Body insecurity is rampant, and it doesn't have to be. Think for a moment about your attitudes toward weight: Do you believe that people who are thinner are more healthy and attractive?Do you think dieting is an effective health strategy?Do you judge yourself or others because of weight? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're not alone. It's much more common for people to feel bad about their bodies than to appreciate them--and to judge others by those standards as well. But people don't have to be packaged in a small size to be valuable and attractive--or healthy for that matter. Saying that they do causes more harm than good, and judgments based on size tell us more about our own prejudice than someone else's health or value. It's time to show every body respect.
Author Biography:
Linda Bacon, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized authority on topics related to nutrition, weight, and health. A nutrition professor and researcher, she holds graduate degrees in physiology, psychology, and exercise metabolism, with a specialty in nutrition. She has conducted federally funded studies on diet and health, and is well-published in top scientific journals. Linda's advocacy for Health at Every Size(R) has generated a large following on social media, health and nutrition listservs and specialty blogs, and the international lecture circuit. She and her work are quoted regularly in national and international publications, with recent appearances in the New York Times, London's Sunday Times, ABC Nightly News with Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, and magazines including Prevention, Glamour, Cooking Light, Newsweek, Fitness Magazine, and National Geographic. Well known for her hard-hitting political and social commentary, Linda writes a regular column on the Health at Every Size blog and frequently guest posts elsewhere. Her first book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight was called the "Bible" of the alternative health movement by Prevention Magazine. Lucy Aphramor, Ph.D., R.D., notably pioneered the use of a health at every size approach in the U.K. National Health Service, developing an eight-week HAES course that is now available internationally through licensed facilitators. She is director of a consultancy dedicated to advancing health at every size theory and practice in and beyond the U.K. through training, research, and community engagement. Dr. Aphramor is also an honorary research fellow at Glyndwr University, Wales, and a visiting lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at Surrey University. Dr. Aphramor is the only U.K. dietitian with publishing and teaching expertise in critical weight science. She is at the forefront of the new international Critical Dietetics movement where her work blending critical thinking and compassionate self-care is enthusiastically received. Her influence extends to coverage in the popular press and her reputation as an outspoken scientist gains her interviews across the board from women's magazines to the broadsheets.
