....Welcome, health care professionals. Whether you are a counselor, dietitian, health educator, nurse practitioner, nurse, physician, physician assistant, or other health care provider, this information is designed to help you provide care for your clients with eating and weight-related concerns. Millions of Americans struggle with these issues on a daily basis, and many have experienced this struggle for years.

    Here you will find an alternative to recommending diets and weight loss for clients.  It is meant to provide a more balanced view concerning eating and weight-related issues.  Because the information may contradict past learning and question well-entrenched cultural ideals, it may evoke strong emotional responses. Please review the information at your own pace with an open mind and allow time for the concepts to solidify as you discover their compassion and their practicality.

 This web site will provide you with the following:
 

The historical evolution of our present cultural obsession with thinness, including the role of the media, industry and the medical establishment A more balanced perspective on the the relationship between body weight & health A critical review of the traditional The Old Paradigm Approach to eating and weight-related issues  A new definition of "healthy" weight The underlying philosophy of the New Paradigm Approach (Health At Every Size) to eating and weight-related issues  Suggestions to help health professionals and their clients combat cultural weight prejudice and feel more postively about their bodies Suggestions for engaging in and encouraging healthy, unrestrained eating Suggestions for helping clients with issues dealing with physical activity Suggestions for making our offices, clinics and practices "size-friendly" References, resources, and links for further investigation

    If you already utilize this alternative approach to helping clients with eating and weight-related concerns, or if you are hearing about it for the first time, we hope that the information on this web site will be valuable for you.

 .....Along the left margin you will see the table of contents which will remain on your screen no matter where you are in the site. Please feel free to email me with questions and/or comments at:

robisonj@msu.edu
 
 

© Fall, 2001