What are the 5 principles of Health at Every Size?

October 7, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), the Health at Every Size (HAES) approach shifts the focus from weight-centric health models to promoting wellness for people of all sizes. This movement is built on a framework of five key principles that prioritize well-being over weight loss, and work to end weight discrimination and bias.

Quick Summary

The Health at Every Size (HAES) approach is based on five core principles: Weight Inclusivity, Health Enhancement, Respectful Care, Eating for Well-being, and Life-Enhancing Movement. It promotes health-promoting behaviors rather than focusing on weight control.

Key Points

Weight Inclusivity: HAES promotes accepting and respecting the natural diversity of body shapes and sizes, rejecting the idealization of specific weights.
Health Enhancement: The focus is on promoting well-being through behaviors like stress management, sleep, and social connection, rather than weight control.
Respectful Care: HAES advocates for compassionate, non-judgmental healthcare and works to eliminate weight bias and stigma.
Eating for Well-being: The principle encourages intuitive and flexible eating, honoring hunger and fullness cues instead of following restrictive diets.
Life-Enhancing Movement: Movement is valued for its enjoyment and ability to enhance life, rather than as a tool for weight control.
Rejecting Diet Culture: HAES offers an alternative to the damaging effects of diet culture, including weight cycling and disordered eating.
Holistic Health: Health is seen as a multi-dimensional concept influenced by various factors, not just body weight.

The Health at Every Size (HAES) approach offers a compassionate and weight-neutral alternative to traditional weight-focused health models, which can contribute to stigma and poor health outcomes. HAES, developed by the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), is built upon five core principles designed to support overall well-being and a positive relationship with one's body.

1. Weight Inclusivity

Weight Inclusivity recognizes and respects the natural diversity of human body sizes and shapes. It challenges the notion that there is an ideal weight or that certain body types are inherently unhealthy, countering societal biases that favor thinness. HAES providers believe that health is achievable at any size, helping to dismantle weight stigma and body shaming. This principle also acknowledges that factors beyond individual control influence weight.

2. Health Enhancement

This principle focuses on promoting health practices that improve overall well-being, rather than concentrating on weight. It aims to improve access to healthcare and resources for everyone, regardless of size. Health is viewed broadly, including physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and economic aspects. The emphasis is on adopting sustainable behaviors like stress management, sufficient sleep, and social connections.

3. Respectful Care

Respectful Care advocates for the elimination of weight discrimination and bias in healthcare and other settings. It encourages practitioners to address their own biases to provide compassionate and equitable treatment. This principle acknowledges that weight stigma can prevent individuals from seeking necessary medical care. HAES-aligned providers strive to create safe spaces where a patient's size is not considered the sole cause of health issues and recognize how weight stigma intersects with other forms of discrimination.

4. Eating for Well-being

This principle encourages flexible, individualized eating guided by internal cues of hunger and fullness, rather than strict dietary rules. It supports intuitive eating, helping individuals reconnect with their body's signals about food. Eating for well-being values the pleasure and cultural aspects of food, moving away from guilt associated with eating. The goal is nourishment and satisfaction for a peaceful relationship with food, contrasting with restrictive diets that can lead to disordered eating.

5. Life-Enhancing Movement

The final principle promotes physical activities that are enjoyable and enhance life, rather than being focused solely on calorie expenditure or weight loss. This approach encourages joyful movement accessible to people of all sizes and abilities. By prioritizing sustainable and enjoyable activity over strenuous exercise, this principle fosters a positive, long-term relationship with movement. It emphasizes that movement should be a source of pleasure and vitality for all bodies.

Comparison: HAES vs. Weight-Centric Approaches


Feature	Health at Every Size (HAES) Approach	Weight-Centric Approach (e.g., Dieting)
Primary Goal	Holistic well-being and health-promoting behaviors.	Weight loss or weight management.
Focus	Internal cues (hunger, fullness), enjoyment, and self-care.	External rules, calorie counting, and body measurements.
View of Weight	Respects body diversity; weight is not a primary health indicator.	Idealizes thinness; uses weight and BMI as primary health indicators.
Role of Movement	Promotes joyful and sustainable physical activity.	Often involves punishing or difficult exercise for weight loss.
Healthcare Experience	Compassionate and non-judgmental care.	Potential for weight bias, stigma, and avoidance of care.
Outcome Focus	Sustainable lifestyle changes, improved mental and physical health.	Often leads to weight cycling, discouragement, and poor health outcomes.

Conclusion

The Health at Every Size movement offers a compassionate and evidence-based alternative to the often-harmful weight-centric health paradigm. By embracing its five core principles—Weight Inclusivity, Health Enhancement, Respectful Care, Eating for Well-being, and Life-Enhancing Movement—individuals can cultivate a more positive and sustainable relationship with their bodies and overall well-being. This shift in focus prioritizes dignity and health for all people, regardless of their size, and works toward ending the systemic weight bias that pervades both society and healthcare. The HAES approach ultimately encourages a holistic perspective on health, recognizing that it is a complex, multi-faceted journey that goes far beyond the number on a scale. For those seeking more information, the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) offers extensive resources on the HAES principles and how to implement them.

For more information on HAES and how it differs from diet culture, see the resources provided by the Association for Size Diversity and Health, the official organization governing the registered trademark HAES®.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary goal of HAES is to promote holistic well-being and health-promoting behaviors, such as balanced eating, enjoyable movement, and stress management, regardless of body weight.

HAES is a weight-neutral approach that focuses on health behaviors rather than weight itself. It does not claim that everyone is healthy at any size, but rather that health can be pursued and supported for all individuals, independent of their body weight.

The 'Life-Enhancing Movement' principle of HAES promotes engaging in enjoyable and sustainable physical activities for the purpose of well-being, rather than as a punitive means of weight control.

A traditional diet is typically focused on weight loss and restriction, while HAES emphasizes intuitive eating and a flexible approach to food based on hunger, fullness, and pleasure. HAES prioritizes long-term, sustainable health behaviors over short-term weight loss.

Yes, HAES is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research. Studies have shown that HAES-aligned interventions can lead to better physical and psychological outcomes, including improved eating behaviors and higher self-esteem, compared to traditional dieting.

HAES does not ignore health risks, but it reframes them by challenging the idea that weight is the sole cause or solution for medical conditions. It encourages a respectful, collaborative approach to care that considers the whole person, including factors like genetics, environment, and mental health.

To find a HAES-aligned provider, you can look for directories or resources provided by organizations like the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). These providers are trained to offer respectful, weight-inclusive care.