Suffocating Whiteness: A History & Critique of Health at Every Size®

This session is the first in a three-part series examining the past, present, and future evolution of the Health at Every Size® (HAES®) framework of care. The narratives around HAES® have primarily been led by white women; disconnected from intersectional social justice movements; and centered white feelings, needs, and priorities. The resulting advocacy and care in the name of HAES® has further oppressed people of the global majority (particularly Black people) and superfat/infinifat people. In this session, we’ll discuss the history of the HAES® framework of care with a particular focus on how whiteness and white supremacy culture showed up in this movement deflecting from radicalness, making concessions in the name of health equity, and impeding fat liberation in healthcare.

Learning Objectives:

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Name 1-2 key historical events related to the evolution of the Health at Every Size® Framework of Care.
2. List 1-2 ways Health at Every Size® has centered whiteness & white supremacy and left out those most impacted by fatphobia.
3. Describe the importance of an intersectional approach to care and, specifically, the Health at Every Size® Framework of Care.
4. Name 1-2 ways the Health at Every Size® framework of care is imperative from an ethical and culturally competent standpoint.
5. State 1-2 ways this presentation and the information therein will influence and change the way they practice dietetics.

Hunter (they/them) Bio:

Hunter (they/them) is a Black fat death worker, cultural artist, and Southern storyteller. Their work is committed to transforming antiblackness through an interdisciplinary feminist praxis through community building, writing, visual art, and technology. They are the creator of the ‘Fat Census’ and believes in transforming the politics of data collection and data for change. Additionally, Hunter is published in Teen Vogue, For Harriet, The Feminist Wire, Afropunk, and most recently, The Routledge International Fat Studies Handbook. Find out more about them at HunterAshleigh.com.

ani janzen (they/she) Bio:

ani janzen, MPH, RD, (they/she) is a fat activist and Health at Every Size® advocate in Minneapolis, MN. They are the proud co-founder and co-admin of the fat liberation group, Twin Cities Fat Community, which works to connect fat people through community and activism. They founded the Radical Health Alliance, a nonprofit with the mission of championing the multidimensional and weight-inclusive health of fat people in Minnesota. Through education, support, and advocacy, Radical Health Alliance strives to eliminate weight bias, increase access to health services, and protect people from weight discrimination. ani has a BS in Dietetics, a Masters in Public Health Nutrition, and their Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentials. As a fat person and health professional, Ani is most passionate about the intersection of access to healthcare and fat rights. They believe that fat liberation and HAES®, though they are different perspectives that aren’t always used in conjunction, are both necessary to truly create equitable healthcare for fat people.

Veronica Garnett (she/her) Bio:

Veronica Garnett, MS, RD, CC (she/her) is a registered dietitian, certified culinarian, and aspiring death doula with over 18 years of professional experience in healthcare advocacy. In her role as ASDAH’s Vision & Strategy Leader, she is committed to taking the organization to the next level and ushering in a new era of the Health at Every Size® movement that is truly inclusive and intersectional. Veronica has been featured in Self, Teen Vogue, Blavity, Black Enterprise, Condé Nast Traveler, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, Marie France, the New York Times, and Travel Noire. Veronica received her bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from Howard University, her master’s degree in nutrition education from Columbia University, and most recently, her associate’s degree in culinary arts from Hudson County Community College. In her free time, Veronica can be found spending virtual quality time with her family & friends, tending to her growing plant collection, cuddling with her fur babies, and exploring her new home city, Kigali, Rwanda.