Health at every size (HAES) has become popularized in the past decade but really picked up traction among the general population in the past several years. The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) affirms a holistic definition of health, which can’t be characterized as the absence of physical or mental illness, limitation, or disease. The ASDAH says rather, “health exists on a continuum that varies with time and circumstance for each individual,” according to their website.

In the most basic terms, HAES is a way medical providers and the general population can look at health that encourages a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and enjoyable physical activity but doesn’t include weight loss – or a focus on what the scales say – as a determinant of health. In fact, research has shown that it’s possible to carry a lot of weight and still be completely healthy and free of common health risks that can be associated with a higher weight. 

The principles of HAES are as follows:

1. Weight Inclusivity
2. Health Enhancement
3. Respectful Care
4. Life-Enhancing Movement
5. Eating for Well-Being

Read more about what each principle means at ASDAH.org.

Research Supporting HAES

And if you’re curious about the research and materials supporting the HAES model, check out some of it below:

Impact of weight bias and stigma on quality of care and outcomes for patients with obesity

The stigma of obesity: a review and update

Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer

Weight change in older adults and mortality: the Multiethnic Cohort Study

Fearing the Black Body: Racial Origins of Fat Phobia

Perceived Weight Discrimination and 10-Year Risk of Allostatic Load Among US Adults