There are so many reasons to lace up your exercise shoes and work up a sweat. Working your body against resistance and boosting your heart rate helps you stay strong, fit, and mentally sharp. Plus, you get the functional benefits that go with being stronger and having better stamina, agility, and balance.
But there’s another motivation that drives people to elevate their heart rate with aerobic exercise and strength train – the desire to get a leaner physique. And what fuels that desire? It’s the influence of fashion magazines that encourages people to embrace unrealistic beauty standards.
Fortunately, the way we look at beauty and body types are becoming less rigid and more inclusive. There’s a growing movement that challenges the old narrative that there’s one ideal body type. This movement is driven by body positivity and acceptance of the body you have. It’s also not forcing your body or expectations to conform to someone else’s template for what a physique should look like. It advocates accepting and celebrating a variety of physiques and body types.
What is Body Positivity?
Body positivity is body acceptance. When you embrace your body, including its flaws, it shifts your motivation for working out and eating right. You embrace moving your body for health, not for physical perfection. You become more appreciative of the body you have and want to keep it healthy and functional. This form of acceptance teaches you to have a healthier relationship with your body. Such an approach builds self-esteem too.
The Problem with Weight-Focused Health
For years, body mass index or BMI has been a measure of healthy body weight and health. It’s a measurement that compares your weight relative to your height. You can find BMI calculators online if you want to calculate your own BMI. Despite the ease of measuring and calculating BMI, even healthcare providers have questioned its importance as a marker for health and a lower risk of chronic health problems. Why?
Based on the BMI calculation, healthy, muscular people can fall into the overweight or obese category. Plus, older people who have lost a lot of muscle tissue can fall into the normal or underweight category even if their body fat content falls into an unhealthy range. It shows how BMI is a flawed measure that doesn’t distinguish between body fat and muscle. Trying to achieve a healthy BMI in someone who is muscular, for example, could lead to unnecessary dieting and unhealthy eating habits to lose weight.
Health at Every Size (HAES)
Because of concerns about BMI and the way it classifies and often misclassifies people, a new movement has arisen. It’s called Healthy at Every Size (HAES). It focuses on embracing healthy lifestyles and behaviors but also accepting the body you have. The idea is that no matter how much you weigh or your body composition, you can improve your mental and physical health through exercise and eating healthy foods. It’s a less rigid approach to exercise and eating.
Principles of HAES
The HAES principles embrace being healthy at every size. It’s an approach that emphasizes:
Acceptance and respect for all bodies and body types. This approach acknowledges that there are many body sizes and shapes.
Eating in a flexible way. Restrictive diets that restrict calories rarely lead to sustainable weight loss. Flexible eating is listening to your internal hunger cues when deciding what to eat. You learn to tune in to what your body wants and stop eating when you’ve met your body’s needs.
Finding joy and fun in physical activity, rather than only as a path to getting leaner. This shift in focus makes exercise more enjoyable and less of an obligation.
Setting health-focused goals, rather than weight-focused goals.
Prioritizing self-care and self-love over society’s standards.
Benefits of HAES
When you switch your focus to being healthy rather than achieving a certain weight, it frees your mind from obsessive thinking, like how can I lose that last five pounds? It reduces anxiety and gives you newfound clarity. HAES emphasizes that goals should not be built around weight but focus on becoming healthier – healthier blood pressure, better blood sugar control, and better mental health.
Learning to accept your body while striving to reach health goals gives your health a boost and builds stronger self-esteem. Trying to reach weight-related goals can harm your self-esteem. It also places people at higher risk of disordered eating, like anorexia nervosa or bulimia.
Tips for Implementing a HAES Approach to Health and Fitness
Practicing HAES means liberating yourself from the constraints of societal beauty standards and diet culture. And if you value your well-being, that’s worth it! It’ll also start you down a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and growth. Here are tips to help you start:
- Set health-focused goals, rather than ones based on the scale.
- Be flexible in your approach to eating. Practice mindfulness, so that each bite brings pleasure.
- Find joy in movement too. Live in the moment when you exercise. Learn to appreciate how your body feels when it moves and when you sweat.
- Make your chosen healthy lifestyle habits a form of self-care, rather than an obligation you MUST do.
- Find supportive people who lift you up and encourage you to live your healthiest.
Conclusion
So, stop fighting your shape and cursing your body weight and take a different approach. Find joy in a healthy lifestyle because it makes you feel good, and helps you be your healthiest. Know that there’s more to being alive and being your best than having a certain body weight. So, stop beating yourself, and if you must, do it with a feather, not a whip. You’re more than a number on the scale.
References:
- Ulian MD, Aburad L, da Silva Oliveira MS, Poppe ACM, Sabatini F, Perez I, Gualano B, Benatti FB, Pinto AJ, Roble OJ, Vessoni A, de Morais Sato P, Unsain RF, Baeza Scagliusi F. Effects of health at every size® interventions on health-related outcomes of people with overweight and obesity: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2018 Dec;19(12):1659-1666. doi: 10.1111/obr.12749. Epub 2018 Sep 27. PMID: 30261553.
- “Health at Every Size – Nutritional Sciences.” 2021. Wisc.edu. January 14, 2021. https://nutrisci.wisc.edu/2021/01/14/health-at-every-size/.
- Robison J. Health at every size: toward a new paradigm of weight and health. MedGenMed. 2005 Jul 12;7(3):13. PMID: 16369239; PMCID: PMC1681635.
- “How useful is the body mass index (BMI)? – Harvard Health.” 05 May. 2023, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-useful-is-the-body-mass-index-bmi-201603309339.
- and, Engineering, and Emily A Callahan. 2023. “The Science, Strengths, and Limitations of Body Mass Index.” Nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). July 31, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594362/.
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Beyond the Scale: Embracing Body Positivity and Intuitive Eating for Long-Term Wellness
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