Size acceptance is a sweeping movement of awareness about health and body weight.  It is such an empowering notion–your body is exactly as it should be!  When I think about how many people are walking the streets completely dissatisfied with their bodies, I realize what a groundbreaking concept this is.

I want to be clear that I am talking about all different shapes and sizes of people are dissatisfied.  While this movement gears itself at people above the traditional standards of ideal body weight, this idea can liberate all people.  Because of this culture’s fear of fat, we have all sorts of people doing all sorts of weird things with their eating and bodies.

If people weren’t so desperate to avoid weight gain, we may see a decrease in chronic dieting, eating disorders, and even binge eating.

So the research shows (per the CDC) that being overweight and even obese brings less of a health risk than being underweight and normal weight.  It is not until people reach the extreme end of obesity that there is a health risk.  Of course my clients hear from family members that they are well on their way to that unhealthy place, but we know better than this.

People are more likely to gain and gain if they are repeatedly exposing themselves to diets, otherwise known as restriction.  Like Newton’s other law, what you restrict you will ultimately binge.  So these types of diets meant to save people from their weight end up making the weight go higher.  This is true in 98% of people who diet.  This means everyone.  If you know someone who lost a lot of weight and kept it off, they are an anomoly.

If a person is overeating, and that is what is leading to their weight struggle, they may choose to seek help with this.  This choice would be based on wanting to more effectively identify and cope with their feelings, not for health reasons.  If a person feels like they are eating normally, and their weight is out of ‘ideal range’, this may be the result of genetic predisposition.  These people should not be pestered by friends, family or physicians.

All types of bodies should be honored.  We are not all the same–thank goodness!  What a boring world it would be if we all looked identical.  Don’t let fears of impending health doom make you worry about weight.  Love your body, and all bodies, and the world will be a better place for everyone.