November Question 2:
Under what circumstances do you think the HAES approach to weight management would be more effective?
posted by ee.spenner @ 12:53 PM
15 comments
ISU Dietetic Internship Journal Club
Objective: To become familiar with current scientific literature on a variety of nutrition topics and to gain experience in gathering, organizing, critically evaluating, presenting and facilitating group discussion of the literature and the implications to practice.
15 Comments:
For people who are extremely overweight or obese, an HAES approach to weight management would likely be more effective because the goals would be to improve behavior versus reach a number. It would be easier for the dieter to reach satisfaction/meet goals and stick with the diet approach long term when goals are 'eat less chocolate this week' instead of 'reach 145 pounds on the scale this week.' Likewise, an HAES approach would probably be more effective for weight management in eating disorder clients as well. A client would be more likely to agree to 'eating one extra piece of fruit each day' than 'adding 700 calories to weekly intake.'
I think that individuals who have a negative self image and/or those who are severely overweight/obese would benefit most from this weight management approach; however, based on the concepts embraced, this approach would be beneficial for almost anyone. Often times dieters actually become unhealthy while striving to become healthy. Embracing size and self-acceptance and encouraging physical activity for pleasure and health benefits rather than for weight loss frees people to take pleasure in eating again and to enjoy activity without the goal of calorie burn.
I think that this would be the most beneficial for individuals who have tried to do the numbers goals and been unsuccessful. i also think this would work really well with individuals who become frustrated easily. Obese individuals may see the best results and be the most appropriate for this particular program.
Jen,
I completely agree with the eating disorder patients. I would have never thought about that population without you bringing it up. But it makes since that this may be beneficial for this kind of patient because they are afraid of food, and presenting it to them like 1 piece of fruit maybe less intimidating than 700 calories.
I think that teaching the HAES method to middle schoolers/high schoolers should have an extremely big impact. This is when eating habits are starting to be really established as well as personal perspectives regarding one's body image are developing and are often negative, particularly for girls. That's why eating disorders typically start as teens. Since part of the HAES approach is to teach healthy eating/living while also promoting a healthy body image, regardless of size, I think it would work to stop those that reach the point of hating their self image so much to turn to an eating disorder as well as address the childhood obesity by working to improve eating habits on the opposite end.
Jen,
I really like your examples of how to use this approach with obese individuals. I think they show just how much more effective it could be by setting goals like eating less of something or more of something like fruit vs. a number of the scale or counting calories. I think it is easy to get frustrated with counting calories as well as not getting the weight to come off like you want. But doing small changes that overall lead to a healthier lifestyle would be help them reach these numbers without actually trying to.
I think the HAES approach would be most effective in a group that is less focused on body image and more focused on personal health. I also think that the HAES way would work best if the population using it was fairly good at self-direction. I think it might be harder to use this approach than say, a calorie-counting approach, because there are conceivably more decisions to be made. For instance, a HAES approach would require the user to determine types of food to eat, portion sizes, daily distribution, etc. The calorie counter can simply tot up the numbers and quit - no guarantees that the selections are necessarily good ones.
Jen,
Yes! I think using this approach would be great with eating disordered clients. The whole psychological impact of self-acceptance would be enhanced by this approach whereas it would be lost with a calorie-counting method. I'd love to see a study done with this population and the HAES method.
I think that this HAES approach would be beneficial for many groups of people. I think that maybe the group that would be most accepting of it would be people who are new to weight management, or someone who has never had the need or desire to lose or gain weight. They probably are not as comfortable with all the numbers because it is all new to them. Giving them non-number goals may not be as overwhelming for them while they are trying to learn everything they need to know about weight management, such as calories, BMI, etc. Also, less educated individuals would probably benefit from the HAES approach for the same reasons.
Jenn,
I totally agree with you about your comment on eating disorders patients. Keeping them away from all the number goals may help them focus less on the number of pounds that they weigh and more on how they feel about themselves and their progress.
I think the HAES approach would be successful with several groups including those with body image issues, children and teens, and people who feel like they have tried every diet out there with no success. I think that it would be successful for those with body image issues because it could shift their focus away from numbers and superficial looks and shift it towards making the healthy choices that make those things fall into place. I think it would be successful with children and teens because if we can teach people these principles at younger ages, maybe the younger generation would take the healthy lifestyle principles with them and not fall into the less healthful habits that most previous generations have fallen into. Starting healthy habits early can make such a difference. Finally, I think it would be successful with that group that feels like they have already tried every diet method out there and see no results. I tend to believe this because that group of people has already proven they are willing to try anything and following general healthy behaviors may be a lot easier and eventually show more permanant results than many of the extreme diet techniques they have tried in the past.
Alison,
I think you make a great point about this approach requiring a lot of decision making and probably being better suited for a person who is self directed and motivated. An individual focused on their overall health would likely be more committed to learning about the reasoning behind why certain things are more healthful than others. And, knowing the reasoning gives further motivation to follow those more healthful lifestyle choices over the span of their life.
The HAES approach would likely be the most effective if it were used in a program that included a group and was stretched out over a few months or so. It is not something that can be done overnight; it needs to be monitored and there needs to be constant support and feedback from professionals and others that are going through the same thing.
Shelby -
I agree. I believe that people who have repeatedly failed with trying to lose pounds off of the scale and those who are frustrated easily. With having overall health as the main goal, they will not feel like they are a failure if they don't reach a certain number on the scale.
This is Steph Hyett
Like most people have mentioned, people who have constantly struggled with their weight or who are very sensitive about their weight would benefit the most from a HAES approach. Also, some people have absolutely no problem or motivation with being overweight. They like who they are even when they are considered obese. HAES could benefit in this situation because it focuses more on being healthy, and not just about losing weight. I think HAES may also help when there is a language or cultural difference in clients and RD. This focuses on lifestyle changes, and not just on cutting foods out or how many calories to lose weight. Everyone can understand pictures of people walking their dogs or taking the stairs, not everyone will realize what it means to cut back 500 calories per day.
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