Like most dietitians, my journey did not begin with a weight-inclusive approach. After graduating with my Master of Science degree in Nutritional Science I worked as a Clinical Dietitian providing Medical Nutrition Therapy to hospitalized patients. In this role I collaborated with medical staff to support patients living with a variety of diseases and illnesses ranging from diabetes, heart and kidney failure, to gastrointestinal ailments and cancer. While clinical work was rewarding in ways I never anticipated, my beliefs about health were quickly challenged as I discovered the many nuances in the intersection of nutrition and well-being.  Calorie counting, macronutrients management, and weight-focused interventions may be sustainable for the short-term, however >95% of these interventions fail in the long term (3-5 years). Many of these interventions can achieve short-term weight loss, however most people regain it within two-to-five years, and two-thirds gain more weight than they lost.

After learning about Intuitive Eating (IE) and Health At Every Size® (HAES), it was clear that this was a paradigm shift which resonated closely with my values. These weight-inclusive approaches align with my desire to help clients find health and body peace, yet they do not utilize restriction, guilt, or shame to accomplish these goals. IE and HAES account for the whole person - not just their physical health, but also their mental, emotional, and social aspects of health, which are very much ignored with restrictive interventions.

The research on IE and HAES is strong and growing stronger every day with over 150 studies supporting these approaches. While weight-based approaches are correlated with depression, anxiety, binge eating, greater preoccupation with food, and an overall feeling of personal failure, the exact opposite is found with IE. Research on Intuitive Eaters demonstrates that they have increased body trust, greater interoceptive awareness, along with higher body appreciation and self-esteem.  IE is also correlated with lower levels of binge-eating, depression, and improved physical health markers such as triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and blood sugar control.

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Weight-based interventions (aka restriction) not only fail and leave us depressed, they are physically very harmful.  Weight-cycling, which is the repetitive losing and regaining of weight (due to repetitive dieting), and weight bias are both highly associated with health risks including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other undesirable health outcomes.