You’ve seen the weight loss companies’ marketing – “This is a wellness program!” (with weekly weigh-ins.) “This is all about health!” (But the only thing we measure is weight.) “This show is all about wellness” (but is literally named “The Biggest Loser”)

People are getting wiser to the fact that diets almost never work (nope, not even if you call them a “lifestyle change”) but they still live in a fatphobic society. with a constant drumbeat of “thinner=better.” So the diet companies have spent some of their many millions of marketing dollars to figure out how to use language that gets past people’s defenses, while still leveraging their fear of being the victims of fatphobia to sell a product that is so unsuccessful that they are legally required to disclaim the chances of success every time they talk about it.

And as Size Acceptance and Health at Every Size become more popular (because they offer real, practical solutions) these companies are stealing their language and concepts to sell us bullshit diets – so you’re watching a commercial that is selling you weight loss while paying lip service to the idea that you can love yourself as you are. This is a subtle form of gaslighting.

Let’s let Chris McCumber, the president of USA Network which is “rebooting” The Biggest Loser show us how it’s done:

“We’re re-imagining ‘The Biggest Loser’ for today’s audiences, providing a new holistic, 360-degree look at wellness, while retaining the franchise’s competition format and legendary jaw-dropping moments,”

Yeah, no. Sorry Chris but you can’t do that. You can’t blend wellness with a competition to starve your body faster than other people to win money. “Holistic wellness” by any reasonable definition is not competitive, and does not include “legendary jaw-dropping moments.” The Biggest Loser was, is, and always will be an abomination of a show that does significant harm to its “contestants,” and everyone knows it.

We’ve managed to claw and scrape our way out of the diet industry’s grip, we’ve realized that the solution to fatphobia isn’t trying to change ourselves to please our bullies. Let’s make sure that we don’t get dragged back by ads designed to confuse us by stealing the language of our liberation to sell us the same old diets.

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

UPCOMING APPEARANCE!

Speaking of fat performers, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set as a guest performer at the FATCH – the Fat Sketch Comedy Group’s New Year, Same You show today! (January 10th) at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

 

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

 

We have a right to safe spaces – to create them, to maintain them, to participate in them, whether it’s a group we moderate, or just our own social media accounts.

For those who have chosen to create or moderate spaces that are anti-diet and weight loss talk, we can prioritize people who joined for the sanctuary from ubiquitous anti-fat diet and weight loss talk.

We are allowed to immediately delete any post or comment that threatens the safety of those spaces – whether it’s made out of ignorance or with the intent to harm. People who are in our spaces, breaking our rules, are not owed a debate, or the benefit of the doubt. We might choose to message them privately to help educate them, but if we do that is a courtesy, they aren’t owed that and we aren’t obligated to give it to them. We can simply keep our spaces safe for the people who deserve them.

In my experience (including as a mod for several groups with “no weight loss talk” rules,) the people putting weight loss talk into spaces with rules against it fall into four broad categories:

1. Cyberbullies – trolls who are purposely trying to harm fat people

2. People whose buy-in to the weight loss paradigm is so complete that it has convinced them that they are entitled to break the rules and talk about weight loss whenever and wherever they want.

3. People who feel that their weight loss is a special case (typically the “for my health” crowd) and thus believe they should be entitled to break the rule of “absolutely no weight loss talk” because their weight loss talk is somehow very extra special

4. People who saw “fat” in the name of the group, assumed that the group would be anti-fat, didn’t bother to read the rules, and then just went charging into the posts and comments with their bullshit

A common concern that well-intention people sometimes have is that “maybe we could change some of these people’s minds if we just worked with them.” And maybe we could, but every community that exists to support people around Size Acceptance and Health at Every Size does not have to allow disagreement and debate on the subject.

It is completely acceptable (and I would argue necessary) to have spaces that center the needs of people who are committed to practicing SA and HAES (rather than centering the needs of those who are still entrenched in the weight-loss paradigm, or are stuck in a state of liminality and paradigm straddling.) That requires not allowing discussion that is pro weight loss. As a queer person, I would say that suggesting that a fat-positive group must allow pro weight loss talk is a bit like suggesting that queer-positive groups must allow discussion that is pro reparative therapy.

