Our culture's declared "war on obesity" has resulted in significant harm to individuals across the size spectrum both physically and emotionally/socially, through declination of health care coverage, denial of routine health screening procedures, and increased stigmatization. Measures of body weight/size do not accurately reflect an individual's health status and often lead to ineffective interventions rather than efforts that enhance health and wellness.

Health At Every Size (HAES) is a continuously evolving alternative to the weight- centered approach to treating clients and patients of all sizes. It is also a movement working to promote size-acceptance, to end weight discrimination, and to lesson the cultural obsession with weight loss and thinness. HAES promotes balanced eating, life-enhancing physical activity, and respect for the diversity of body shapes and sizes.