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Is this the end of the diet culture?

Homepage Articles Is this the end of the diet culture?

Is this the end of the diet culture?

The global dietary market is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. However, the idea of accepting the body regardless of the number of kilograms per weight is increasingly being observed. One such concept is a movement called health at every size (HAES), which is not very popular in Poland, but has gained many supporters in the United States.

Table of Contents

1. Is that what a health at every size movement is?

In response to reports that intentional weight loss does not have long-term effects and may also have serious adverse consequences for physical and mental health. Another factor influencing the development of HAES was the increasing need to intuitively stigmatize overweight people in the 1990s. Every Health Size is a method that aims to help healthcare professionals and healthcare providers in the full sense of health and well-being. Every healthcare professional should not only work closely with their health care professionals but also with their physical and physical care professionals, and therefore should cooperate with all health care providers to ensure that they are able to maintain a healthy and balanced health.

2. The basic premises of health movement at all sizes

A very important aspect of health in any size is eating, which excludes restrictions and calorie counting. In addition to this, the principles of intuitive eating are used, which is to respond to the body's needs and provide what it really needs. The main premise here is to listen to hunger and satiety signals, which in practice means starting a meal when hunger appears, and ending a meal after satiety. Besides this, it's just as important when it comes to understanding the value of each food culture, its flavor in general, and asserting diversity, which only allows you to cover the demand for micro- and macro-elements of your body activity.

3. The problem of the stigmatisation of obese people by the medical community

The Health At Every Size movement was created to teach physicians and health professionals to treat all patients equally. Unfortunately, it's often said that the only advice that an insulin resistant person gets from an endocrinologist is to lose weight. The same goes for many other disorders and diseases. According to HAES, doctors should follow a few rules, such as applying only a scientifically-based approach and refraining from commenting on the body weight or appearance of a person.

4. HAES in eating disorders

Increasingly, restrictive diets and weight loss are said to increase the risk of developing eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, or compulsive eating disorder. Continuous focus on weight loss and appearance additionally drives unfavorable behaviors. In the U.S., a health paradigm of any size is being used by specialists precisely in the treatment of eating disturbances.

5. Is it at all health at every size what the research says?

Research indicates that people who are members of the Health At Every Size movement experience weight stabilization and a decrease in the risk of depression. Specific benefits of the HAES philosophy include improvements in their test results (especially lipid profile and blood pressure). There are also positive changes in their mental health, such as improved eating habits, increased self-esteem, decreased anxiety, and even reduced risk for depression.

6. The problem of extremes in the HAES movement

Unfortunately, health philosophy at all levels, although it fights against the discrimination of obese people, often goes the other way and stigmatizes people with normal or too low body weight. HAES also observes negative comments towards models or bodybuilders because they focus on appearance. Proponents of the movement claim that their beliefs are based on scientific research and there is actually evidence to support these claims.

7. Summary

The Health At Every Size movement has both its disadvantages and its advantages. The most valuable postulate is to accept everyone regardless of their appearance, gender or race. Certainly, education about the dangers of eating intuitively and choosing physical activity that is pleasurable are factors that can keep many people from developing eating disorders and allow them to practice a healthy lifestyle. This is a very extreme and in many respects harmful movement.
Source

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Harrison C., Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating, Nowy Jork 2019, 208–226.
Provencher V. et al., Health-At-Every-Size and Eating Behaviors: 1-Year Follow-Up Results of a Size Acceptance Intervention, „Journal of the American Dietetic Association” 2009, 109(11), 1854–1861.
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