What is a Health at Every Size Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian?
In the world of nutrition, the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement is gaining recognition for its compassionate, inclusive approach to health. At its core, HAES challenges traditional diet culture and the idea that thinness is the only path to health and wellness. Instead, it embraces the belief that bodies of all sizes deserve respect and care. A Health at Every Size nutritionist or registered dietitian helps clients develop healthier relationships with food and their bodies, focusing on well-being over weight. At Nutritious Thoughts, we incorporate the HAES model into our nutrition counseling, helping clients build trust with their bodies and break free from restrictive diet mentalities.
What is the HAES Approach?
The Health at Every Size® (HAES) approach redefines health by moving away from traditional, weight-focused models and centering on holistic well-being for individuals of all body sizes. Rather than focusing on weight as a primary health indicator, HAES supports practices that nurture both mental and physical health, fostering a sense of self-acceptance and autonomy in making health-related choices. At Nutritious Thoughts, our registered dietitians bring HAES principles to each counseling session, emphasizing compassion, body respect, and evidence-based guidance that isn’t centered around dieting or rigid health ideals.
For those seeking support through HAES-aligned nutrition counseling, the approach involves attuning to hunger, fullness, and other body cues without judgment. HAES dietitians encourage intuitive eating practices that align with each client’s unique needs and life circumstances, building a nourishing relationship with food that feels empowering and sustainable. Addressing compensatory behaviors—such as the use of exercise to “make up” for eating or engaging in restrictive food patterns—becomes a part of the healing process.
HAES providers work collaboratively to help clients break free from behaviors that don’t serve their overall well-being, promoting a path toward self-compassion, trust, and balance in their relationship with food and body. At its core, HAES invites clients to explore health in a way that doesn’t impose rigid standards or societal expectations. Instead, HAES is about honoring each person’s lived experience, working to dismantle harmful weight-based stigma, and creating a supportive space where clients feel empowered to make choices for themselves, based on what truly nurtures their bodies and minds. 
What Are the HAES Principles?
The Health at Every Size® (HAES) approach is guided by core principles that advocate for a more inclusive, compassionate, and equitable healthcare experience. Unlike traditional health models that emphasize weight loss as a primary measure of health, HAES values holistic well-being, self-compassion, and body respect. These principles are foundational for registered dietitians and healthcare providers who aim to offer care that honors every individual’s right to health and healing.
One of the central principles of HAES is that healthcare is a human right, regardless of size or weight. This means that everyone, including individuals at the highest end of the size spectrum, deserves access to healthcare that is free from weight bias. HAES practitioners understand that access to compassionate healthcare should never depend on a person’s size or their pursuit of weight loss. This approach ensures that all bodies are welcomed and supported, recognizing that physical and mental health needs can be met without conforming to restrictive health ideals.
Another Foundational HAES Principle is that Well-Being, Care, and Healing are Both Collective and Deeply Personal Resources.
Health exists on a continuum, unique to each person’s life circumstances, body, and choices. This principle emphasizes that individuals are the experts on their own bodies and should be empowered to make autonomous decisions about their health. HAES dietitians work collaboratively with clients to promote sustainable, nurturing choices, helping to establish an environment where clients feel seen, understood, and supported in ways that align with their own values.
A commitment to providing care free from anti-fat bias is also central to HAES. Anti-fat bias, pervasive in healthcare and society, creates barriers to well-being and often leads to negative health outcomes, especially for those at the larger end of the size spectrum. HAES-aligned providers actively strive to dismantle these biases, both personally and systemically, to ensure that care is inclusive, respectful, and accessible for people of all sizes. By recognizing and addressing these biases, HAES providers create a safe, affirming space where clients can fully engage in their care without fear of judgment.
Another Critical Aspect of HAES is the Understanding that Health is a Sociopolitical Construct Influenced by Societal Values.
Traditional definitions of health are often shaped by factors such as white supremacy, ableism, and healthism, which can marginalize certain groups and limit access to inclusive healthcare. HAES challenges these constructs, advocating for a broader, more inclusive understanding of health that considers social, economic, and environmental factors. This perspective helps providers and clients alike to redefine health in a way that is liberating, inclusive, and aligned with personal well-being goals.
These principles of HAES, along with a framework grounded in bodily autonomy, informed consent, and compassionate care, guide our registered dietitians at Nutritious Thoughts. Through this approach, we aim to support each client’s unique journey with a focus on well-being that respects both their lived experience and their right to define health on their own terms.
