weeks – and the scale read 1.5 kg heavier than the last time I weighed myself. Well, this 1.5 kg sent my mind into a tail-spin! I started thinking over the way I’ve been eating these past few weeks, how much exercise I’ve been getting, and trying to think of ways to eat less/exercise more. That’s how has our diet-culture impacted me: it has served to make me afraid of a 1.5 kg gain! Then it dawned on me how crazy that is, because the extra 1.5 kg is probably the healthiest thing for my body right now, yet it still really scares me! I am having to work really hard, especially on the emotional level, to accept the fact the I can be happy, and healthy and accept myself even if I gain weight. It’s tragic that coming to terms with this should take so much effort.
Megan @ ascension blog recently posted..Who’s left if I let go
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
917 days ago
That’s a really poignant example, Megan! Thanks for sharing it. As you say, it really is tragic in many ways.
Joy Tanksley
918 days ago
Thank you for bringing attention to HAES, Ashley! I read this book about a year ago, and it was one that really helped shift my perspective. I think a health-centric (rather than weight-centric) approach is key to our health and our sanity. Of course, there’s a lot at stake if we make this shift as a culture – so many industries rely on us believing that fat is bad and thin is good. And there is so much panic and fear surrounding the “obesity epidemic.” I’m amazed at how entrenched this mentality is. People get downright angry at the idea that it might be okay (and even healthy!) to be overweight. Fascinating stuff.
Justin
918 days ago
A really great post with a truly important message that needs to be shared…
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self
918 days ago
Such an important post! I agree that it is extremely important to differentiate between health and weight, to recognize that we can be healthy at a wide variety of sizes. I love that you pointed out how many people use the notion of “health” in order to hide an obsession with weight loss or with the weight loss of others.
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self recently posted..Most Days- A Poem
Christie {Honoring Health}
917 days ago
I am not sure that I believe in health at EVERY size, because extremes on either end of the spectrum aren’t healthy. But, I do believe that some people are meant to be thin, some meant to be heavier and others are meant to be somewhere in between. But, what I do think is possible is for us to learn to love ourselves no matter our size and once we do that, we can get to the weight that is right for our bodies.
I don’t know exactly what I weigh but I am at a size that some people are appalled that I call myself healthy because I am not thin. But, I am feel good in my skin and am always working towards honoring my health and body the best way that I can. And to me, that is what makes true health.
Christie {Honoring Health} recently posted..Baked Lima Beans
Sarah
917 days ago
I personally believe that you can be healthy at different sizes (but not all sizes, I agree with Christie). I also think that health encompasses more than physical health but also emotional and physical health. After a long battle of losing weight then being forced to gain weight, I’m currently at a healthy weight according to my height, BMI, etc. But I do not necessarily consider myself healthy because I’m not happy with my weight or my body image. So while one part of me is “healthy”, I’m not completely healthy because my spirit and emotional health are not positive. And I think this can apply to everyone. Some people maybe healthy emotionally and spiritually but at “unhealthy” weight (over or under). Health is such a personal word.
Sarah recently posted..Thoughts For A Rainy Day
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
917 days ago
I love the way that you put that health is such a personal word – very, very true. That’s something that I try to promote on this site – the idea of health as something completely individual and apart from numbers.
Cara
917 days ago
What an interesting read, thanks for sharing. While I can honestly say that when it comes to being fat I’ve “been there, done that, never want to go there again” I certainly would not choose to lose a limb or have others perceive me as a bad friend over being heavier.
I agree with HEAS, and I do understand that plenty of “fat” people are perfectly healthy; however I think we need to be very careful with “pro-fat” statements. I do think there are much too many folks out there who interpret this is as “ok, I guess I don’t need to lose weight and I can continue to be fat and happy.” Obviously the best thing we can all do is get regular check ups from our doctors, understand our risks, and understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle at any weight.
Cara recently posted..5 Cool Things to do with Pumpkin and Protein Powder- High Fiber & Protein Pumpkin Pancakes
charlotte
917 days ago
Love this! I feel like I’ve been chewed up and spit out by our society’s definition of what is “good.” I tried so hard to be everything that they told me to be (smart, thin, etc) and just ended up unhappy and unhealthy. I’m assuming you’ve already read Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata? That book was life changing for me.
charlotte recently posted..Men Have Body Image Issues Too
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
917 days ago
I have not read it! Now I have to add yet another book to my wish list… Darnit ;-)
sui
917 days ago
I completely agree! The focus needs to be on health, not numbers. What’s the point of adhering to societal standards if you’re really unhealthy & feel like crap all the time?
sui recently posted..monday snippets- link love- site stuff- & an unforgettable video
Janet
917 days ago
What an interesting topic to be putting “out there” right now. I agree with Sarah that it is very difficult to define the term healthy. It’s different for everyone.
After a very emotional year (found my biological family) and some recent health problems, I’m finally getting it myself. I’ve always preached healthy diet and exercise, but now I’m focusing on whole health, as Sarah said. And, this is what I want to teach. You can have all the right numbers, but stress and a negative self image will kill you. We need to change mindsets. It’s a massage challenge, but well worth the effort.
