Why a Non-Diet Approach?

What the research tells us about dieting:

Graph describing how healthy habits improve health regardless of BMI

Matheson EM, King DE, Everett CJ. *Click the image for full research article

Health is NOT Dependent on Weight

Research shows that certain behavior changes improve a person’s health status, regardless of weight. In a study of over 11,000 men and women, mortality rates decreased with more healthy habits, regardless of a person’s body mass index (BMI).

4 women with different body shapes

Though diet and exercise are often blamed for a person’s body, it is actually a lot more complicated. Genetics, medical conditions, medications, access to food, access to physical space, mental health, food preferences and age also play a role.

Diet cycle image- showing how dieting always leads back to more dieting

Bodies Come in Different Shapes and Sizes

Diets do NOT work

Many diets are inherently restrictive, focusing on cutting out specific food groups or severely reducing overall calorie intake. While this may lead to short-term weight loss, it's often unsustainable in the long run, leading to feelings of deprivation and ultimately causing individuals to revert back to their old eating habits at which point lost weight is regained and often additional weight is added.

Figure indicating the negative health implications of weight cycling

Rhee EJ. * click the image to access research article

Harmful effects of weight cycling

Repeatedly losing weight and regaining weight are worse for metabolic health than staying at a higher weight. Research shows that weight cycling increases the likelihood of developing chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Image of the word Harmful

Dieting in adolescence. *Click the image to access the research article

Negative Impact of Diet Culture on Kids

Dieting is associated with food preoccupation, distractibility, fatigue, and a tendency to overeat. Dieting also has been shown to impact mental health. Research shows that kids participating in a structured weight-loss program had a decline in self-esteem. Additionally, dieting is associated with a five-fold to 18-fold increased risk of developing an eating disorder. Dieting is rarely effective in the long term and actually often leads to more weight gain.

An Alternative Approach:

The EveryBody Way

The EveryBody way will help you break free from the detrimental impact of diet culture.

The goal is no longer unattainable or fleeting, rather the goal is learning to be in your here-and-now body, to find pleasure in eating, to feel nourished and satisfied by food, to feel invigorated by movement and to foster respect for your body. At a quick glance, weight-inclusive care appears to be a “do nothing” approach, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Instead the focus is on discovering what makes you feel your best.

The journey to food freedom and body respect will vary from person to person. No two clients are the same. At EveryBody Nutrition Counseling, LLC, I prioritize individualized care for each client. My approach is tailored to meet your specific nutritional needs, lifestyle, and goals and I will be there to support and guide you through the process.

I look forward to working with you!

What is Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive Eating provides a framework for tuning out diet culture messages and tuning into your body’s needs. Registered dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, developed 10 principles to help individuals find their way toward a better relationship with food and body. Their method has been well-studied (over 200 research papers to date) consistently showing improvements in things like:

  • Lower body mass index BMI (*While this result is found in research regarding Intuitive Eating, it is not the goal/focus of the framework)

  • Lower triglycerides

  • Higher HDLs (“good” cholesterol)

  • Higher self-esteem

  • Increased well-being and optimism

  • Body appreciation and acceptance,

  • Proactive coping skills and psychological hardiness

  • Unconditional self-regard

  • Pleasure from eating

  • Increased variety of foods eaten

  • Lower internalized thin ideal, eating disorders, emotional eating, and self-silencing

My Story

Katie Badger and baby

I grew up in a loving family with many privileges.  I also grew up in a family where diet culture had a strong presence. Dieting was a common topic in my house and much emphasis was placed on body shape and size. If you didn't like the way your body looked, the answer was to change it. I grew up with a body that was bigger than my mom's or sister's which added to my struggles. 

Throughout my life, I attempted to change my body through various diets and exercise routines. Anything that initially resulted in weight loss, ultimately led to regaining the weight (plus some). 

After college I found a passion in Pilates. I went on to become a Pilates instructor. During that time, I held the belief that without a certain diet, exercise alone was not sufficient. With a passion for helping others, I decided to go back to school and earn my Master's degree in Nutrition from Framingham State University and become a licensed Registered Dietitian. My education and internships provided me with a strong understanding of medical nutrition therapy, but from a very weight-centric lens. Fresh out of school I was equipped with the tools to promote weight loss, but something didn't feel quite right. Patients would come seeking weight loss help, we would come up with a plan, and, if weight was lost, the results were temporary. I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the right approach and I wasn't comfortable continuing to counsel patients in a way that led to this back-and-forth, frustrating path. 

I began searching for answers. That is when I found the Intuitive Eating framework, the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy, and impressive activists promoting weight -inclusive care. The framework and philosophy instantly resonated with me.

    • MS | Nutrition and Dietetics, Framingham State University (coordinated program)

    • Master of Environmental Education, University of New Hampshire

    • BA | Environmental Education, James Madison University

    • Registered Dietitian, Commission on Dietetic Registration

    • Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor | The Original Intuitive Eating Pros

      (Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN)

    • Certified Lactation Counselor

The dog Howard

I live with my fun-loving husband who keeps me well-fed from the vegetable garden he cultivates, my two sweet children (now 3 and 5) who have brought to life the world of feeding families, and of course the family dog, Howard, a 95 pound lap dog who appreciates the finer tastes of kibble!