ALL BODIES ARE GOOD BODIES
AND YOUR JOURNEY TO AN IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND BODY STARTS HERE
At Annie Beth Company, we operate from an Anti-Diet, Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size (HAES), and social justice lens. We believe that ALL bodies are good bodies and that ALL bodies are worthy of love and respect. In addition, We believe that EMPOWERED women create EMPOWERED communities. Empowered women produce change in the world. Thus, everything we do at Annie Beth Company is centered around helping women to break free from systems of oppression, which most certainly includes diet culture.
WHAT IS DIET CULTURE?
Diet Culture encompasses more than just low-calorie, crash diets and sketchy supplements. Diet culture is an IDEOLOGY. It is a SYSTEM OF BELIEF. Diet culture is the belief that thinner equals healthier, happier, and more successful in life. It is the system of belief that upholds WEIGHT STIGMA and the WEIGHT LOSS INDUSTRY.
With that said, diet culture can be sneaky, especially since diet culture KNOWS that dieting is “out.” Consequently, diet culture has gotten really good at disguising itself as “not a diet,” while still keeping you trapped in the endless pursuit of thinness and the endless obsession over food and “hEaLth,” (which by the way is NOT a number on the scale).
So, here are a few ways that you can identify diet culture, even when it doesn’t want to be seen:
- Diet culture upholds thinness as a marker of health and moral value
- Diet culture blames weight and/or the “ob*sity epidemic” for health conditions
- Diet culture depicts certain foods/macronutrients as “good” and others as “bad”
- Diet culture promotes the usage of external trackers rather than internal cues
- Diet culture promises improved confidence and/or body image as a result of weight loss
- Diet culture promotes exercise as a means to lose weight and/or to alter your body shape/size
- Diet culture sets strict rules surrounding when, what, and how much you “should” be eating
Basically, diet culture is anything that values thinness at the EXPENSE of physical, psychological, and/or social well-being. Diet culture is anything that insists a smaller you is a better you.
WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?
Well, there are many reasons that diet culture and dieting are a big problem.
For one, dieting is a top contributor to eating disorders. In fact, in a study of 14- and 15-year-olds, dieting was the STRONGEST predictor in the development of an eating disorder, with those who “moderately dieted” being placed at a risk 5x HIGHER than non-dieters. Moreover, those who engaged in extreme dieting methods were placed at a risk 18x HIGHER than non-dieters.
With that said, statistics show that 2 out of 3 teenage girls and 1 out of 4 teenage boys are actively trying to lose weight.
In addition, 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, and 42% of all 1st to 3rd graders want to be thinner. And this desire to be “thin” certainly doesn’t stop after adolescence. In fact, 45 million Americans go on a diet each year, spending over $33 billion in weight-loss products annually. Meanwhile, America’s health is declining, NOT improving, which doesn’t make sense considering all of the promises that diet culture has sold us on.
The diet industry is a $72+ billion industry, and yet, the diet industry is NOT delivering on its promises.
In fact, dieting is NOT healthy. In addition to placing you at a greater risk of an eating disorder (35% of dieting becomes obsessive and 20-25% of dieting leads to an eating disorder), dieting also poses MANY health RISKS, some of which include:
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
- Hormonal imbalances
- A slowed metabolic rate
- A slowed heart rate
- Digestive complications
- Muscle loss
- Thinning hair
- Low body temperature
- Chronic fatigue
- Altered mood
- Poor concentration
- Fainting and dizziness
- Reduced sleep quality, and more
And, to top it all off, dieting is NOT even effective at producing long-term weight loss. In fact, up to 95% of all dieters regain the weight (plus more) within 5-years.
Ultimately, dieting is NOT healthy, and a reduced waist circumference is NOT a guarantee of improved health. Health is about much MORE than your weight. Heck, health is about much MORE than what you eat and how much you exercise.
IS ANTI-DIET ANTI-HEALTH?
In order to answer our next question (“is anti-diet anti-health?”), we much first answer a more fundamental question… “What is health?”
Well, according to the World Health Organization, “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Again, health is a complex cumulation of physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Moreover, we would also add spiritual wellbeing to that list, though spiritual health is much less talked about within the scientific community.
However you spin it, health is NOT merely the absence of disease, and health CANNOT be defined by one individual marker. In fact, when we look at the social determinants of health, we begin to understand that health reaches beyond even what can be measured in a lab.
