Health At Every Size: a compassionate, effective approach for helping individuals with weight-related concerns--Part...

The underlying goal of traditional approaches to weight and health is for individuals to be smaller (i.e., lose weight). Little evidence exists supporting the efficacy of such approaches and concern is mounting that they may be causing harm. An effective, compassionate approach to issues of weight and health--Health At Every Size (HAES)--acknowledges the naturally existing diversity in body shapes and sizes, the ineffectiveness and dangers of dieting for weight loss, the importance of relaxed eating in response to internal body clues, and the critical contribution of social, emotional, spiritual, and physical factors to health and happiness. Occupational health nurses can use the HAES approach at the worksite to assist employees with effectively addressing their weight-related concerns.