Body respect: what conventional health books get wrong, leave out, and just plain fail to understand about weight

"Body insecurity is rampant, and it doesn't have to be. Think for a moment about your attitudes toward weight: Do you believe that people who are thinner are more healthy and attractive? Do you think dieting is an effective health strategy? Do you judgeyourself or others because of weight? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're not alone. It's much more common for people to feel bad about their bodies than to appreciate them-and to judge others by those standards as well. But people don't have to be packaged in a small size to be valuable and attractive-or healthy for that matter. Saying that they do causes more harm than good, and judgments based on size tell us more about our own prejudice than someone else's health or value. It's time to show every body respect. With the latest findings from the Health at Every Size© (HAES) movement, Body Respect debunks obesity myths, demonstrates the damage of focusing on weight, and explores how social factors impact health: the world is not a level playing field, and that affects one's opportunities as well as one's size, health and sense of self. Using peer-reviewed evidence and common sense, scientists and nutritionists Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor explain the fall-out of a health agenda based on the concept that thinness is the goal and that one's weight is simply a matter of personal choices. They explore why diets don't work and provide alternative paths to better health and well-being for people of all shapes. Body Respect is indispensable reading for anyone concerned about widespread body insecurity and size stigma and their many implications"--