The other day I received a GP referral to see a lady in her late 20s for weight loss. So what? I hear you say, Isnt that your job? and yes, assisting others with their weight is one aspect of my role as a Dietitian. However this case was different. Unlike my many other weight loss clients past and present, this one didnt realise she had a weight problem... until the doctor told her she was obese. My heart immediately sank. Now this isnt the first time I have seen a seemingly healthy individual for weight loss (some as young as 14), however after specialist testing it was observed that these individuals had underlying hormonal disturbances that were likely to have influenced their weight. However, in the case of this apparently obese young woman, she was by all accounts, perfectly healthy. Perhaps the hardest part of our conversation was hearing her say that she has never worried about her weight, has always been active and really enjoys her food. While she realised that as she got older, her weight had crept up a little, it wasnt a concern for her at all - music to my ears!!! However, since being told that her body mass index (BMI) was in the obese category, she is now terrified of the consequences and for the first time in her life she is wanting to diet. She is labelling foods as good and bad, she is blaming herself and questioning her actions and her thoughts, her feelings about herself and her choices, even as far back as Primary School. The rest of that session I spent encouraging her to preserve her effortlessly healthy, balanced and down-right beautiful relationship with food and herself. I educated her on the faults of the BMI and its usefulness in so very few circumstances and at the last minute, offered her a copy of the Australian Dietary Guidelines (for future reference if ever needed). More importantly though, I shared with her the works of two amazing individuals - Fiona Willer, APD and Dr Rick Kausman, who work tirelessly to promote and educate others on body acceptance and focussing on health instead of weight. Otherwise known as Health and Every Size (HAES). What tore me in two was that this young woman was already there, she was an A-grade student without even knowing it! However in a few brief moments, right there in the doctors office, her complete (and Im sad to say rare) self-belief and perception of health had been ripped right out from underneath her. For no reason at all. I didnt see her again after this day, but whenever I see, read or hear something about HAES, such as this latest clip from Dr Rick Kausman at the recent Endangered Bodies conference, she immediately returns to my thoughts. I can only hope that her completeness has been restored and that her perfectly good health, both in body and mind, remain harmonious for ever more. youtube/watch?v=QUlwSsmEBm4&feature=youtu.be
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 10:12:29 +0000
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