We do not owe anyone a debate on our right to exist. We deserve spaces safe from the people and beliefs that oppress us, and we have every right to create and protect them.

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get bonus content, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video, and special deals on fat-positive stuff!)

UPCOMING APPEARANCE!

Speaking of fat performers, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set as a guest performer at the FATCH – the Fat Sketch Comedy Group’s New Year, Same You show on January 10th at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment began in 1944 as a response to WWII and a way to generate information around how to help people recover from starvation and famine. It was a small study with a limited sample of 36 cis men (out of 400 who applied) who volunteered, each a conscientious objector who expressed his desire to make a contribution to the war effort, as well as a strong belief in nonviolence. (The call for participants they answered asked  “Will You Starve That They Be Better Fed?”)

Content Note – this post contains information including calorie counts, weight loss and other information that may be triggering, especially for those dealing with eating disorders.

The Experiment

After a 3-month phase of what was considered “normal eating” (3,200 calories/day) the six month semi-starvation period began. This stage included

• Eating a predominantly vegetarian diet with 1/2 of their previous caloric intake (approximately 1,570 calories a day)
• Walk 22 miles per week
• Work 15 hours each week in a lab
• Spend 25 hours each week on educational activities
• Goal – losing about 2.5lbs per week

The physiological and psychological effects were significant. The participants experienced food obsession (including dreams, fantasies, staying up all night reading cookbooks and menus, as well as talking incessantly about food.) They developed rituals around food – diluting it with water, holding it in their mouths for extended periods of time without swallowing, taking hours to eat meals that had previously taken minutes, licking their plates and more.)

They smuggled food, hoarded kitchen implements, and chewed huge amounts of gum  (up to 40 packs a day) They experienced decreased stamina, strength, heart rate, and sex drives. They had edema (swelling, possibly due to drinking so much water to try to fill their stomachs,) and dizziness. They reported fatigue, irritability, depression, and decreased interest in social contact and personal hygiene. They complained of feeling “old” and constantly tired.

The semi-starvation phase was followed by the refeeding phase, starting with restricted rehabilitation (3 months of 2,000-3,200 calories a day) and then unrestricted rehabilitation (8 weeks of unlimited calories.)

While physical recovery started once enough food was given (they eventually determined that they needed 4,000 calories a day to recover,) psychologically the men’s symptoms worsened before they improved. Two experienced psychosis, one amputated three of his fingers while chopping wood, saying “I admit to being crazy mixed up at the time. I am not ready to say I did it on purpose. I am not ready to say I didn’t.” Within three months of refeeding the subjects had stabilized psychologically in most cases, but still had troubled relationships with food including many eating “more or less continuously” and some eating to the point of sickness.

Comparison to Modern Intentional Weight Loss Attempts

Let’s start here: Intentional weight loss is an attempt at manipulating food and exercise in order to give your body less sustenance than it needs,  in the hopes that it will consume itself and become smaller.

Caloric Intake:

The Starvation Study participants got 1,570 calories a day during “semi-starvation.” Even considering the differences that diets suggest for cis men and cis women (blatantly ignoring trans and nonbinary people) plenty of modern diets are based on even fewer calories. Noom is suggesting as few as 1,100 calories to people, Jenny Craig is about 1,200, Nutrisystem is 1,500 for cis men and 1,200 for cis women, Medifast is 800-1,000, there’s the diet where you eat 500 calories a day and get injections made from the urine of pregnant horses.

A common argument here is that the men didn’t start out fat so their experiences don’t apply to fat people dieting, but there are plenty of fat people who had similar experiences while dieting, and no reason to believe that those who live in fat bodies aren’t subject to the same reactions to starvation. Not to mention that, rather than just six months with a very specific end date like the experiment participants, fat people are expected to follow these diets for years (and, given the massive failure rate of diets, often on and off for the rest of our lives) with no refeeding period. (And that’s not even addressing the idea that it’s perfectly safe to just amputate most of your stomach in an effort to force you to restrict your caloric intake under 1,000 kcal/day for the rest of your life.)

