Why Project HEAL Believes No One Really Needs to Lose Weight
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Does anyone really need to lose weight?
Project HEAL, an organization focused on equitable access to treatment for eating disorders, believes intentional weight loss is not healthy for anyone.
Project HEAL promotes body acceptance, or accepting one’s body exactly as it is, regardless of weight, size, or shape.
Body acceptance can improve body image (the thoughts and feelings someone has about their body) and reduce a person’s risk of developing an eating disorder, says Stephanie Albers, PhD, a clinical assessment program manager at Project HEAL. “A positive body image can also help people realize they do not need to participate in disordered eating behaviors for their body to be good,” Dr. Albers explains.
Everyday Health sat down with Albers to talk about body acceptance, why Project HEAL does not promote intentional weight loss for health, and how to make treatment for eating disorders more accessible.
Everyday Health: Why does Project HEAL believe no one really needs to lose weight?
Stephanie Albers: Project HEAL does not support intentional weight loss because efforts aimed at weight loss far too rarely produce the desired result and far too often lead to eating disorders. If the goal is health, not only is weight a poor indicator, but we have to include mental health in that equation. When it comes to dieting — as the kids say, the math simply doesn’t math.
EH: What research backs this up — linking attempted weight loss to poorer mental health, including eating disorders?
RELATED: Why Aren’t We Paying More Attention to Eating Disorders in People With Larger Bodies?
EH: Are there other potential health consequences of intentional weight loss?
The demonstrated physical and psychological risks of intentional weight loss, including the likelihood of developing eating disorders, are too concerning to ignore.
EH: Given that people at higher weights tend to have an increased risk of complications like heart disease, how can doctors help people in bigger bodies address their health while still looking out for potential issues?
No matter what an individual’s weight is, they should receive a comprehensive physical exam, be asked to provide a complete medical history, and undergo necessary tests to determine risk for any medical condition or receive an official diagnosis.
It is simply not okay to assume a patient in a larger body is at risk for certain medical conditions based on weight alone. Discussing all known risk factors — not exclusively weight — provides a more inclusive approach to health issues that have been solely attributed to weight in the past.
EH: Why is body acceptance (as a means of achieving health) so important to Project HEAL’s mission?
EH: There are many misconceptions about eating disorders, including that someone has to be thin to have one. What’s the solution to helping more people realize that myth is not true — and help people in larger bodies recognize when they do have disordered eating behaviors?
SA: Body acceptance helps us understand that it’s detrimental to have a disordered relationship with food, no matter our size. This helps us recognize harmful and eating disordered behavior because we know that it can occur in anyone. Rather than believing that dieting, weight cycling, and eating disorders are acceptable due to society’s unrealistic ideals, we can identify how others in our community are struggling and support them.
EH: What are some other barriers to better prevention and treatment of eating disorders for people in bodies of all sizes?
SA: Depending on their diagnosis and whether they meet certain weight criteria (like having a higher BMI), some people may not be eligible for their insurance to pay for the cost of inpatient care. We are working toward getting equitable access to care for all no matter what type of body you are in.
Project HEAL does this through a couple of different avenues. We have our treatment placement program, which we have made up of our HEALers circle (treatment providers and centers who donate pro bono care to certain Project HEAL beneficiaries each year), which is used to help place folks with treatment if their insurance does not afford it.
We offer a virtual meal support program for folks over 16 at the outpatient level of care to drop in and attend as well. We have insurance navigation, meaning we offer services to help if you’re trying to navigate insurance difficulties, or even signing up for insurance that can help cover some of your care.
Within my role, I work on the clinical assessment, which is providing a diagnosis and level-of-care recommendation for someone with an eating disorder, regardless of their background.
EH: How can talking about body acceptance help buffer some of the harms of diet culture, especially when it comes to conversations with young people?
SA: Talking about body acceptance, particularly for people with kids and teens around them, is important because it helps rewrite the narrative about what bodies are considered valuable in our society. It is important to discuss body diversity when these questions come up. For instance, you can emphasize that, “Bodies aren’t all meant to look alike. That is the beauty in having a body.”
The book Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith has a lot of great information on talking to your children about bodies and weight. It’s also important to be a role model to others in the ways that you talk about your body, movement, and food.
EH: What are some body acceptance-friendly phrases people can use in their own lives?
SA: Some examples are:
- “I am valued as I am.”
- “I am worthy.”
- “I will accept myself as I am in this moment.”
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