I’m so tired of the status quo. If discussions like this can eventually evolve into the same powerful message that came out of social campains such as anti-smoking, perhaps — and hopefully — we’ll see big change in our life-time.
Charlotte, I read “Rethinking Thin” a few years ago. Very, very sad.
Janet recently posted..Control or Vulnerability- Can We Choose
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
917 days ago
“You can have all the right numbers, but stress and a negative self image will kill you.” So true! Thanks for your comment.
Dana Udall-Weiner
916 days ago
I think the HAES movement is great. It challenges us to consider whether we are basing our judgments on science or on prejudice. I worry at times that our country’s obsession with stemming obesity–everything from schools obtaining BMIs for children to Michelle Obama’s exercise campaign–reinforces the idea that fat is inherently bad. It’s a tough issue to tease apart. Thanks for writing about it and for using data to support your ideas!
Dana Udall-Weiner recently posted..Pleasure and Pain au Chocolat
Linda Bacon
915 days ago
So glad to see discussion of HAES. I’m the author of the book you cited and showed (Health at Every Size; http://www.HAESbook.com). The book was based in part on my research which determined that women who focus on appreciating their bodies and trusting themselves, including dumping the diet mentality, improve their health dramatically (including blood pressure, cholesterol levels, eating behaviors, self-esteem…). We compared HAES to a control group of dieters who lost weight and saw initial health improvements, which all rebounded to starting point or worse two years later. To clarify in response to some of the comments, HAES doesn’t assert that everyone is at a healthy weight – instead, it is intended to help us take the focus off of weight. We can all benefit from adopting healthy behaviors, regardless of what we weigh. In my book, I examine the evidence in depth, showing that health habits and genetics are the main determinants of health. I also debunk a lot of myths associated with weight, including the idea that dieting is healthy or valuable. You may want to check out the book (www.HAESbook.com); many people find that it really clarifies the issues beneath their weight struggles and gives them tools to move on. And by the way, the cover image showed on this site is a bit out of date – the book has been updated with current research (2010); be sure if you’re checking it out to find the recent edition. If you want to learn the basics of HAES, there are also plenty of free downloads on my websites. Check out the Health at Every Size Manifesto on this page: http://www.lindabacon.org/HAESbook/excerpts.html. If you’re angry at this weight-obsessed world, you can also register your voice at http://www.HAESCommunity.Org, or just generally find lots of great resources to learn more. Wishing you all the best working through this stuff. Thanks for raising these important issues.
Linda Bacon
Starfire @ A weight off my mind
915 days ago
I seem to swing between one belief set and another… sometimes it makes total sense to me, and other times it’s less so. I think I agree with the “not every size” comments above – that right at the extremes, it’s just not possible to be healthy. But I do agree that health is about what you do and don’t do, rather than a strictly defined set of numbers.
Starfire @ A weight off my mind recently posted..I think Ive found the soundtrack to my running-weight loss journey
taylorgirl6
914 days ago
My employer started a “healthy incentives” program a few years ago to cut down on healthcare costs. While I disagree with much of what this program is based on, I participate because I must. The first time I took the online personal health test (which involves entering lots of data like weight, height, neck and waist measurements, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), the computer program told me I was obese. Based on their calculations, at 5’4″ and 175 pounds, my BMI is 30. I was never asked what my body type was, whether I was athletic or muscular, thick or thin, flabby or firm. I was dumbstruck. I was hurt. I was ashamed. And then I got angry about the whole thing. How dare my employer require me to participate in a program that was telling me I’m beyond fat, beyond unhealthy, and, in that little emotional episode, beyond repair?
I started going back to the gym after that. The personal trainer I hired was shocked at my weight, and she told me that she didn’t know where I was hiding it. Frankly, I don’t look obese. I don’t feel obese. I trained and I learned to eat better, and I did lose some weight. Some of those lessons stuck (like planning meals better). Some of them didn’t (gyms remind me of hamsters on wheels). The biggest thing I walked away with was a newfound need to weigh myself repeatedly, obsessively.
And I am not the only one this happened to.
taylorgirl6 recently posted..Dark Meat- Anyone
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
914 days ago
Thanks for sharing this, Taylor. I’m sorry to hear that you had to be subjected to that kind of pain due to a misguided program. A study I often point to is one that showed that if we look at BMI alone, 56% of NFL players would be considered obese – because it’s based on such limited information. This really to me highlights the absurdity of using BMI (or weight) to gauge health.
BobLinus
914 days ago
I have been to places where those who have more body weight is considered “beautiful”. The article made me think of those places. Honestly, I would rather look heavy but strong and healthy than being skinny and malnourished. All the media hype of model-like bodies and muscular men turn me off. Muscle men are not necessarily healthy also.
BobLinus recently posted..Control Your Calories With Hari Hachi Bu
Elizabeth Jarrard
914 days ago
I think this is fantastic! accentuate the positive!!!