Interesting blog on the National Eating Disorder Information Center's (NEDIC) website today: Even If They're Fat. The author, a registered dietician, talks about how telling fat people that they need to lose weight before doing anything else is detrimental. She gives lots of reasons why (including that most people who lose weight gain it back within 3-5 years). There are so many misconceptions about weight and size. And some of these misconceptions are VERY popular. Even with the vast quantity of information available these days, most people have at least an incomplete understanding of weight/size/nutrition, if not an erroneous understanding!
The author of Even If They're Fat, Glenys Oyston, talks about using a "weight neutral approach" in one's journey to health. Honestly, that's a new phrase for my personal vocabulary. But it's not a new idea. I'm not a dietician or a scientist and I don't read all the latest research and/or academic journals. I'm just someone who cares about my health and the health of my clients, and I do my best to maintain a balanced perspective about food and weight and health. To my mind, the word 'balanced' is the crucial word in that sentence. No matter what a person's size, their mind and their self-image will effect their health and wellbeing. Their mind and self-image will also impact any medical diagnosis they might be given. And of course, how a person is treated, categorized, and talked to all impact their mind, their self-image, and self-esteem.No matter who they are, how old they are, what they look like. Even if they're thin. Even if they're fat.
Original Image: peopleofsize.com