What is size inclusive practice?
Size inclusive practice emphasises the importance of encouraging a ‘health at any size’ approach to health promotion, as well as health and wellbeing practices. When we focus on diet and exercise as peak healthy behaviours, the framing we use can unintentionally reinforce societal messaging that excludes certain people from being considered ‘healthy’, including people of different body shapes and sizes, and people with disability.
Research released by Better Health Network tells us that there is not always a connection between weight and health, and that moreover, an individual’s behaviour is not the only factor that influences weight. Designating a moral value to a person’s clothing size is not only an inaccurate measure but is also likely to do more harm to our collective mental health than encourage health affirming behaviours.
Health messaging that focuses on women’s strengths can ensure that people of all sizes feel empowered to achieve health at any size, while also prioritising overall mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Weight stigma is prevalent in social, and even healthcare settings, with 91% of adult women saying they want to be thinner. Of course we know that poor body image and losing weight to conform to narrow standards of feminine beauty can have a devastating effect, particularly on young women and girls. Poor body image can lead to eating disorders and make women feel inadequate. When we, as a society, put a blanket label of ‘healthy’ on thin bodies over larger ones we are not only in error, but irresponsible.
WHGNE encourages everyone to be part of the systemic change that will lead to positive, health affirming environments for people of all sizes. Towards Size Inclusive Practice: Insights and Lessons for Health Promotion Professionals (2023) provides some sage advice in the pursuit of a size inclusive society:
- Larger bodied people are experts in their own experience. We need to listen to lived and living experience in order to best understand what support and messaging is needed to promote wellbeing and inclusion within healthcare settings and broader society.
- Acknowledge and reflect on our own limitations and implicit biases (like attitudes and ideas we grew up with that are informed by weight stigma).
- Fostering care and compassion in considering health and wellbeing
- Engaging in ongoing education.
WHGNE recently partnered with Gateway Health to put on the Size Inclusive Seminar series in Wodonga and Wangaratta – you can find more resources on size inclusive practice at Gateway Health’s dedicated webpage.
Information on this page sourced from: Orr, G; Kelly, T; Taylor-Beck, T; Rossiter, S; Badloe, N; Kostouros, A; Bast, A; Brassington, L; Willer, F. (2023). Towards Size Inclusive Health Promotion. Better Health Network. Melbourne.