Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
A MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING THEIR NEXT DIET
This is for you if you are contemplating your next weight loss attempt. Maybe you’re making a list of the foods you plan to give up, the food journal you plan to keep, the calorie-counting you’ll do. You’re picturing the deprivation and the forced exercise, resenting it but feeling that there’s no other way to get the body you want, the
smaller
body you crave. You’re also thinking about all the wonderful rewards that come with a thinner you, such as attention, admiration, and respect. The possibility of thinness is stronger than any concern about how hard and uncomfortable it will be to get there. You’re motivated and ready!
Before you jump on the diet bandwagon yet again, however, I’d like to encourage you to think farther into the future—
after
you lose weight. Think two years from now, when it’s quite likely that you’ll have returned to your starting weight, maybe even higher. I understand that you don’t want to consider this. You’re probably tempted to stop reading now and are angry at the spoilsport “friend” who slipped you this paper.
Indulge me for just a few more paragraphs. I don’t intend to take away your hope, but, instead, to help you reframe your thoughts so you can actually achieve what you’re looking for.
It’s way too easy to believe that a thin body will right everything wrong in your world. That your life will automatically improve once you’re thin enough to take the steps you feel your weight prevents you from taking today. But it won’t. The reality is that this fantasy of weight loss is what’s stopping you from achieving your dreams—not your weight itself. The pursuit of weight loss rarely produces the thin, happy life many people dream of.
Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
It’s also way too easy to believe that you can control your weight through disciplined diet and exercise. The science just doesn’t support that myth. The reality is that biologic safeguards underlie your body’s resistance to maintaining weight loss. Research demonstrates that most people, regardless of willpower or diet or exercise, regain the weight they lose. In fact, research shows that dieting is a strong predictor of weight gain!
It’s not your fault
that you are among the majority who hasn’t been able to keep off the weight thus far.
I’m not asking you to give up on your dreams. What I am suggesting is that you move on. When you stop trying to control your weight, you allow your body to do the job for you—naturally and much more effectively. If you stop fighting yourself, achieving and maintaining a weight that is healthy for your body becomes effortless.
Just think how much fun it would be if you didn’t have to worry about your weight!
Curious about the science that supports this? Want strategies and support for getting in tune with your body? Check out
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
(
www.HAESbook.com
).
Health at Every Size has been evaluated in several research studies, the results published in top scientific journals. Adopting a Health at Every Size lifestyle can give you what you want much more effectively than a diet ever will. You have nothing to lose by trying.
And be nice to the friend who gave you this! He or she is trying to support you in achieving
your
goals.
Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
A MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING BARIATRIC SURGERY
Bariatric surgery is among the highest-paying surgical specialties, which may partially explain why accuracy and integrity in reporting the results of these operations tend to go by the wayside. Combine that with the vulnerability of patients (desperation to lose weight is not conducive to good judgment) and bariatric surgery is a setup for disaster.
We are misled about the extent and severity of the health risks associated with weight. We are also told that bariatric surgery is a solution for those health risks. It’s not.
Bariatric surgery is better described as a high-risk, disease-inducing, cosmetic surgery - not a health-enhancing procedure. Unlike a diet, however, you usually can’t abandon it when you realize you made a mistake, despite claims otherwise.
Bottom line: Bariatric surgery is a big decision with life-altering results. Make yours an informed decision. Consider the facts and stories not being told.
To learn the other side of the story:
• Read
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
, by Linda Bacon. An excerpt from the book that discusses bariatric surgery is available at
www.HAESbook.com
.
• Surf over to
http://suethsayings.blogspot.com
and read about “The reality of obesity, weight loss surgery and other things.”
Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
• Read the personal story:
I Want To Live: Gastric Bypass Reversal
, by Dani Hart.
There is an evidence-based compassionate alternative to bariatric surgery: Health at Every Size. To learn more, visit
www.HAESbook.com
.
Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
A MESSAGE FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF OF OBESITY PREVENTION OR TREATMENT PROGRAMS
Obesity is said to have reached epidemic proportions, posing drastic threats to public health, increasing morbidity, mortality and health care costs, and lowering quality of life. These concerns have spawned obesity prevention and treatment efforts by many well-intentioned and caring people.
However, scientific research shows that these common assumptions just don’t hold up to the evidence. For example, dozens of studies indicate that weight doesn’t adversely affect longevity for the vast majority of people—and less than a handful of studies suggest otherwise. And when factors such as activity, nutrition, dieting and weight cycling history, and socioeconomic status are considered, the relationship between weight and disease disappears or is significantly reduced. Studies also show that biologic safeguards prevent most people from maintaining weight loss, despite vigilant dieting and exercise.
Trumpeting obesity concerns and admonishing people to lose weight is not just misguided, but downright damaging. It leads to repeated cycles of weight loss and regain, to food and body preoccupation, self-hatred, eating disorders, weight discrimination, and poor health. Few of us are at peace with our bodies, whether because we’re fat or because we fear becoming fat. Every time you make fat the problem, these are side effects, however unintended they may be.
This is an important turning point in history. The weight of the evidence clearly trumps the assumptions of the current paradigm. I urge you: Be part of the solution, not the problem. The price society pays when you do not challenge yourself is too high.
Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
There is an evidence-based, compassionate alternative to the war on obesity. It’s called
Health at Every Size
. It involves switching your focus from weight to health and supporting your patients in doing the same. Everyone can benefit from good health behaviors.
For more information:
• Check out the book,
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
(
www.HAEbook.com
); the website includes many free downloads.
• The (free) HAES Community Resources (
www.HAESCommunity.Org
) helps you find resources and individuals supporting HAES and allows you to register your voice.
• Consider joining the Association for Size Diversity and Health (
www.sizediversityandhealth.org
), an organization for professionals committed to HAES values.
Excerpt from
Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth
About Your Weight
© 2010 by Linda Bacon.
May be freely distributed, provided that it remains in its entirety
and this copyright message appears. More info at
www.HAESbook.com
.
A MESSAGE FOR LEGISLATORS/ POLITICIANS ON OBESITY TREATMENT AND PREVENTION POLICIES
Obesity is a hot topic in health care reform. It is said to have reached epidemic proportions, posing drastic threats to public health, increasing morbidity, mortality and health care costs, and lowering quality of life. These concerns have spawned a variety of obesity prevention and treatment efforts.
Despite good intentions, these obesity policies have backfired, causing more problems than they solve. Americans
are
trying to lose weight, but efforts at weight management generally result in repeated cycles of damaging weight loss and regain, food and weight preoccupation, reduced self-esteem, feelings of failure, and increased risk for life-threatening eating disorders. As Americans strive to shed pounds, they move further away from the original intent of improved health.
The focused attention on weight has also led to an increase in stigmatization and weight discrimination, to the extent that discrimination based on weight now equals or exceeds that based on race or gender. Weight-based discrimination reduces quality of life and worsens health.
Every time you make fat the problem, these are side effects, however unintended they may be.
We’ve got some tough decisions looming in health care policy. As we consider various health reform policies, whether they’re about nutrition labeling in restaurants, taxing beverages and snack foods, incentivizing health behaviors, or building school gardens, let’s direct them towards health promotion instead of obesity prevention. When we consider health insurance, let’s ensure that people of all sizes have equal access to compassionate and unbiased health care.