Lifestyle

If we combine the 15 hours of lab work and 25 hours of educational activities, they are working 40 hours a week, an amount that can be far less than what many are expected to do on fewer calories.

Exercise

Another argument is that they had to walk 22 miles a week. Now, that might seem like a lot, but let’s talk about that whole “10,000 steps a day” thing. By rough estimates, 10,000  is about 5 miles, so currently, it is extremely common to recommend that people walk 35 miles a week. If we look at is in terms of activity time, 22 miles of walking is about 5.5-7 hours per week and many diets recommend more activity than that.

Results

The results will be familiar to those who have had the most common experiences of intentional weight loss attempts:

All of the men regained more than what they lost, (since they were allowed to stop dieting completely they eventually leveled out.)

Three subjects weren’t able to maintain the diet for even 6 months and their results were excluded. (One of the men described feeling “high” after eating extra food, stopping at 17 soda shops on the way home, then falling into despair because of his failure.)

One subject’s results were excluded because, despite semi-starvation, he failed to lose “enough” weight.

Despite being so thin that their bones were visible, many of the men did not perceive themselves as too thin, instead they began to think that everyone else looked fat.

Sixty years later the men discussed the fact that for years they had a recurring fear that food would be taken away.

In describing the experiment, the study authors wrote: “They were men who postponed their living, while they endured the awful present.”

That’s how they described eating more calories and doing less exercise than most modern diets suggest. Dieting isn’t just almost completely ineffectual, it can be dangerous – leading to negative psychological effects, and disturbed relationships with food including eating disorders. We don’t have to do this.  There is a better way

For a great overview of the Minnesota Starvation study check out this post from counseling student and activist Shira Cutler.

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

UPCOMING APPEARANCE!

Speaking of fat performers, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set as a guest performer at the FATCH – the Fat Sketch Comedy Group’s New Year, Same You show on January 10th at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

 

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

 

Reader Chris let me know about this study, in which researchers worked with “men and women” (cis being presumed, no mention of trans or nonbinary people) in a remote area of Nicaragua who had either regular access to television or no access to television, all of whom had basically no access to magazines or the internet.

The breakdown was stark – those without television access preferred larger bodies, those who watched TV preferred thinner bodies.

They did a further experiment, showing the villagers a series of pictures of larger or thinner women, and found that after seeing the images, their preferences adjusted in the same direction.

While one of the study’s authors had found the same effect in women in Western Societies previously, this had never been tested in non-industrial societies.

Study Co-author, Dr Jean-Luc Juckers said

“This study, utilizing a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods with non-Western participants, provides yet more empirical evidence that the mass media impact female body size ideals.”

Co-Author Dr. Tracey Thornborrow explained

“Our findings clearly demonstrate that perceptions of attractiveness are highly changeable, and are affected by what we are visually exposed to.”

This is important because of those people (who are often benefiting from the status quo) who insist that the fact that fat people don’t have positive representation in the media doesn’t have any negative effects.

It is harmful to us to not have positive representation, but it also perpetuates fatphobia as the media teaches people to see fat bodies in a negative light, even while they try to tell themselves that it’s natural to think those things about fat bodies.

This seemed particularly appropriate to talk about in light of the Golden Globes tonight, hosted by noted fatphobic, transphobic, ableist defender-of-white-dudes-using-the-n-word human trash pile Ricky Gervais, and the extreme lack of fat people nominated (which doesn’t really  set fat people apart from other marginalized groups including People of Color, Trans and non-binary people, and cis-women except in gendered categories that are specifically for them and exclude those who don’t fit into a strict gender binary.)

This is a direct reflection of the perpetuation of the thin beauty ideal. In the US, those who cast performers often cast first and foremost based on the performer’s ability to meet a stereotype of beauty rooted in cis, het, thin, white, able-bodiedness (unless the part specifically calls for something different, in which case it’s often rooted in negative stereotypes.) When it comes to fat people this robs us of the opportunity to have and be positive representation.

