Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Road to Happiness Is Wide Enough for Everybody

I've been doing a lot of research lately about weight. Interestingly, it's for my work. Not so surprisingly, it's been easy research for me to do and easy to read what I find. 

It seems as I continue to slog through the info that the "truth"--if there is any truth--is somewhere between Linda Bacon's philosophy about Health at Every Size and Daniel Kirschenbaum's philosophy of Healthy Obsession Program. 

Health at Every Size Philosophy


Bacon's core goals are:
  • Self-acceptance: affirm beauty and worth regardless of size or shape
  • Physical activity: increase activity for pleasure and improved quality of life
  • Normalized eating: internally directed eating, honoring pleasure and appetite
Her tenets include:
  • Change occurs when individuals value themselves enough to want an improved life
  • Accepting weight is about taking control, not giving up
  • Lightening up on the pressure to lose weight and the letting go of despair empowers people to move on
  • When pleasure and vitality are considered, being active is an act of self-nurturance
  • Dieting should be replaced with internally-directed eating: honoring your hunger, feeling your fullness, pleasing your palate (the last 3 phrases were coined in Intuitive Eating.)
  • The reason for change should be replaced--no longer "lose weight and/or prevent disease"--where fear is the motivator. Instead, the reason for change should be pleasure, self-efficacy, and a sense of purpose and meaning--where enjoyment is the motivator.
Bacon's "Live Well" Pledge
  • Today, I will try to feed myself when I am hungry.
  • Today, I will try to be attentive to how foods taste and make me feel.
  • Today, I will try to choose foods that I like and that make me feel good.
  • Today, I will try to honor my body's signals of fullness.
  • Today, I will try to find an enjoyable way to move my body.
  • Today, I will not try to change my body to fit others' standards.
  • Today, I will try to look kindly at my body, and treat it with love and respect.

The title of this post is a phrase that Dr. Bacon uses. I like it. Do you?

Tomorrow I'll hit some highlight's from Dr. Kirschenbaum's Healthy Obsession Program. 


2 comments:

  1. I do like the phrase. And for the most part, I like the philosophy as well. I don't know that beating myself up over my weight every did one thing except make me feel worse.

    Look forward to the next installment. Wow - I'd never noticed your daily affirmation - it is awesome.

    Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post, I'm going to mention it on my blog.

    ReplyDelete

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