I am a non-diet dietitian, which means that I help people respect and nourish the bodies they have. In place of food restrictions, I teach interoceptive awareness. This means that patients are able to use their own body signals to seek out a diverse diet that supports them in feeling their best. I am also a Health at Every Size (HAES®)-aligned provider, otherwise known as a “weight-neutral” or “weight-inclusive” provider. I provide a welcoming environment for people of all sizes where they can explore personal wellness free from stigma or shame. HAES interventions promote agency and psychological well-being and focus on actionable behavior changes. They have been shown to improve physical fitness and diet quality across a range of outcomes, regardless of weight changes.¹⁴

I happily accept referrals for patients who have been diagnosed with overweight or obesity or who are considering or recovering from bariatric surgery! This is the primary population I serve. However, instead of prescribing restrictive dieting, I help people to rediscover trust in their bodies and body signals, such as signals of hunger and fullness. I also help patients heal from eating disorders, especially binge eating disorder. There is no effective, evidence-based way to force significant permanent weight loss, and the weight cycling that accompanies metabolic adaptation after dieting can be physiologically harmful.¹⁴ In addition, a focus on weight can result in harmful internalized weight stigma that causes loss of empowerment and avoidance of medical care.^3,14 By helping people of all sizes achieve actionable behavior changes, discover joy in movement and pleasure in a diverse diet, I promote sustainable improvements in biochemical health regardless of whether weight loss occurs.

Referrals can be faxed to me at 206-238-9117. I can also be reached via my secure email, anita@intuitivefeast.com, or on my cell (text or voice) at 206-913-8715. I will happily provide your office with a set of cards/ brochures to hand out if desired.

Many insurers (such as most Premera and Regence plans) don’t require a doctor’s referral for nutrition counseling. In this case a quick heads up email or call is sufficient! I always appreciate chart notes and recent labs, however, to assist in my assessment. Nutrient status labs such as iron, vitamin D, metabolic and kidney function panels, and any digestive system imaging or procedures are especially helpful to include.

Great! There are many studies (see list below) linking Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating to improved health. The Health at Every Size approach was developed in response to the problem of weight stigma and anti-fat bias in medical care, which has been linked to profound negative changes in mental and physical health, including increased all-cause mortality.^(6,15) We have known for years that BMI is a poor proxy for health: it can’t capture type or distribution of fat and muscle mass, and many cardio-metabolically healthy people exist in the “overweight” (close to ½) and “obese” (~15-30%) BMI categories.^(11,16)

Despite an association between lower weights and lower risk of certain conditions on a population level, an individual who attempts weight loss is rarely able to either sustainably lose weight or improve health.^(3,10) Weight loss dieting usually results in eventual regain of lost weight through metabolic adaptation (“weight cycling”), which reduces muscle mass, increases chronic inflammation and stress hormones and carries increased risk for some cancers, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.^(5,10) Even the large, randomized Look AHEAD Trial was unable to find health benefits for intentional weight loss in “overweight or obese adults with Type II diabetes” and stopped prematurely due to the rate of CVD events in the intervention group.^(7,8) Additionally, the food restriction associated with dieting can increase disordered eating behaviors such as meal skipping and binge eating and often results in continued hyper-focus on food and eating even after weight is regained.^(4,13)

Instead of prescribing an intervention that fails more than 95% percent of the time, consider a switch to focus on actionable behavior changes that improve health in everyone.^(1,6) Newer studies demonstrate that cardiorespiratory fitness, regardless of body size, is the most important indicator for reducing mortality risk.³ Health at Every Size approaches result in increased motivation for all self-care behaviors, including physical activity, and have been associated with real improvements in physical (such as blood pressure) and mental markers of health.¹

Yes! I love speaking to groups large and small about the benefits of an intuitive eating and size-inclusive approach to care. I have experience leading in-person and online trainings. I focus on audience participation, colorful visuals, and stimulating conversation. Check out some of my past speaking engagements and resume here.