These days weight, and what to do about it, is highly controversial.  Fatness is now assumed by many to be an unequivocal marker of health status.  There is also the pervasive assumption not only that weight itself is the problem, but also that dieting is the answer.  Dieting for weight loss and preoccupation with body shape and size is a highly culturalised phenomenon which is so widespread that it has become normative in western society.  It is so deeply entrenched that alternatives to weight loss dieting and studies which show a protective effect of fatness are often met with undue scepticism and sometimes outright outrage.

Not only has the damaging effect of excess weight often been (sometimes ridiculously) overstated, but there is scant long-term evidence that traditional weight loss interventions achieve what they set out to achieve.  As an added blow, these interventions have been shown, where investigated, to lead to exacerbated problems with body image, depression, disordered eating and weight regain for most by five years.  Restrictive dieting for weight loss is ineffective in the long term for 95% of people.  Some dietitians and psychologists, although well-meaning and highly trained, may be contributing to the problem. 

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The Non-Diet Approach is a weight-neutral practice model for use with health care clients of any size who voluntarily choose to focus on overcoming weight bias and turning attention to building sustainable patterns of health promoting behaviours.