What is the HAES Model of Therapy?
In nutritional counseling, the HAES (Health at Every Size®) model is a holistic, client-centered approach to health that goes beyond traditional metrics like weight or calorie counting. Instead of focusing on prescriptive diets or restrictive meal plans, the HAES model empowers clients to build a balanced, intuitive relationship with food and body. At Nutritious Thoughts, our registered dietitians use the HAES framework to guide clients in exploring eating patterns that may not serve their overall well-being—whether it’s restrictive eating, compensatory behaviors, or emotional eating. Through HAES, clients are encouraged to engage with food as part of their self-care routine, honoring hunger and fullness cues without pressure to conform to societal weight standards.
The HAES model also delves into the emotional and psychological aspects of eating, acknowledging that food is often connected to emotions, personal history, and life stressors. By working with these aspects, our dietitians help clients understand and address the ways that emotions and past experiences impact their relationship with food and body image. This process offers a supportive environment where clients can explore these connections and develop coping strategies that honor their mental and physical health.
It’s Not About Perfect Eating or Rigid Rules
The HAES approach moves away from the idea of “perfect” eating or strict rules. Instead, it’s about finding what truly supports each individual’s well-being. For those recovering from eating disorders or disordered eating patterns, the HAES model is particularly powerful in fostering body trust and reducing reliance on compensatory behaviors. At Nutritious Thoughts, each client receives care that’s personalized, compassionate, and grounded in HAES principles, creating a nurturing space for healing and sustainable well-being.
How Can Embracing HAES Improve Body Image?
One of the most powerful outcomes of working with a HAES-aligned registered dietitian is the improvement of body image. Diet culture often fosters feelings of shame and dissatisfaction with our bodies, leading many individuals to engage in harmful behaviors to control their weight or appearance. This can lead to a cycle of restriction, compensatory behaviors, and emotional distress. The HAES approach offers a different path. By focusing on body acceptance, self-care, and intuitive eating, clients are empowered to build a more positive relationship with their bodies. Rather than striving for a particular look or size, they learn to honor their body’s needs and celebrate its unique capabilities.
A key part of this process is addressing compensatory behaviors that may have been used to control weight or body size. Behaviors like over-exercising, restricting, or purging are often responses to societal pressures around thinness and health. In HAES-informed nutritional counseling, clients are encouraged to let go of these behaviors and instead embrace nourishing, supportive habits that prioritize their well-being over appearance. Through HAES, clients come to understand that their worth is not tied to their size and that true health is about balance, nourishment, and self-compassion. The shift in perspective allows clients to experience greater freedom in their bodies and develop long-lasting, positive changes in how they view themselves. 
Embracing HAES with Nutritional Counseling at Nutritious Thoughts
At Nutritious Thoughts, our registered dietitian’s practice from a HAES-informed philosophy, offering clients a path to improved health that prioritizes self-care, body trust, and well-being. We believe that everyone deserves respectful and compassionate care, no matter their identities. Through personalized nutritional counseling, we help clients build intuitive eating skills, address compensatory behaviors, and foster a healthier relationship with food and the body. Our goal is to support clients in their journey toward self-compassion, body acceptance, and true nourishment. Whether you’re recovering from an eating disorder or simply seeking a more balanced approach to health, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.
Embrace Nourishment Through HAES-Informed Nutrition Counseling in Asheville, Cary & Throughout NC
At Nutritious Thoughts, we understand that true nourishment goes beyond the plate. It’s about cultivating a relationship with your body that honors its unique needs, values self-compassion, and fosters balance. Whether you’re navigating disordered eating, working through body image challenges, or simply seeking a more intuitive approach to food, our registered dietitians are here to support you. We offer in-person sessions in Asheville, Hendersonville, and Cary/Raleigh, NC, as well as online options to meet you wherever you are in your journey. Together, we’ll help you discover what health at every size truly means for you.
- Contact us at (828) 333-0096 or email us at info@nutritious-thoughts.com
- Tell us more about yourself
- Take the next step toward a more compassionate and empowering relationship with food and your body.
Expanded Counseling Services at Nutritious Thoughts
At Nutritious Thoughts, our support extends far beyond individual counseling. Through our Community Wellness & Education programs, we engage with schools, workplaces, and recovery centers to bring tailored nutrition counseling, workshops, and educational presentations directly to your community. Whether delivered on-site or virtually, our goal is to provide accessible wellness tools where they can make the greatest impact. Reach out to learn more about our services and pricing.