Comments by "TJ Marx" (@tjmarx) on "Sydney Watson"
channel.
-
HAES (health at every size) was coined in 1971 by husband and wife psychologists, the husband also being a university lecturer. Their movement waxed and wained over the years getting bursts of acceptance, then falling off as their papers got destroyed. In the early 2000s they formed ths ASDAH (Association for Size Diversity and Health), trademarked the term HAES and started seriously pumping out bs papers.
HAES has too many people making money off it, and provides entertainment for too many thin women for it go anywhere. There are a ton of emotions rolled up in those prescribing to HAES, so trying to educate them is like trying to explain vaccines to antivaxxers. Sadly, like antivax, HAES is here to stay.
But listen, even if we could get rid of HAES, the vegans and diet industry have systematically destroyed how people think about food and health for many people. Certainly for those habitually on social media or watching shows about weightloss over the last 30 years. The tide of illness related to veganism and many of these diets is on par with that caused by HAES.
What we need is people to stop trying to stand out and just be normal again, eaching balanced healthy diets. But that seems unlikely to happen within my lifetime. There's too much money to be made preying on peoples insecurities, whether that be exploiting them by playing into them or by reassuring them.
I have no hope that "fat acceptance " is going anywhere. Ozempic will just make things worse. HAES will see a dip, and then a resurgence. That's depressing, because it means a continuation of low productivity, low birth rates, and high medical costs for taxpayers as a result.
One thing I believe we could stop today, though, are these ridiculous trends of fat eyebrows and bad makeup, particularly eye shadow on women. I accept there might be some defensiveness about those things that at first glance might seem similar to HAES. But they are very different. Getting over HAES requires people to be accountable for themselves, and actively change their lifestyles for good. Fixing your eyebrows and doing makeup properly just requires the completion of a small skills curve. Very easy. Being trends they aren't so part of identity either, not in the same way HAES is. So whilst I might get some huff and puff, they'll get over it and eventually fix the problem.
1
-
1