The truth is that thinness isn’t important at all. You could replace almost any leading role with a fat performer and the only thing that would actually have to change is people’s fatphobia at the thought of a fat performer in a leading role.

The study’s lead author, Professor Lynda Boothroyd, summed it up nicely:

“TV and advertising bosses have a moral responsibility to use actors, presenters and models of all shapes and sizes and avoid stigmatising larger bodies. There needs to be a shift towards a ‘health at every size’ attitude and the media has an important role to play in that.”

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

UPCOMING APPEARANCE!

Speaking of fat performers, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set as a guest performer at the FATCH – the Fat Sketch Comedy Group’s New Year, Same You show on January 10th at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

 

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

 

In my blog post about Health at Every Size and the burden of proof, I talked about having research to back up the idea that intentional weight loss is a good idea. I got a lot of questions about exactly what that research would have to show, so I thought I’d write about that today with the understanding that even if research showed that weight loss was 1. possible and 2. not harmful, fat people would still be under no obligation to try to lose weight and would still deserve full access to the world.

Ethical Research Practices
The research around weight loss doesn’t just show poor outcomes, it’s typically poorly done – huge numbers of subjects drop out and are not, in any way, accounted for in conclusions, people lose 5 pounds over two years and the intervention is called “successful” etc. Good research would have to be done with ethical research practices.

Significant
There would have to be a significant amount of weight loss. There’s a lot of confusion here because the medical profession and weight loss companies keep moving the goal post (and still failing to declare victory.) Originally they went by the very strict Met Life height/weight tables, but they couldn’t get people to lose that much weight so they started saying 20% was significant, but they couldn’t get people to lose 20% of their weight, so they dropped it to 10%, and then 5%.) Those numbers were each, in turn, referred to as the amount of weight that needed to be lost for “clinical significance.” They aren’t the result of research, but rather of simple attrition because of the massive failure of intentional weight loss attempts. If a healthcare provider is using BMI categories (which are bullshit, but if that’s what they are using then an amount of weight loss that I could achieve with a haircut and vigorous loofah in the shower shouldn’t count.

Long-term
Almost everyone is able to achieve short term weight loss, but almost everyone regains their weight (with the majority gaining back more than they lost) within 2-5 years. So what many studies do is only study people for a few weeks to a maximum of 2 years. For example, the conclusion is basically “Subjects lost 10 pounds in year one, by the end of year two they had gained back five pounds, so we stopped weighing them, and claim success because most subjects were lower than they started.” Without explaining that the trajectory suggested that weight gain would continue. The choice of weight loss company’s to only do short-term studies (indeed, one of the founders of our movement Lynn McAfee was at the Federal Trade Commission meeting about Deceptive Trade Practices when Weight Watchers refused to commission longer studies because “the results will be too depressing for our clients.”  It’s very basic scientific fact that someone losing a little weight short-term (which research shows is possible) does not, in any way, suggest that anyone can lose a lot of weight and/or maintain weight-loss long-term (which there are no studies to support.)

Causality

Even if research showed that significant, long-term weight loss was possible for most people (and it doesn’t!) it would also have to show that weight loss attempts not only lead to significant, long-term weight loss, but also that they also cause health improvements.

We are in a place right now where tons of healthcare practitioners claim that losing 5% of our body weight will lead to health improvements. Even if you believe that, the issue here is causality. Someone changes their behaviors – perhaps they add more water, some movement, more sleep etc. – they experience health benefits and, at least in the short term, a little weight loss. Because of the fatphobia inherent in our medical system, hcp’s automatically assume  that the weight loss caused the health improvement, when it’s just (or more) likely that the health improvements were caused by the behavior change (especially considering large studies like Wei et. al, Matheson et. al. and the Cooper Institute Longitudinal Studies have found that behaviors correlate to health benefits regardless of weight, and we don’t find those same health benefits from, for example, liposuction.)

To me (understanding that health is not an obligation, barometer of worthiness, or entirely within our control) the research that exists around weight and health made my choice to follow Health at Every Size blatantly obvious.  Of course other people are allowed to make different choices for themselves, but if they want to try to convince me – including and especially if they are a healthcare practitioner trying to tell me that weight loss will make me healthier – they’ll need to provide some actual evidence.

