Our Philosophy on Body Positive Medicine

Northwest Integrative Medicine is excited to provide medical services through the lens of Health at Every Size® (HAES). Other terms similar or related to HAES with are body positive, weight neutral, and intuitive eating. This approach removes weight from the health conversation to promote health and wellbeing regardless of body shape, size, or the number on the scale. We believe that the naturopathic philosophy, which supports individualized medicine that addresses the whole person, is in line with a HAES approach.

Research has shown that restrictive, prescriptive diets increase weight stigma and fail to produce long-term weight loss in over 95% of people. Likewise, the evidence suggests that the experience of weight stigma – feeling shame, judgment, or guilt about one’s weight based on other’s attitudes, comments, or medical recommendations – influences mental and physical health. Our physicians are committed to an office experience that feels safe for all patients, including those living in a bigger body.

Body Positive Medicine providers at Northwest Integrative Medicine are committed to the following approach:

• Limiting weight-based conversation to rare cases when weight is related to the progression of a health condition.
• Avoiding the recommendation to lose weight for health or to utilize a restrictive diet with the goal of losing weight.
• Using inclusive language that does to make you feel shame or guilt about your weight or appearance.

At NWIM, we are committed to working with people of all sizes to meet their health goals regardless of their weight. The Health at Every Size Community website is chock full of vetted resources from the creator of HAES, Dr. Linda Bacon.