The HAES conundrum

Health at any size is admirable in many ways.

I love the story I heard of it's origins from a comment made by Marylin Wann; the efforts of fat people (and their supporters)taking it upon themselves to restore or increase their mobility, mainly through exercise.

Wonderful

It made me realise again, that I could actually relate to that in a more personal way. In the sense that I'm still restoring my own mobility-it's more of a mental than physical thing- after my damaging stint as a 'obesity' stooge.

I do however, avoid it mainly: Why?

Because it now replicates and reflects the attitudes of mainstream 'healthy living' to an extent I cannot tolerate. I don't know if it's more the language or the attitudes that irk most, suffice to say, it's rarely a pleasure to encounter it's various forms.

I discovered this purely by accident. It is not because I feel like a 'bad fatty', or because I feel judged. I was a healthy living follower. I was one of those who believed that it was a sure and logical route to slimness; it wasn't.

Even after rejecting the pursuit of thin, I didn't feel this would affect what I felt was my positive adherence to healthy eating/living. To my astonishment, it did.

Slowly, I jettisoned bits of it, until it became clear to me that maybe none of it was worth saving. Apart from casting my net a bit wider on things that might appeal, not being put off by a healthy tag.

As for the physical side, I've little to no interest in 'exercise', whatever it is, it's rules are too mysterious for me. I can't relate. I'll stick to just moving about as and when I feel. The fact that this requires some kind of systematic and somewhat profound change in my thought process, tells part of the real story, of what it can do to condemn yourself by your weight- any weight

So HAES I'll recommend happily, where apt.

But whilst it is what it has become, I am most definitely, not a part of it.