Finally, just to be clear, even if there was research that becoming thinner was possible and would lead to greater health, fat people still wouldn’t be obligated to pursue it (just like nobody is forced to get enough sleep if they can, just because it’s shown to improve health,) because fat people have a right to live in fat bodies without shame, stigma, bullying or oppression and it doesn’t matter why we’re fat, or if we could become thin(ner).

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

UPCOMING APPEARANCE!

I mentioned that I want to have more fun with my activism this year. As part of that, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set as a guest performer at the FATCH New Year, Same You show on January 10th at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

Debating around Health at Every Size (HAES) is something that has been coming up a lot in e-mails that I’m answering so I decided to just address it here.

Before I get too far into this, a quick reminder that Health at Every Size is a paradigm for health and healthcare (including mental health, personal health, public health, and healthcare) which advocates for weight-neutral health paradigm that includes things like dismantling oppression, and creating equal access. An individual’s personal health, by any definition, isn’t an obligation, barometer of worthiness, entirely within our control, or anyone else’s business unless we ask them to make it our business. And nobody has to practice “health” by any definition to be covered by Size Acceptance, which encompasses the fact that fat people (of any health status) have the right to exist in fat bodies without shame, stigma, bullying, or oppression, and it doesn’t matter why they are fat or if they could or want to become thin.

Also, a reminder that while you are certainly allowed to choose to engage in a discussion/debate/argument etc., you are not obligated to justify your choices to people. You are allowed to make choices about your health and, if people question them, simply say “I’m not interested in discussing this with you, luckily there are lots of things to talk about!” and/or change the subject “Hey, did you know that Cap’n Crunch’s boat is named the S.S. Guppy?” and/or just find a reason to get out of the conversation “Hey, look, bundt cake!” then charge confidently across the room.

If you do decide to debate, you can also set the terms. When I end up in a situation where a weight-loss vs HAES paradigm/intervention is being discussed/debated one-on-one, my first instinct is to give the person I’m discussing it with a ton of research/evidence (this is an excellent source for that research by the way). To me, that’s the clearest way to explain, plus I talk about the studies all the time at speaking gigs, so I have the studies and associated numbers top of mind.

The problem is that the thinner = healthier paradigm is so ingrained in our culture (thanks diet companies!) that people think they can negate a mountain of evidence with an “everybody knows” argument, or with anecdata (my friend’s husband’s second cousins’ babysitter’s mom lost weight blah blah blah.)

I have learned that – especially with someone who is suggesting that I should engage in an intentional weight loss attempt (like, for example, a doctor) – it can be very helpful to put the burden of proof on them, often by saying something like

“My evaluation of the research is that significant, sustained weight loss is the least likely outcome of an intentional weight loss attempt,  with the most unlikely outcome of a weight loss attempt being weight gain. Can you show me the evidence that you have that refutes that?’

In my experience language like this has worked best with healthcare providers, but obviously your mileage may vary, and you might want to take a different track because of what’s comfortable for you, and/or who you are talking to.

Some plainer language:

“My research shows that most of the time diets don’t work, and most people gain back the weight, it sounds like you disagree with that – can you tell me the studies you are basing your option on?”

Or less aggressive language:

“That’s a really interesting recommendation, I’d love to read more about that. What studies do you think would be best to read?”

Spoiler alert – regardless of the language you choose, there isn’t any research that actually refutes it There is no study where more than a tiny fraction of participants maintain significant weight loss long-term (for more than 5 years.)

Note that the conversation is different if someone is suggesting stomach amputation or dangerous diet drugs since in addition to questionable efficacy, these so-called interventions risk one’s life and quality of life. In this case I simply explain that no possible outcome of the surgery is worth risking my life or quality of life.

Perhaps most importantly, remember that we can only ever control whether or not we give someone information, we can never control the reaction or outcome. Even when confronted with research, people can still choose to bring “everybody knows” to an evidence fight.

