Thank you for choosing to take this self-assessment for healthcare professionals.
The purpose of the self-assessment is to bring awareness of the impact of weight stigma and weight bias in diabetes care.
Most professionals are unaware of their particular thoughts on these views. As a professional taking the self-assessment provides you with an opportunity to reflect more deeply on these topics. There is no ‘right’ or ‘good' category, so it's typical to have a wide range of ideas regarding weight.
Professionals Who Are Weight-Centered
Are curious and are starting to look at their own thoughts and beliefs about weight, health, and nutrition.
Overcome the barrier of our own unawareness of the inherent weight bias present in the current research is challenging. Looking objectively at diet culture is a process that requires time and support. Many health professionals are choosing to embrace and promote health without focusing on weight, weight loss, or restricting food intake. These individuals are often grouped as ‘non-diet’ professionals. Like you, many professionals are learning not just about diet-culture but about their own thoughts regarding size, body image, and weight-stigma.
The following are FREE WEIGHT-NEUTRAL SUGGESTIONS to start your journey.
Association for Size Diversity and Health
Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) has created a YouTube video explaining diet culture called “Poodle Science.”
Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs
Mindful Eating White Paper for healthcare providers. Provided by Am I Hungry, these white papers use the Mindful Eating Cycle to explain the Health At Every Size (HAES) approach to food and eating. Mindful Eating White Paper. Powerful Conversations to Lead the Shift from Weight to Well-being.
The 3 Roots of Mindful Eating
The 3 Roots of Mindful Eating is a free eBook written which explains the spirit of mindful eating and helps understand the value of non-judgment, mindfulness, and self-compassion surrounding food and eating.
Inclusive Diabetes Care Community
Health care professionals are welcome to join the IDC Professional Facebook Group. This group can help you explore how to offer diabetes care from an inclusive lens.
Weight Inclusive Nutrition & Dietetics
The WIND webinars
cover a range of topics related to weight-inclusive nutrition and dietetics. Most of the webinars available were first presented as a session at one of our WIND events. We provide these webinars, in addition to our in-person events, to make this information more accessible to practitioners interested in this framework.
EDRD Pro
You can watch the EDRD Pro webinar “A Critical Appraisal of the Weight Normative vs Weight Inclusive Paradigms” by Laura Thomas, PhD.
Professionals Who Are Weight-neutral
Are often finding their voice and are learning how to be comfortable advocating a weight-inclusive approach to health and nutrition in general or for specific health concerns such as diabetes.
The following are FREE WEIGHT-NEUTRAL SUGGESTIONS to support your journey. Just click on the bold text below each image to learn more.
Diabetes Reversal
Go beyond the headlines and deepen your understanding of diabetes reversal studies, including the DIRECT trial. Your copy of Diabetes Reversal: Exploring the Research Behind the Headlines provides a detailed review of research to help you effectively talk to clients about the risks, benefits, and sustainability of intensive lifestyle change. Download Here
Why A Weight-Neutral Approach is Essential in Diabetes Care
Take this opportunity to learn about significant research supporting the statement that sustainable weight loss is not possible for a significant majority of people. This ebook is easy to understand because it unpacks the larger issues surrounding weight loss by providing the information in a question and answer format to support your learning.
Diabetes Counseling & Educational Activities: Helping Clients without Harping on Weight
Now you can download the first chapter of this popular weight-neutral diabetes care book! It includes 10 weight-centered research assumptions about diabetes to challenge, and a clear understanding of HOW to talk about weight-neutral diabetes care with your clients. Download Here
Weight Inclusive Professionals
Are learning how to critique and advocate for non-biased research investigating health behaviors over which individuals have control. Here are four ways to increase your comfort with understanding the research surrounding the weight-inclusive approach.
Additional Weight-neutral Training
Learn about specific certifications and training. The space for weight inclusion can is dominated by White Bodies. Take time to learn from and include Bodies of Culture as part of your training. These include Whitney Trotter, The BIPOC Eating Disorder Conference. Additional opportunities include enrolling in the BeNourished Body Trust Provider Certification, the Am I Hungry training, Certified in Intuitive Eating, or enroll in an in-depth structured Mindful Eating certificate program offered by The Center for Mindful Eating.
Professional Education on Size Diversity
Join a professional organization that promotes size diversity such as the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) and the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA).
Professional Education on Disordered Eating
Join a professional organization that explores disordered eating and the needs of both White bodies, and Bodies of Culture/BIPOC concerns such as the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP), the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) or the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA).
Weight Liberated Professionals
Individuals who are weight-liberated advocate for social justice for all bodies and are able to speak to the intersection between gender, sexuality, and empowerment, and thus are acting in alignment with a weight-inclusive approach.
Attending in-person advanced counseling training such as motivational interviewing, mindful eating, and body image workshops and retreats. These lists of learning opportunities can be found on The Mindful Dietitian or The Center for Mindful Eating.
Seek supervision from a qualified professional for Motivational Interviewing, Mindful Eating, or Eating Disorder training. These lists of learning opportunities can be found on The Mindful Dietitian, The Center for Mindful Eating, and Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.
Apply for advanced training in Motivational Interviewing, Mindful Eating, or certification for Eating Disorder Training, Intuitive Eating Certification, or a structured certificate program in mindful eating from The Center for Mindful Eating