What is Health At Every Size?
Health at Every Size® (HAES®) is a framework that helps people step out of the pressure to change their bodies and into a more compassionate, realistic approach to well-being. This framework was created by the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). For so many of our clients, it feels like the first time health has been talked about in a way that does not create shame. Instead of tying health to a specific number or size, HAES focuses on access, respect, and the many factors that shape how we care for ourselves day to day. There is also a lot of confusion about HAES, including what it actually means in practice. So let’s clear it up.
The Core Idea Behind HAES
Health at Every Size is a framework that supports people in pursuing well-being without tying it to body size. It recognizes that:
Bodies are diverse.
Weight is not a behavior.
Health is shaped by many factors, including access, trauma, discrimination, genetics, and social conditions.
Everyone deserves respectful, compassionate care.
HAES originated from decades of research and advocacy within the weight science, public health, and eating disorder fields. Many of the ideas in HAES are not new. They reflect what the evidence has shown again and again: weight is not a reliable indicator of health and weight-focused interventions are often ineffective or harmful. HAES was created to offer a more ethical, evidence-aligned approach to care, especially for people harmed by weight stigma.
The Five HAES Principles
The Association for Size Diversity and Health outlines five key HAES principles. Here they are in accessible, real-world language:
1. Weight Inclusivity
People deserve care and respect regardless of body size. This means moving away from assumptions based on weight and focusing on the whole person.
2. Health Enhancement
Access to safe, supportive health care matters. This includes mental health care, trauma-informed care, and environments that reduce harm.
3. Eating for Well-Being
This supports flexible, enjoyable eating that honors hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and cultural traditions. It does not prescribe a certain amount or type of food for all people.
4. Respectful Care
This principle acknowledges how weight stigma, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of oppression impact health. It encourages providers to challenge these barriers.
5. Life-Enhancing Movement
Movement should feel supportive, accessible, and enjoyable. It should not be tied to earning food, burning calories, or changing body size.
What HAES Isn’t
Because HAES often gets talked about online without much context, there are a lot of misunderstandings about what it actually stands for. Clearing these up helps people see the framework for what it truly is: a respectful, evidence-aligned approach to care. Here is what HAES is not:
HAES is not saying everyone is healthy at every size
This is one of the most common misconceptions. HAES does not claim that size determines health. Instead, it recognizes that people of all sizes can work toward well-being and deserve access to supportive care.
HAES is not anti-health or anti-medical care
HAES does not ignore medical conditions or health concerns. It encourages providers to address health with nuance and without assumptions based on body size.
HAES is not “just letting people eat whatever they want”
HAES supports a flexible, nourishing, compassionate approach to food. It does not promote chaotic eating or the absence of structure. Instead, it focuses on reconnecting with internal cues and individual needs without external rules or shame.
HAES is not a “feel-good” alternative to dieting
It is not another plan or program. HAES shifts the conversation entirely, moving away from weight manipulation and toward sustainable behavior change, nervous system support, trauma-informed care, and internal cues.
HAES is not anti-weight loss
People may lose, gain, or maintain weight throughout their lives for many reasons. HAES does not judge those changes or try to control them. It simply does not prescribe weight loss as a treatment goal.
HAES is not ignoring the impact of social conditions
HAES openly acknowledges that health is shaped by access, discrimination, trauma, safety, privilege, and environment. It does not pretend health is only about personal choice or individual responsibility.
HAES is not a one-size-fits-all approach
HAES leaves room for nuance, identity, culture, disability, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and real-life complexity. It adapts to the person rather than asking the person to adapt to a rigid system.
Why Many Providers Are Moving Toward HAES-Informed Care
There is a growing shift toward HAES-informed care because:
Weight-centric care often leads to avoidance of medical care, delayed treatment, or mistrust.
Evidence shows that behavior-based and compassion-centered approaches support long-term health more effectively than weight-focused ones.
HAES supports health equity by addressing barriers that shape people’s lived experiences.
Providers are recognizing that health is complex and cannot be measured by a single number.
What This Might Look Like in Practice
A HAES-aligned provider might help you:
Build consistent eating patterns without dieting
Navigate hunger and fullness cues
Explore your relationship with movement
Understand how stress, sleep, trauma, and environment affect your body
Work through internalized weight stigma
Create a more respectful, trusting relationship with healthcare
The goal is to support your health in a way that feels sustainable and compassionate. Health at Every Size is not a trend or a quick fix. It is a framework rooted in evidence, ethics, and respect. If you have ever felt dismissed, judged, or misunderstood in healthcare spaces, HAES may offer a more supportive path forward. If you are curious about how HAES could support your relationship with food and your body, we’re here to help you explore this in a shame-free, collaborative way. Book an appointment to learn more.
FAQs about Health at Every Size
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Yes. HAES is supported by decades of research across weight science, public health, nutrition, and psychology. Studies show that weight-focused interventions often fail to produce long-term health improvements, while behavior-based, shame-free approaches support better mental and physical outcomes.
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No. HAES does not deny that weight can interact with health. It simply acknowledges that weight is not a behavior and should not be the sole or primary measure of health. Providers can and do address health conditions within a HAES framework.
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HAES is a broader social and healthcare framework. Intuitive Eating is a specific evidence-based approach to rebuilding a peaceful relationship with food and body cues. They fit well together, but they are not the same thing.