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

UPCOMING APPEARANCE!

I mentioned that I want to have more fun with my activism this year. As part of that, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set as a guest performer at the FATCH New Year, Same You show on January 10th at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

In a community I am in online, someone asked if it’s medical fatphobia (aka weight-stigma) for healthcare providers to refuse surgeries to fat people because anesthesia poses greater risks for fat patients.

This is definitely fatphobic and, more insidiously, fatphobia (including internalized fatphobia) can dupe us into believing that if a healthcare provider can claim that it’s more difficult to treat fat people, then it’s perfectly reasonable (and not fatphobic) to refuse to treat us.

Let’s start here, the job of healthcare providers is to give healthcare to the people who need it. It’s not about refusing care to anyone who isn’t the easiest case.

In this specific case there are plenty of situations that make anesthesia more complicated or risky, but with those who aren’t fat, the research has actually been done to figure out how to mitigate the risks as much as possible. With fat people, the medical establishment tends to just throw up their hands and refuse (unless, of course, we are having our stomach amputated in a desperate bid to become thin that may ruin our quality of life or kill us, then the office absolutely understands how to accommodate fat patients and suddenly anesthesia is no problem.) In fact, fat patients who are refused simple surgeries because anesthesia is “too risky” are often counseled to get “weight loss surgeries” that threaten not only their lives, but their quality of life.) That is blatant fatphobia.

So to answer the question, yes it’s fatphobic, and it’s also fatphobic to claim that it’s not.

The medical establishment’s insistence on treating fat patient’s lives as less valuable and more riskable than thin patients is, quite literally, deadly.  If a procedure is more risky for fat patients there are several questions to be asked:

1. Is this actually true, or is the weight bias that is inherent n so much research giving us incorrect information? (In which case the solution is better, more ethical, research practices)

2. Is this actually true, or is doctors’ weight bias causing the problem. (In which case the solution is doctors who aren’t weight-bigots, and who take their oath seriously for all patients, not just the thin ones.)

3. If it is true, is it caused by the weight stigma that leads to fat people not being included in research when it comes to medical interventions and devices, and fat people and bodies not being included in medical education? (The solution to this is to do research that includes/focuses on fat bodies, and to include fat people, bodies, and a fat-positive perspective in medical education so that students not only don’t get to practice with fat people/bodies, but by extension get the idea that only thin patients are worthy of good care.)

4. If it is true, and the risks can’t be mitigated, what are the options to care for the fat patient? (Rather than trying to make them into a patient who looks different, especially since the vast majority of intentional weight loss attempts end in weight gain.)

Again, it’s not just about individual healthcare providers (though a good HCP would demand training and research so that they can give excellent care to patients of all sizes,) it’s about the systemic, institutional bigotry that makes healthcare providers unable (and allows them to be unwilling) to provide the same competent care to fat patients that they give to thin patients. 

It’s also a self-fulfilling bigotry. We keep hearing that more than half of people fall into (total bullshit, but I’ll talk about it here because we’re talking about how the medical community deals with weight) BMI categories that denote fatness. But surgeons do most of their work on thin patients? The history of refusing to treat fat patients (rather than figuring out how to best treat fat patients,) is what creates the present justification to refuse to treat fat patients (rather than, again, figuring out how to best treat fat patients.)

Fat patients deserve better than medical fatphobia.

A lot of people make a New Years Resolution to join a gym or to go to a gym more. As always, “fitness” by any definition is not an obligation, barometer of worthiness, or guaranteed under any circumstance, and people who participate are not better than those who don’t (running a marathon and having a Netflix marathon are, indeed, morally equivalent activities.) But for those who are thinking about joining the gym (or just starting to go to the gym they joined!) I have some suggestions for a better experience.

This is a, well, let’s call it a unique time of year to join a gym because gyms are about to be packed to the gills with people. It does die down – by mid-February you won’t be waiting in lines for equipment, there won’t be a line at the front desk to check-in, and you will be able to get a bike in spin class without showing up two hours early and slipping a 20 to the front desk attendant.