Essentially, the social determinants of health reveal how significant our social environments are in determining our overall wellbeing. Moreover, the social determinants of health reveal that food and exercise are a very small contributor to our health.
Yes, these things DO matter.
However, things such as economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context matter MORE.
After all, if we do not have access to food, then the government’s nutrition recommendations do not matter to us. All that matters is whether or not we can eat SOMETHING that day. And, if we are experiencing discrimination and daily micro-aggressions, then no amount of dieting and exercise can undo the negative effects of stress and trauma on our bodies.
Health is quite complex and, according to the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), health occurs on a continuum, which brings us back to our first question… what is anti-diet and is anti-diet anti-health?
Anti-diet is a movement that promotes OVERALL WELLBEING, rather than merely size reduction. Anti-diet is NOT simply being against fad-diets. It is being against the WHOLE of diet culture as discussed above.
Moreover, based on the UN-health that diet culture promotes, being anti-diet is NOT being anti-health. In fact, being anti-diet is PRO-HEALTH. Anti-diet simply asks that you define health differently than the narrowly defined picture that is put forth by society. Anti-diet asks that you look at the WHOLE PERSON, not the number on the scale.
Every individual is comprised of a unique set of interdependent parts, which work together in order to make up the whole. In short… everything is connected! As a result TRUE health and TRUE food freedom can only be obtained through the practice of addressing ALL parts of the individual’s health… physical, mental, and spiritual.
WHAT IS HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE?
Enter, Health at Every Size (HAES).
HAES is an alternative framework to the current weight-centric framework that dominates the medical and health professions. Essentially, HAES helps us to approach health DIFFERENTLY.
HAES does NOT assert that every person at every size is healthy.
Rather, HAES asserts that EVERY individual at EVERY size should be treated EQUALLY in the pursuit of health and overall wellbeing. More importantly, according to ASDAH, HAES even asserts that “pursuing health is neither a moral imperative nor an individual obligation, and health status should never be used to judge, oppress, or determine the value of an individual.” In addition, HAES seeks to “promote health equity, support ending weight discrimination, and improve access to quality healthcare regardless of size.”
Essentially, HAES is a social justice movement, calling for the EQUITABLE treatment of ALL bodies. With that said, the principles of HAES are as follows:
- Weight inclusivity
- Health enhancement
- Respectful care for all
- Life-enhancing movement
- Eating for wellbeing (not weight control)
Your relationship with food does NOT need to feel confusing. It does NOT have to be ridden with guilt, shame, fear, or anxiety. Food does NOT have to be a source of pain and abuse. In fact, eating CAN (and should) be fun and enjoyable. It can be simple and INTUITIVE.
WHAT IS INTUITIVE EATING?
According to Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole (the founders of Intuitive Eating), “Intuitive Eating is a self-care eating framework, which integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought”. Basically, Intuitive Eating encourages individuals to ditch the diet and RECONNECT with their bodies. After all, we were all born to be intuitive eaters.
With that said, the whole “give yourself unconditional permission to eat” part of Intuitive Eating often trips people up, as a majority of people do not actually TRUST themselves around food due to a lifetime of dieting. So, let’s clear up a few misconceptions:
What Intuitive Eating (IE) is NOT:
- A diet or a fad
- A weight loss plan
- Another set of rules
- Only about “eating when hungry” and “stopping when full”
- Anti-health
- Encouraging you to eat 60 donuts and 150 slices of pizza a day
- Incompatible with allergies, intolerances, and other dietary needs
What Intuitive Eating (IE) IS:
- Literally just eating… it only needs a name because of diet culture
- About unconditional permission to eat, in addition to hunger and fullness
- About releasing food rules
- About finding satisfaction with eating again
- About making peace with ALL foods
- About making peace with your body and yourself
- About honoring your health
- About emotional awareness
Intuitive Eating is a set of 10 principles that aim to help individuals create a healthier relationship with food and their bodies. Moreover, Intuitive Eating is NOT just for those who struggle with disordered eating. Intuitive Eating is for everyone.
With that said, Intuitive Eating is not always easy or even POSSIBLE to do. Not only are we constantly fighting against a world that is obsessed with dieting and weight loss, but many are also fighting against environmental influences (i.e., poverty, food insecurity, racism, sexism, ableism, other -isms), psychological influences (i.e., shame, trauma, anxiety, depression, etc.), and physiological influences (i.e., digestive issues, health complications, genetic predispositions, etc.).
