Visit Reason - Health At Every Size (HAES)
You do not have to earn the right to take care of yourself. HAES-informed therapy starts there
Health at Every Size (HAES) is an evidence-based framework that supports wellbeing across the spectrum of body sizes without requiring weight loss as a precondition for health or self-worth. At Ellie Mental Health, HAES-informed therapy offers support for people who are done being told their value is tied to their body size.
What this can feel like
For many people, the relationship with food, body, and health has been shaped by years of messaging that equates thinness with worthiness. That messaging takes a real psychological toll.
- A persistent sense of shame or failure tied to your body size
- Exhaustion from cycles of dieting, restricting, and rebounding
- Anxiety or dread around food, eating in public, or medical appointments
- Disconnection from your body and its signals because they feel untrustworthy
- Depression linked to body image and the emotional weight of diet culture
- Feeling like you do not deserve to prioritize your health or wellbeing until your body looks a certain way
- Frustration at medical providers who make assumptions based on your size
Some of the thoughts that can come with it:
- “I’ve spent my whole life trying to fix my body and I’m exhausted.”
- “I don’t know how to eat without guilt.”
- “I want to take care of myself but not in the ways I’ve been told to.”
- “I need a therapist who isn’t going to tell me to lose weight.”
Why this approach matters
Decades of research have challenged the assumption that body size is the primary determinant of health or that weight loss is reliably achievable or sustainably beneficial. HAES draws on this evidence to redirect focus toward behaviors that support wellbeing regardless of weight outcomes.
Psychologically, the emphasis on weight as a health metric has been associated with increased eating disorder risk, body shame, weight cycling, and avoidance of health care. A HAES-informed approach prioritizes psychological safety, body respect, and sustainable well being over weight-based goals.
How Ellie makes support more accessible
- HAES-informed matching: We connect you with clinicians who practice within a HAES framework
- No weight talk unless you bring it: Therapy is focused on your wellbeing, not your body size
- Body-neutral environment: Our approach does not assume that smaller is better or that weight loss is a goal
- Telehealth available: Many locations offer virtual sessions
- Fit matters: We take matching seriously so you are not doing the labor of educating a clinician about HAES
Frequently Asked Questions for Health At Every Size (HAES)
Not sure what to expect? These are the questions people ask us before they get started.
HAES is an evidence-based framework that supports health and wellbeing at all body sizes without requiring weight loss as a measure of success. It emphasizes joyful movement, intuitive eating, body respect, and challenging weight stigma. It does not argue that all bodies are equally healthy — it argues that weight stigma is harmful and that health-supporting behaviors are valuable regardless of their effect on weight.
No. HAES is pro-health in a way that is not mediated by weight. It supports nutrition, movement, sleep, mental health, and medical care — without framing any of these as primarily weight-management strategies.
Yes. HAES principles are often integrated into eating disorder treatment because they challenge the diet culture messaging that frequently underlies disordered eating. A HAES-informed therapist will not reinforce restriction or weight loss as therapeutic goals.
This is a common experience and one that HAES-informed therapy can help you navigate. You can have nuanced conversations about medical advice and your relationship to health without accepting weight stigma as the framework. Your therapist will not tell you what to do — they will help you figure out what feels right for you.
Yes. HAES principles complement eating disorder treatment by reducing diet culture messaging and supporting a more neutral relationship with food and body. It is often used alongside other evidence-based eating disorder approaches.