When Your Client Says,

“But I Need to Lose Weight!”

ASDAH Webinar

Our Speakers

AaronFlores,RDNBeenadietitianfor10years

OwnerofBalanceVarietyandModeration RDN inCalabasas,California.

Expertiseineatingdisorders, IntuitiveEatingandHealthatEverySize®

Blogsandhostsapodcast,DietitiansUnplugged.

Our Speakers

JulieDuffyDillon,MS,RD,NCC,LDN,CEDRD

Weightinclusive registereddietitianandeatingdisorderspecialist

HostoftheLove,Foodpodcastseries

OwnerofBirdHouseNutritionTherapy inGreensboro,NorthCarolina

WasonTLC'sdocumentaryMyBigFatFabulousLife

Our Speakers

MarshaHudnall,MS,RDN,CD

Registereddietitiannutritionist helping womenmoveawayfromrestrictivenotionsoffoodandhealthforoverthreedecades

Presidentandco-ownerofGreenMountainatFoxRun,awomen'snon-diet retreatinVermont

PresidentofTheCenterforMindful Eating

Our Speakers

KoriKostka,BSc,RD

RegisteredDietitianattheWestDurhamFamilyHealthTeaminPickering,Ontario,Canada

OwnerofNourishedBody offeringmindful eatingretreatsonlineandwithinthecommunity

PartneredwithUndertheLilacTree,virtualsupport forthosewaitingforeatingdisorder treatment

RecentlyreleasedamindfuleatingappAppetype forAppleproducts

AQ &

Learning Objectives

Identifycommonnutrition counseling blunders thatcanresultindisengagement whenaclientexpressesadesireforweightloss.

Identifyhelpful counselingskillsbasedinself-compassion,mindfulness, andimmediacytobuild rapportwithclientsandvalidateratherthandismisstheirconcerns/desireforweight loss.

Liststrategiesthatclinicianscanusetodemonstratewhyaweight-neutralapproach isbeneficial.

Identifystrategiestohelpclientsshift theirfocusfrom losingweighttogaininghealththrough non-restrictive,mindfulness-based interventions andstrategiesandimproved self-carepractices.

Why do clients feel that they need to lose weight?

Aaron Flores

Question 1

Why do clients feel that they need to lose weight?

Weight stigma and the thin ideal

Conflation of health with body size

Why is the pursuit of weight loss unhelpful?

Marsha Hudnall

Question 2

Why is the pursuit of weight loss unhelpful?

Over 90% of people who intentionally lose weight regain the weight.

As many as two-thirds of those ultimately regain more weight than they lost. (Mann, 2007)

Interventions focused on weight loss through restrictive eating have minimal positive effect on health and any improvements seen are not correlated with weight loss. (Tomiyama, 2013)

A weight neutral approach is associated with statistically and clinically relevant improvements in physiological measures, health behaviors and psychosocial outcomes. (Bacon, 2011)

“Health At Every Size is not anti-weight loss, it is anti-

pursuit-of-weight-loss.”

- Deb Burgard

What are things you can do as a practitioner to provide a space where clients might be more willing to explore a HAES approach?

Aaron Flores

Marsha Hudnall

Julie Duffy Dillon

Question 3

What can you do to provide an environment to explore HAES?

Seek to understand why your client wants to lose weight. (Aaron)

Take your time to build rapport before discussing clients’ weight loss goals. (Aaron)

Validate clients’ feelings. (Marsha)

Use person-centered therapy techniques. (Julie)

Express compassion using open-ended questions. (Julie)

Attend to non-verbal cues from your client. (Julie)

What are some big no-nos when it comes to working with clients who feel strongly about losing weight?

Julie Duffy Dillon

Question 4

What are no-nos when working with clients who desire weight loss?

Don’t ignore their desire for weight loss (pretend it doesn’t exist).

Don’t dismiss their desire for weight loss.

There is a difference between validating weight loss desire and agreeing with it.

What are the alternatives to focusing on weight loss that you provide your

clients?

Julie Duffy Dillon

Marsha Hudnall

Question 5

What are alternatives to focusing on weight loss that you can provide?

Self-care (Marsha)

Shift the focus -- De-emphasize dialogue about weight loss and emphasize change talk that involves radical self-care

Mindfulness

Overview of mindfulness (Marsha)

Notice the before, during, and after of the dieting process (Julie)

Respect autonomy - the freedom of choice (Marsha)

Stress Management (Marsha)

How can you manage your biases and mindset when counseling clients who

have a desire to lose weight?

Kori Kostka

Aaron Flores

Question 6

How can you manage your biases and mindset?

Become aware of your biases (Aaron)

Move towards a positive state (Kori)

“You can’t have a happy ending to an unhappy journey.”

Reframe and look for learning opportunities:

1. What’s your emotional state?

2. What’s your story?

3. What meaning are you giving it?

What are some take home messages for viewers in responding to clients

who express a desire to lose weight?

All speakers

Question 7

Additional Resources

Podcasts

Dietitians Unplugged by Aaron Flores, RDN and Glenys Oyston, RDN

Love, Food by Julie Duffy Dillon, MS, RD, NCC, LDN, CEDRD

Food Psych by Christy Harrison, MPH, RDN, CN

Life Unrestricted by Meret Boxler

Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN

Trainings

“But I Want to Lose Weight! Helping Clients Shift Their Focus from Weight to Well-Being”. Green Mountain at Fox Run www.greenmountainatfoxrun.com

Thank you for joining us!

www.sizediversityandhealth.org