At Annie Beth Company, every person is viewed as a UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL, with multiple intersecting identities. In addition, every person is viewed as a MEMBER OF A LARGER SYSTEM (i.e., culture, community, family, religion, etc.), who is and has been influenced by a multitude of other factors. In other words, every individual has unique stories, needs, limitations, and contexts, and “solutions” must always take ALL of these factors into consideration.
HOW DO WE INTEGRATE THIS?
Thus, at Annie Beth Company, we approach the healing work as a COLLABORATIVE work. Ultimately, YOU are the expert on YOUR own body (whether or not you believe it yet), and we are the experts in relationships with food and body. Together, we will work to uncover what it is that is making your relationship with food and body so painful/difficult, while creating opportunities for growth and healing along the way.
In order to do so, we will operate from a place of:
Connection NOT Control
Food Freedom is NOT about control, it is about CONNECTION with your body. Moreover, food freedom is also about emotional connection. Finding true food freedom involves building an AWARENESS around your needs and wants, while learning how to respond to these needs and wants in an appropriate manner. Thus, the heart of all we do in this program lies within CONNECTION.
Curiosity NOT Judgement
Curiosity seeks understanding and it is built upon the connection that we already talked about. On the other hand, judgement makes assumptions and creates shame. We are NOT in the business of shaming people. Instead, we will approach EVERYTHING with a posture of curiosity. What can your wins, failures, behaviors, thoughts, emotions, etc. tell us?
Grace NOT Perfection
We are human. Perfection is impossible. Perfection is also boring. We are far more interested in IMPERFECT PROGRESS, and we fully EXPECT you to make mistakes. In fact, we will regularly talk about your challenges, hiccups, and roadblocks! We will also talk about ways to approach these challenges with both GRACE and PROBLEM SOLVING strategies.
Education NOT A Blind Following
There is power in knowledge. We want to empower you with knowledge. Thus, education is a HUGE component in ALL of our programs. We truly want you to reach a place in which you do not need us anymore, and the way to do that is through EDUCATION. It is our goal that you understand WHY we do everything that we do. In addition, we welcome and encourage questions.
Science NOT Fads
Fads do NOT work. Neither do diets. This program is built on EVIDENCE-BASED information. We will not be hopping on the Keto train or the Whole 30 bandwagon. We will NOT be eliminating foods just for the heck of it and we will NOT be making your life miserable through the use of tracking apps and restrictive plans. Again, this program is centered around authentic connection and real science.
A Process Focus NOT an End Result Focus
Growth is found within the PROCESS. Results are fun and all, but the process is key. The process is where the magic (i.e., the transformation) happens. Therefore, our primary focus will be on what is happening in the HERE AND NOW, not what we wish could happen in the future. Yes, we will set goals and create action plans, but those goals and plans will serve as a GUIDE, not a primary focus.
“I think through this whole program I’ve really gained more than what I set out for. I feel way more confident and energized and feel like I have so much more of my TRUE self to offer the world, but more importantly I’ve learned to listen to my body and give it what it’s asking for and what it needs. I feel like I’m also way more equipped to effectively and safely give it what it’s asking for and feel confident in doing so.” – Cora (Triad Warriors Elite Client)
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Reaching out to Annie has probably been one of the best experiences of my life. It has been a truly transformative experience in the sense that I now listen to my body when it is hungry. I fuel my body when it’s hungry [and] I eat the nutrients I need throughout the day. And I have learned that no food is off limits! I can eat a donut on a certain day and not feel bad about it!”
“Annie has definitely changed my life. She is always willing to answer any questions I have and to help me understand everything that is going on. She is very supportive, always cheering me on. I have learned so much! To touch on a few things, I have learned that food is not bad, sleep and stress are big factors in reaching goals, taking rest days from the gym is a good thing, and weight is just a number.”
“Working with Annie was very easy. She’s straight forward and very understanding. She’s also really accessible, so if you have any questions or concerns, she only a text or phone call away. I learned a lot about how I related to food and how much power I gave outside forces, instead of just trusting my body.”
“Annie was fantastic to work with, she’s personable and professional and has a lot of knowledge of nutrition and exercise science, but utilizes it in a gentle way that incorporates intuitive eating and fights against fat phobia and diet culture. I felt like my goals were always honored but also felt challenged through the whole process.” – Brittany A. (Triad Warriors Elite Client)