HAES Dietitian

Health at Every Size, HAES®, Nutritionist Dietitian in the St. Louis Area, Missouri, and Illinois

Get Weight-Inclusive Nutrition Therapy with HAES® Dietitians in the St. Louis Area – Improve Your Relationship with Food and Body

What is HAES®?

It stands for Health at Every Size® and promotes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing that celebrates body diversity, rejects weight stigma, and emphasizes self-acceptance, self care and respect for individual autonomy.

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 HAES® began in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s when people started to have conversations about a biased healthcare system that mistreated fat people. In the late 1990s, the phrase HAES® caught on and when the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) formed in the early 2000s, it created its founding principles based on the framework of decades of civil rights action.  The principles were revised in 2013 and again in 2024 when the Health At Every Size® framework for care was created.

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What does this mean for us? As dietitian nutritionists in the St. Louis area, we practice weight-inclusive nutrition therapy to provide the best care for every BODY. 

What are the five principles of HAES®?

The new principles of HAES, recently revised and outlined in ASDAH are:

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  1. Healthcare is a human right for people of all sizes.

  2. Wellbeing, care, and healing are resources that are both collective and deeply personal.

  3. Care is fully provided only when free from anti-fat bias and offered with people of all sizes in mind.

  4. Health is a sociopolitical construct that reflects the values of society. 

Is HAES® backed by science?

The approach has indeed been supported by scientific evidence which is fantastic. 

Research shows that weight stigma and discrimination contribute to negative health outcomes. ASDAH writes, “thin-centric healthcare is not benign” based on studies that show weight-stable fat patients are less at risk for cardio problems than those who fall into weight cycling and the yo-yo diet trap.

Furthermore, dieting and weight loss attempts have been shown to be associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes including increased risk of disordered eating, psychological distress, and long term weight gain. Studies have proved that taking health at every size and intuitive eating approach promotes healthy eating habits, improved body image, reduces disordered eating, and long-term weight stability.

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“FAT” is not a four-letter word. And we are not numbers on a scale (BMI or otherwise). The greatest factors influencing health and well-being are adopting great nutrition habits, eating behaviors, being active, and learning to manage stress, regardless of size. 

Does HAES® promote weight control?

HAES® supports weight control through the lens of intuitive eating; however, if weight loss is secondary to implementing a more mindful way of eating and movement, that is welcome. It is not guaranteed, as that is not the goal.

What is a HAES® nutritionist?

A HAES® nutritionist/dietitian supports the above movement by implementing the principles discussed above. The HAES® approach is supported by  The Academy for Eating Disorders; Binge Eating Disorders Association; Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action; International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals; and the National Eating Disorder Association.

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At Branz, as expert eating disorder dietitians, we provide online and in-person nutrition counseling to help individuals feel more at peace with their relationship with food and body. We meet you where you are, and we can help you implement positive dietary and lifestyle changes to support wellness, energy, chronic disease management, and body image improvement. 

Our Team of Dietitian Nutritionists in the Greater St. Louis Area

Branz Nutrition Counseling is a team of certified eating disorder dietitians who provide compassionate care to those struggling with their relationship to food. Our approach is weight-inclusive, LGBTQIA+, and social justice-oriented, which means that we believe that everyone deserves access to quality care. 

 

We can’t wait to meet you!

With locations in Illinois and Missouri, we offer both virtual and in-person counseling sessions. And, we are licensed to provide Telehealth nutrition therapy to  patients around the country.

​Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Missouri | New York | Texas | Virginia

We see clients in person in the St. Louis area, Missouri, Illinois, and from around the country via Telehealth. Learn more here.

Scroll to see the whole team.

How It Works – An Easy Three-Step Process to Get You on the Road to Recovery

Make An Appointment

What service do you need? We offer a range of appointments of different durations to best fit your needs.

Meet with your Personal Dietitian

Be paired with the dietitian nutritionist on our team and get continued support with one of our online groups. One-on-one counseling, in-person, or virtual. WE TAKE INSURANCE!

Take Control of Your Life

Heal your relationship with food and your body. Choose the best foods for your unique needs. Get the tools you need to live a healthy life. Receive continued support.

Note: In order to secure a spot on a dietitian’s schedule, we need a valid payment method on file.

Our Testimonials

Thank you for choosing us as the Best Dietitian Practice in STL (2023)

  • There have been times where my daughter will eat 4 bowls of carrots and turn down a cookie, and there have been times where she will want all the fruit snacks and nothing else, but it doesn’t stress me out because I know now that it’s just what her body wants in the moment. The information provided in your course not only helps my kids, but also opened my eyes to some of my own internal struggles around sugar and meal times!"

  • My sister Gifted this program to me and I'm so glad she did! I've already gotten so much out of watching the modules and reading the PDFs."

  • Understanding and implementing the Division of Responsibility in Feeding really takes the pressure off meal times. I love sitting down to enjoy dinner with my family and I hope it’s a memory my kids enjoy when they’re older too."

  • Also, againg, thank you for being so kind to "A". She usually does not like seeing "doctor like people", but she actually enjoys coming to see you, so that says a lot.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • I can't thank you enough for all you have done for us. I know we will continue to deal with food issues but at least I see hope. I honestly don't know how L(or myself) could have got through the past year without you. You literally are a lifesaver!! You are an amazing dietitian!!.

    by Mother of a Patient

  • Thank you for the caring devoted service and gentle compassion you have shown "S" over the years.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • I am truly grateful we found you to be he nutritionist. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • "For most of my life, I have correlated the size of my body to being loved and accepted. The smaller I am, the more lovable and acceptable I am. Giving up the dieting, the rules, and the noise has given me the freedom to trust, appreciate and accept love from others as well as myself".

    by

  • I truly appreciate the encouragement and hearfelt, genuine concern you have for me. Your counsel and empathy have meant a great deal and helped keep me going during difficult times.

    by C, Saint Louis, MO

  • Thanks for helping me think about food differently and providing guidance regarding how to select carbs. Also, thanks for helping me recognize that the evolution would take several months to come to a 'new normal'.

    by E, Saint Louis, MO

We Accept Insurance

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Branz Nutrition in the Media

Best Diets 2024  By Michelle Wilson

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Nutrition Blog & Latest News

Our team of Dietitians offers online support as well as in-person appointments in MO and IL.