The Health At Every Size® Paradigm: Promoting Body Positivity for All Bodies

The Health At Every Size® (HAES) paradigm is a socio-critical approach to wellness that frames weight bias as a social justice issue and rejects the use of weight, size, and body mass index as proxies for health. The HAES model accepts and respects the inherent diversity of body shapes and sizes, while promoting intuitive eating and physical activity without the goal of weight loss. This chapter details the history of the HAES movement and reviews the empirical literature on HAES interventions, with particular emphasis on outcomes related to body image and disordered eating. Finally, it describes ways in which HAES principles have been, and might continue to be, integrated into clinical, fitness, and educational settings to promote holistic health and enhance body positivity.