For many people the gym is a big scary place.  I’m a gym rat from way back so for me it’s really more like home.  All the sights, sounds – yes, lord help me, even the smells – of the gym make me feel comfortable.  Again, going to the gym, or any kind of movement or exercise, is not any kind of obligation – whether or not someone chooses to move their body within their ability is absolutely their choice (and is a choice that can be limited by external circumstances) and all choices are valid.

Choosing a Gym

This is a matter of money, vibe, location, and what you need in a gym. Typically more money means more amenities, so if you’re on a budget you might have to prioritize what’s most important to you.  I once toured a gym that had a $10/month membership fee but didn’t have locker rooms.  That obviously works for some people, but it doesn’t work for me.  There are gyms that are snotty, gyms that are laid back, gyms that are more based on group exercise and gyms that don’t even have a cardio room.  Some have a pool, some have a pilates center, massage tables, juice bar etc.

It’s worth it to take the time to check out the gyms in your area and see what’s available (a lot of this can be done online.) Go and see where you feel comfortable. Take advantage of free trials.  Some of them will have incredibly pushy salespeople who say that you can only get this special if you sign up Right.  This.  Second.  Ask to speak to a manager and ask what’s wrong with their gym that they don’t think it will stand up to a little comparison shopping.  Then ask for the deal in writing and two weeks to make a decision.  Be prepared to negotiate down to a week or so and your mileage may vary, but this has always worked for me.

Being a Newbie:

First, try to have some old-timer empathy.  Imagine if you shopped at a store 5 times a week every week for years.  Then all of a sudden the store is filled with new people who don’t know where anything is, they start moving things around etc.  Suddenly your 30-minute shopping trip takes 2 hours and the things that you buy 5 times a week are all sold out.  Of course it’s nobody’s fault, they were newbies once too, and you have every right to be there and use the gym (and it’s not an excuse for them to be an ass,) but some empathy can help.

Take a deep breath, everyone around you was once a newbie too – none of us was born knowing how to adjust machines that look complicated enough to require launch codes.  If your gym offers classes to help you learn to use the equipment, it may behoove you to take them.  If you aren’t sure how to adjust a machine:  Do ask a friendly-looking person.  Do ask someone at the front desk for help.  Don’t ask a personal trainer who is in session – remember that someone is paying that person for their undivided attention.

Look around before you just start grabbing things and moving them around. Think of it as a new job, you learn the office etiquette before you start playing your radio, making coffee, etc. It’s the same at the gym–figure out what’s appropriate before you re-arrange furniture like it’s “Trading Spaces–the Weight Room Addition”.

When you go into a group class for the first time, it may help to stand back around the edges for a little while to get the lay of the land. Pay attention to things like how far apart people tend to stand – unless you want to tell your grandkids about that time you got kicked in the head in step class.

People might say ridiculous things to you.  While it’s pretty rare that someone says or behaves in a way that is mean, plenty of people may behave in a way that is annoying.  Some people may congratulate you for starting an exercise program (even if you’ve had an exercise plan for the last 10 years) or encourage you on your weight loss, even though you aren’t interested in manipulating your body size. While this is a very real concern, I personally think that if I stay home because people might be jerks, I’m the one who loses out in the end, so I strategize.

Of course it’s your choice how you deal with this: thank them while you think really hard about rolling your eyes, use it as a teachable moment for Health at Every Size/Size Acceptance, put Bengay on their sweat towel (that was a joke, please don’t do that).  Whatever you choose I would recommend practicing some options beforehand.  It’s harder than you might think to say what you intended to say when you are sweaty, exhausted, and surprised by a perfect stranger weighing in on their assumptions about your life choices.

A last note:  I’ve noticed at my gym, it’s as if every year there’s a “newbie class” who meet each other and then wave and say hi at the gym forever.  It’s not that they all hang out or even chat very much, it’s just that in 2008 they all survived being gym newbies who work out around 6pm, and now they are bonded.  It’s pretty cool.  I’ve traditionally been a late night worker outer.  We seem to have a camaraderie all our own.  While we basically communicate only through grunting and pointing,  when you lift weights with someone at 3 in the morning a few times a week for a while, you’ve bonded.

