Weight-Neutral care, sometimes referred to as “HAES” (Health At Every Size), is health care that is size inclusive. This means that the type, quality and standard of medical care that a person receives is not dependent upon that person’s size, shape, or weight.

There are a lot of myths about food, bodies, weight, and health that are prevalent throughout society. These myths typically promote the idea that it is possible to determine a person’s health based on a measure of their weight or BMI, that thinness is equal to healthiness, and that certain foods are inherently “good” or “bad” for you. We can refer to these myths as “diet culture”.

Diet culture’s influence often extends into health care. Doctors, nurses, researchers, and other people who work in health are subject to the same cultural dialogues around weight, food, and health as everyone else, and this can impact on how disease and illness is understood, and treated. Oftentimes, when a patient is larger-bodied, a lot of the healthcare advice they are given (regardless of their illness) centers around weight loss, even though we have lots of evidence that tells us that sustainable weight loss is rarely achievable.

For most people, being given advice to lose weight is, at best, not helpful - particularly when it is given at the expense of other treatment options, or the provision of helpful, actionable advice.

For many people, being given advice to lose weight can be actively harmful, and trigger unhealthy behaviours including eating disorders.

Dr Portia is a Weight-Neutral clinician. She recognises that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and she celebrates that diversity. When you see Dr Portia for medical care, she will work with you to meet your health goals and needs, with specific advice tailored to your personal situation. Dr Portia routinely gives her patients evidence-based health advice around their nutrition, their physical activity, and other lifestyle interventions, but she will never encourage you or any of her patients to engage in weight loss as a health intervention.

Dr Portia is conscious that, for a lot of people living in larger bodies, seeing doctors and other healthcare workers can be quite challenging. When you are larger-bodied, it is not unusual to have had difficult, unpleasant or even traumatic experiences in health care settings, and this can cause a lot of anxiety about seeking out medical care. Dr Portia strives to make her clinic as welcoming as possible to people of all shapes and sizes, and she hopes you will feel welcome there too.

Weight-Neutral care is important because everybody deserves to feel safe and welcome in health care settings, and everybody should have access to the full range of medical treatments that are available for their condition. Your body shape or size should not limit your access to care.

Weight-Neutral care is evidence-based medical care, and as such is appropriate for everybody, and every body!

It is a particularly helpful approach to care for people who are wanting to reject diet culture, and focus on their health, rather than their size.

Many of Dr Portia’s patients are people who have experienced fat-phobia and weight-based discrimination in health care, and it is Dr Portia’s mission to provide a safe space for those people to access health care that meets their needs.

Dr Portia is a weight-neutral and fat-positive clinician. She does not encourage the pursuit of weight loss as a health intervention, nor does she believe that weight loss is inherently positive or healthy.

Dr Portia will be happy to give you advice around your health, including lifestyle advice such as nutrition and exercise advice to support your health and wellbeing. She will happily refer you on to other clinicians who can further provide this support.

Dr Portia believes that patient autonomy is paramount, and she will not refuse care to anyone purely because they are pursuing weight loss. She will not, however, encourage a patient in that pursuit of weight loss, nor will she prescribe medications for the purpose of weight loss.

Your first consultation with Dr Portia will be a long consultation (Dr Portia allows up to 90 minutes for new patient initial consults!).

During the consultation, Dr Portia will gather a wide range of important information from you, including your past medical and family medical history, your current wellbeing, your current health concerns, and any health goals that you have.

Depending on your specific health concerns and needs, Dr Portia will work with you to develop a plan to help you meet your goals.

Dr Portia recognises the importance of working with her patients collaboratively - after all, no one is more of an expert on you, than you! To this end, Dr Portia spends a lot of time making sure that her patients have a good understanding of their medical conditions and any treatment she proposes - you are encouraged to ask questions, request clarification, and give your own input on whether or not you think a particular treatment will be the right fit for you.

Of course, this first appointment is also a chance for Dr Portia to get to know you as a person, and for you to get know her a little too! Dr Portia encourages you to view your appointment with her as an opportunity to get a sense of her approach to care, and whether or not she will be a good fit for you in the long term.

The below links have more information about HAES, Weight-Neutral care, Diet culture, and other relevant topics:

What is HAES?

Diet culture

Weight Neutral care