Your Body Is Not the Problem: Exploring Health at Every Size

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You are not alone if you have ever felt like your body was wrong, too much, not enough, or simply "not right". Many of us grow up in a culture that teaches us that our worth is determined by how we look, and that health is something we achieve through discipline, restriction, and constant self-surveillance. 

But what if your body is not the problem?

What if the problem is that the system taught you to distrust, punish, and shrink to feel accepted or safe? 

Health at Every Size offers a different perspective; one rooted in body respect, compassion, and evidence-based care. It invites us to step away from shame-based models of health and toward something that honors both our lived experience and our humanity. 

What Is Health at Every Size?

Health at Every Size® is a framework developed by the Association for Size Diversity and Health. It focuses on behaviors that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being rather than weight loss. At its core, HAES is about:

  • Respecting body diversity

  • Eating in a way that honors hunger, fullness, and pleasure

  • Moving for joy or function, not punishment

  • Providing care that is accessible, compassionate, and inclusive

Rather than asking people to change their bodies to be worthy of care, HAES challenges the world to change how it treats people in all bodies, particularly the most marginalized.

It is important to note that HAES isn’t “anti-health.” It’s a model that acknowledges health is complex, not guaranteed, and not a moral obligation. According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Education and Well-Being, "HAES affirms that everyone deserves respectful healthcare, regardless of size or health status." (JHU Well-Being)

Weight Stigma Is Real. And It’s Harmful

For those who are unfamiliar, weight stigma is the systematic mistreatment of people based on their body size, most commonly seen in people with larger bodies. It is present everywhere: in doctors' offices, on social media, in family dynamics, and even in therapy rooms.

People with larger bodies are more likely to have their concerns dismissed by medical professionals. Symptoms are frequently attributed to weight without proper evaluation, leading to missed diagnoses and delayed treatment. (Tomiyama et al., 2018). This is not only unfair; it can be extremely harmful. According to research, weight stigma is associated with increased stress, disordered eating, avoidance of care, and poor overall health outcomes.
Studies have shown that the experience of weight stigma is more predictive of poor health than BMI itself. (Hunger et al., 2015).

If you find yourself avoiding the doctor, feeling invisible in your own care, or internalizing body shame, you are not failing. You're responding to actual harm.

Does HAES Actually Work?

Yes, and not just in theory. Several studies have found that HAES-informed approaches can result in significant health improvements without focusing on weight. For instance, a 2024 review published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that HAES interventions improved blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, intuitive eating, and psychological well-being—all without emphasizing weight loss (De La Torre et al., 2024).

Bacon & Aphramor (2011) discovered that participants in HAES programs experienced long-term improvements in self-esteem, body image, and health markers, even when their weight remained stable.  Weight loss interventions, on the other hand, frequently produced short-term gains followed by long-term reversal and increased distress.

To put simply: You don’t need to shrink your body to care for it.

A Trauma-Informed Reframe: You Don’t Have to Be at War with Yourself

If you've experienced trauma, whether medical, relational, cultural, or systemic, your relationship with your body may be complicated. HAES does not require you to have a positive body image. It doesn't require perfection. Instead, it gently invites you to exit the battlefield.

Maybe it’s…

… learning to notice hunger cues again.

… buying clothes that fit your current body.

… going to the doctor and asking for care that isn’t about weight.

… letting yourself rest—without “earning it”.

Where to Begin

You don’t have to do this alone. Here are some resources to support your journey:

And, of course, we at The Counseling Collective would be more than happy to explore this with you.

The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with kids, teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Schedule An Appointment here.