A last, last note about the gym and Health At Every Size.  Fitness is NOT an obligation, and the gym is NOT the only path to fitness.  So if you think it would be fun to take water aerobics or spin class, if you love the elliptical or the idea of getting strong through weight lifting then I highly encourage you to try the gym.  If you want to move more but you’d rather have a root canal than come to the gym then it’s completely cool for you to find a movement option that makes you happy!

If you want some support, feel free to check out Fit Fatties, it is a fun and supportive group, founded by two fathletes, for people of all sizes who are interested in talking about fitness from a weight-neutral perspective.

If you’re feeling some gymtimidation, I wrote about dealing with that in a piece for the Better Humans platform.

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

In case you missed it, my adorable dog and I have a poem to help you resolve (for the first time, or again) to ditch diets. I’m having fun doing videos like this so there will definitely be more – if you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

UPCOMING APPEARANCE

I mentioned that I want to have more fun with my activism this year. As part of that, I’ll be doing a stand-up comedy set at the FATCH New Year, Same You show on January 10th at 9pm at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Sunset in Los Angeles. Tickets and info can be found here (Accessibility info: there is a fat-friendly bench in the front, the rest of the seating is stadium theater seats with arms up at least one step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, but there is limited space for wheelchairs.)

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.

If you are renewing your resolution to ditch diets, or if you’re tempted to give dieting one more last try, then I wrote this for you! (Video has captions and the full poem is in the description.)

If you’re curious, it took Bu two and a half takes to fall asleep, this was take four!

CREDITS
Written by: Ragen Chastain

Poetry Consultant: Lesleigh Owen

Bu’s Costuming Assistant: Julianne Wotasik
Bu’s On-Set Assistant: Lesleigh Owen

No Bu’s were harmed in the making of this video, though he did get a good nap.

Based on the original work “A Visit From St. Nicholas”
by: Clement Clarke Moore
©Ragen Chastain 2019

Was this helpful? If you appreciate the work that I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time tip or by becoming a member. (Members get special deals on fat-positive stuff, a monthly e-mail keeping them up to date on the work their membership supports, and the ability to ask me questions that I answer in a members-only monthly Q&A Video!)

Sick of diet talk? Want to tell fatphobes to take a hike? Want to explain how important fat-friendly seating is? There are songs for that. Jeanette DePatie and I have collaborated on some revamped holiday songs that we are releasing between now and the new year! Below is a playlist of the songs we’ve released so far. If you want to make sure not to miss future videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Like this blog?  Here’s more cool stuff:

Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective.  This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Body Love Obstacle Course

This e-course that includes coaching videos, a study guide, and an ebook with the tools you need to create a rock-solid relationship with your body. Our relationships with our bodies don’t happen in a vacuum, so just learning to see our beauty isn’t going to cut it. The world throws obstacles in our way – obstacles that aren’t our fault, but become our problem. Over the course of this program, Ragen Chastain, Jeanette DePatie, and six incredible guest coaches will teach you practical, realistic, proven strategies to go above, around, and through the obstacles that the world puts in front of you when it comes to living an amazing life in the body you have now.
Price: $99.00
($79.00 for DancesWithFat members – register on the member page)

Love It! 234 Inspirations And Activities to Help You Love Your Body
This is filled with thoughtful advice from the authors Jeanette DePatie, Ragen Chastain, and Pia Sciavo-Campo as well as dozens of other notable names from the body love movement, the book is lovingly illustrated with diverse drawings from size-positive artist Toni Tails.
Price: $9.99 softcover, $7.99 Kindle, ($6.95 + free shipping for DancesWithFat Members)

Non-Members click here for all the details and to register!

Book and Dance Class Sale!  I’m on a journey to complete an IRON-distance triathlon, and I’m having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!  (DancesWithFat Members get an even better deal, make sure to make your purchases from the Members Page!)

Book Me!  I’d love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!

I’m (still!) training for an Iron-distance triathlon! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com .

If you are uncomfortable with my offering things for sale on this site, you are invited to check out this post.