The End of Dieting? Debate Throws Obesity Science Into Doubt

Sept. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- If dietitians are the frontlines in the war on weight, détente may be in the offing. In a first for the influential American Dietetic Association, the organization will pit conventional obesity research against a new paradigm, Health at Every Size (HAES), in a September 25th program that asks, "The War on Obesity: A Battle Worth Fighting?"

If you cover diet, health science, or health care, don't miss this pivotal event! HAES's debut at the ADA's FNCE conference in San Diego, could signal a paradigm shift in modern medicine's so far fruitless efforts at "weight control." The so-called obesity epidemic may be - if HAES science is right - a misdiagnosis of what ails Americans, entirely manageable through other means. Health at Every Size challenges the value of encouraging weight loss and dieting, and argues for a shift towards weight-neutral outcomes and unrestricted "mindful" eating.

Until recently, requests to include HAES at conference meetings were denied, but this year, ADA members wrote in demanding its representation. ADA officers agreed, but with a caveat: Unlike typical ADA panels, this session will be a point-counterpoint debate, with one speaker for HAES, and one presenting the "other side."

The conventional anti-obesity paradigm will be represented by John Foreyt, PhD, professor of medicine and director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Foreyt, a well-known authority and veteran of several federal obesity panels shaping public policy, has published 17 books and more than 300 articles.

Making the case for Health at Every Size will be Linda Bacon, PhD, associate nutritionist at the University of California, Davis, and a nutrition professor in the biology department of City College of San Francisco. An internationally recognized authority on weight and health, Dr. Bacon has published in top scientific journals and wrote the acclaimed bestseller, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight - the "bible" of the new anti-anti-obesity paradigm, according to Prevention magazine.  

"My research results confirm that people can best improve their health and well-being when they kick the diet habit," Bacon said, "and I'm hoping dietitians will take the lead.

"I'm grateful to the ADA and Dr. Foreyt for giving a hearing to the most basic questions about whether a 'War on Obesity' is either necessary or valuable," she continued. "I look forward to a robust discussion in San Diego."

Learn more about Linda Bacon, PhD, here (http://www.lindabacon.org), and view the ADA  FNCE website for more information on the September 25 debate (http://fnce.eatright.org/fnce/SessionDetails.aspx?Session...).

Contact: Linda Bacon, (510) 542-7317 linda@lindabacon.org

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Prof. Linda Bacon, PhD, an International authority on weight and health, advocates for Health at Every Size. Her work and data appear in peer-reviewed journals and her best-selling book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. (http://www.lindabacon.org/HAESbook/)