Health at Every Size
A page within Rec Sports
Embracing Health at Every Size®
Rec Sports embraces the Heath at Every Size® (HAES®) approach which principles a weight inclusive framework, promoting size-acceptance, health equity, ending weight discrimination, and lessening the cultural obsession with weight loss and thinness. HAES® believes the traditional approaches to weight loss is not only ineffective, but that dieting, and food restriction can cause physical, emotional, and spiritual harm.
Rec Sports will continue the fight against diet culture and strives to create an environment that celebrates, supports, and affirms everyone of all sizes.
Health at Every Size® Principles
Weight Inclusivity
- Accept and respect the inherent diversity of body shapes and sizes and reject the idealizing or pathologizing of specific weights.
Health Enhancement
- Support health policies that improve and equalize access to information and services for the improvement of human well-being; with attention also devoted to individual physical, economic, social, spiritual, emotional, and other needs
Eating for Well-Being
- Promote flexible, individualized eating based on hunger, satiety, nutritional needs, and pleasure, rather than any externally regulated eating plan focused on weight control.
Respectful Care
- Acknowledge our biases and work to end weight discrimination, weight stigma, and weight bias. Provide information and services from an understanding that socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and other identities impact weight stigma, and support environments that address these inequities.
Life-Enhancing Movement
- Support physical activities that allow people of all sizes, abilities, and interests to engage in enjoyable movement to the degree that they choose.
Myth Vs. Fact
Myth: Body Mass Index (BMI) is an accurate measure of health.
Fact: BMI was created by mathematician Adolphe Quetelet who designed it for the purpose of statistics and to justify race science; it was not created to be used as an individual measure of health and can cause harm when used.
(Aubrey Gordon, The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI)
Myth: Diabetes and heart disease are caused by "obesity."
Fact: "Obesity" is not the cause of specific illnesses rather genes and lifestyle choices play a greater role than weight in the development of all diseases associated with weight. Instead, scientific research has consistently revealed that so called weight-related issues can be treated effectively with little to no weight loss, and solely through positive changes in lifestyle behaviors such as eating habits and exercise.
Definitions
Diet Culture by Christy Harrison: is a system of beliefs that worships thinness and equates it to health and moral virtue. Promotes weight loss as a means of attaining higher status. Demonizes ways of eating while elevating others. Oppresses people who don't match up with its supposed picture of "health"
Body Mass Index: Is calculated by taking weight and dividing by height to determine a a number that is then sorted in one of the following ranges, underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese.
Weight Stigma: the discriminatory acts and ideologies targeted towards individuals because of their weight and size.
Recreational Eagle Center (REC) Hours
May 13-May 19
Monday - Saturday: 12pm-6pm
Sunday: Closed
Contact Us
608.785.5225
recoffice@uwlax.edu
Outdoor Connection (OC) Hours
May 13-May 19 CLOSED
Contact Us
608.785.8860
outdoorcnt@uwlax.edu
Fitness Center Hours
May 13-May 19
Monday - Saturday: 12pm-6pm
Sunday: Closed
Contact Us
608.785.5210
recoffice@uwlax.edu
EZONE Esports & Gaming Hours
May 13-19
Monday - Saturday: 12pm-6pm
Sunday: Closed
Contact Us
608.785.8921
recsportsesports@uwlax.edu
Mitchell Hall Pool Hours
CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER
Contact Us
608.785.8698
recoffice@uwlax.edu
Fieldhouse Hours
Access to the Fieldhouse during open rec hours is restricted to those who have a current REC membership (student, faculty/staff, alumni).
Finals Week Open Rec Hours (May 6-May 12)
Sunday: Closed
Second Floor Track Hours
Managed by the Athletic Department
Monday-Friday: 11am-1pm
The open walking hours at the fieldhouse for current faculty, staff and students will end for the semester on May 10. There will be no summer open walking. Open walking with begin again on the first day of classes on Sept. 3, 2024
Contact Us
608.785.5225
recoffice@uwlax.edu