Health at Every Size (HAES) was intended to be an approach to public health that encouraged individuals to adopt healthful behaviors such as balanced nutrition, enjoyable regular physical activity, and stress management regardless of weight. A 2012 study indicated that adopting these habits could lead to better health outcomes regardless of BMI. BMI was exposed for its flaws.

However, the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), the organization behind HAES abandoned those principles. It abandoned what ethics it may have once had. It abandoned all reason, logic, facts and wisdom. Instead, it replaced the aforementioned qualities with a close minded, illogical slavish dedication to social injustice and enforces its myopic views through bullying, back stabbing and subterfuge.

To the extent that HAES principles ever had any relevance or impact on eating disorders, those days are over.

When you look at ASDAH’s 2023 Form 990 tax filing, the words “eating disorders” do not appear one time. On its Form 990s, there is a section in which ASDAH sets forth its mission as follows: “COMMITTED TO THE PRACTICE OF THE HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE (HAES) PRINCIPLES, ASDAH ENVISIONS A WORLD THAT CELEBRATES BODIES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, IN WHICH BODY WEIGHT IS NO LONGER A SOURCE OF DISCRIMINATION AND WHERE OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES.”

When you look at ASDAH’s 2022 Form 990 tax filing, the words “eating disorders” do not appear one time.

When you look at ASDAH’s 2024 Conference, not one session, not one time are the words, “eating disorder” mentioned … other than noting the words are included in the title of the “Inclusive Eating Disorder Education” being listed as a proud sponsor.

HAES and eating disorders … never the twain shall meet.

ASDAH has become an extremist, racist organization which not only does not address eating disorders, it does not care about eating disorders.

Damning evidence supports that statement.

From Lindo Bacon, PhD regarding her banishment from ASDAH:

“I suggest ASDAH engage in more honorable and dignified business practices.”

“That blog piece is predicated on a phone conversation with me that was recorded without my consent, behavior that is unethical at least, possibly illegal depending on what state it was conducted in, and initiated a cyber-bullying campaign. Is this collusion befitting a professional organization?”

“Regrettably, the primary organization representing the HAES ideology failed to navigate this evolution gracefully, fostering a toxic culture marked by intolerance and punitive attitudes.” 

“I don’t want to exist in a climate where a leadership committee distorts the truth, publicly shames and exiles any member, and damages the reputation of an individual promoting HAES, especially not when that member contributes generously to ASDAH and to the HAES community. I don’t want to exist in a climate where people are shamed for holding, discussing, or challenging ideas―or pressured to shame themselves in an accountability statement or else risk being cast out of the community.”

Racism is color blind.  The following statements made by ASDAH demonstrate that the word “inclusion” actually means exclusion of everyone who is not in their tribe and who do not slavishly follow ASDAH’s radical agenda.

The following are ASDAH’s words:

“We have been visioning and planning different ways to not only take back the HAES narrative, but to place it in the hands of the most marginalized in our community.” 

“Notably, we discussed our vision of revising the Health at Every Size® principles and writing a Health at Every Size® book authored by fat, Black, Brown, neurodiverse, disabled, transgender, and queer activists.” 

“We at ASDAH, the holder and protector of the Health at Every Size® and HAES® trademarks, are committed to promoting an inclusive vision of Health at Every Size® which centers those most marginalized and harmed by fatphobia and the healthcare system.”

“ASDAH has taken action to center Black, fat, and transgender community members in the last two years. We have revised our leadership structure to be less hierarchical.” 

“In order to keep our community safer for fat, Black, and Brown folks in ASDAH spaces, we are setting boundaries as the natural consequence for causing repeated harm.”

ASDAH had a three part series entitled, “Suffocating Whiteness.”

ASDAH’s website defining its purpose, values and vision do not mention eating disorders … not one time.

ASDAH does not care about eating disorders.  It only cares about its fat liberation/social injustice movement. ASDAH states, “Health at Every Size® is not a liberatory framework or social justice movement in and of itself, but rather aims to align with other movements in order to further the journey towards liberation for all.”  That too is a misrepresentation. ASDAH and HAES epitomize the very definition of a social justice movement.

Again, using ASDAH’s own words:

“Considering what is happening to Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank; white supremacy, racism, colonization, forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and genocide, those of us who claim to be for liberation, including healthcare providers aligned with HAES®, must stand up for what is right. The liberation for fat people, Black people, indigenous people, queer & trans people, AND Palestinian people are interlocked. Our liberation is tied up in one another’s. There is no hierarchy of oppression. If we are all to be free, we must take measured action. And if we are to support the health and well being of all people, we must take strong stances and demand change.”

ASDAH’s statement ended with these words:

“We will open with reading of a statement by Fat Rose in solidarity with Palestine and close with community processing and healing time.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. All of our freedoms rely upon it.”

Many Jewish people interpret, “From the river to the sea” as a call by Palestinian militant groups for the dismantling of Israel and the removal or extermination of its Jewish population. For historical reference, see Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

And the meaning behind ASDAH’s statement, “Our freedoms rely upon genocide against Jews and Israel?” Certainly a strong stance albeit absolute pablum.

ASDAH claims to take strong stances. So, what constitutes these strong stances?

How do the strong stances of ASDAH manifest? We know these stances include publicly lynching Lindo Bacon, its now former, most renowned ambassador for three reasons:

1. Lindo Bacon is white;
2. Lindo Bacon is thin, and;
3. Lindo Bacon is Jewish.

Lindo Bacon put HAES on the map.  Her advocacy was responsible for its growth. And yet today on the ASDAH, there are as many references to Lindo Bacon as there are about eating disorders.  Zero.

ASDAH’s strong stances include blatant acts of bullying in Facebook groups against any therapist who dares to stand up to ASDAH and its anti-Semantic position. This bullying has gotten so bad that therapists have removed themselves from groups and started other groups.  Groups more appropriately named “Weight Inclusive.”

ASDAH’s own literature, mission and vision (or lack thereof) evidence that HAES has nothing to do with eating disorders. And yet, there are still therapists, nutritionists and others who look for “HAES aligned medical or mental health providers.” And the question which must be posed to them is simply … Why?

If the statistics are to be believed, 30 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime.

Globally, 70 million people suffer from an eating disorder.

One study found that people with anorexia are 56 times more likely to commit suicide than people without an eating disorder.

One person dies from complications from eating disorders every 52 minutes.

In response, ASDAH has taken HAES away from mental health and turned it into an outlet to rail against society for all of society’s ills, both real and imagined.

So, for those who still look for “HAES aligned” treatment providers, you now know that to which you are condemning your clients/patients.

Our families deserve better.