HAES Dietitian
Health at Every Size, HAES®, Nutritionist Dietitian in the St. Louis Area, Missouri, and Illinois
Get Weight-Inclusive Nutrition Therapy with HAES® Dietitians in the St. Louis Area – Improve Your Relationship with Food and Body
What is HAES®?
It stands for Health at Every Size® and promotes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing that celebrates body diversity, rejects weight stigma, and emphasizes self-acceptance, self care and respect for individual autonomy.
HAES® began in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s when people started to have conversations about a biased healthcare system that mistreated fat people. In the late 1990s, the phrase HAES® caught on and when the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) formed in the early 2000s, it created its founding principles based on the framework of decades of civil rights action. The principles were revised in 2013 and again in 2024 when the Health At Every Size® framework for care was created.
What does this mean for us? As dietitian nutritionists in the St. Louis area, we practice weight-inclusive nutrition therapy to provide the best care for every BODY.
What are the five principles of HAES®?
The new principles of HAES, recently revised and outlined in ASDAH are:
Healthcare is a human right for people of all sizes.
All individuals deserve equitable, respectful access to healthcare regardless of body size, shape, or weight.Wellbeing, care, and healing are resources that are both collective and deeply personal.
Health is supported through individual experiences as well as social, environmental, and community systems.Care is fully provided only when it is free from anti-fat bias and offered with people of all sizes in mind.
Respectful, effective care requires the active elimination of weight stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings.Health is a sociopolitical construct that reflects the values and priorities of society.
Health outcomes are shaped by social determinants such as access to food, housing, safety, income, and systemic inequities—not body weight alone.People of all sizes deserve access to adequate, nourishing, and culturally relevant food, as well as opportunities for movement that support well-being, dignity, and quality of life.
Eating and movement are guided by internal cues, personal preferences, and enjoyment rather than weight control or punishment.
Is HAES® backed by science?
The approach has indeed been supported by scientific evidence which is fantastic.
Research shows that weight stigma and discrimination contribute to negative health outcomes. ASDAH writes, “thin-centric healthcare is not benign” based on studies that show weight-stable fat patients are less at risk for cardio problems than those who fall into weight cycling and the yo-yo diet trap.
Furthermore, dieting and weight loss attempts have been shown to be associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes including increased risk of disordered eating, psychological distress, and long term weight gain. Studies have proved that taking health at every size and intuitive eating approach promotes healthy eating habits, improved body image, reduces disordered eating, and long-term weight stability.
“FAT” is not a four-letter word. And we are not numbers on a scale (BMI or otherwise). The greatest factors influencing health and well-being are adopting great nutrition habits, eating behaviors, being active, and learning to manage stress, regardless of size.
Does HAES® promote weight control?
HAES® supports weight control through the lens of intuitive eating; however, if weight loss is secondary to implementing a more mindful way of eating and movement, that is welcome. It is not guaranteed, as that is not the goal.
What is a HAES® nutritionist?
A HAES® nutritionist/dietitian supports the above movement by implementing the principles discussed above. The HAES® approach is supported by The Academy for Eating Disorders; Binge Eating Disorders Association; Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action; International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals; and the National Eating Disorder Association.
At Branz, as expert eating disorder dietitians, we provide online and in-person nutrition counseling to help individuals feel more at peace with their relationship with food and body. We meet you where you are, and we can help you implement positive dietary and lifestyle changes to support wellness, energy, chronic disease management, and body image improvement.
Medical Nutrition Therapy Services
- Body Image
- Body Positive
- Celiac Disease
- Dancer Nutritionist
- Diabetes
- Personalized Meal Plans
- Emotional Eating
- Fertility Dietitian
- Gastrointestinal Nutritionist
- Gestational Diabetes
- HAES Dietitian
- IBS Nutritionist
- Intuitive Eating Dietitian
- Mindful Eating
- No Diet Dietitian
- PCOS Dietitian
- Pediatric Nutritionist
- Plant-Based Vegan Vegetarian
- Pregnancy & Postpartum
- Sports Nutritionist
- Weight Gain
- Weight Management
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Contact Us
Our Team
Licensed Dietitian Nutritionists in the Greater St. Louis Area
Branz Nutrition Counseling is a team of licensed dietitian nutritionists serving the Greater St. Louis area and clients nationwide through telehealth. We provide evidence-based nutrition counseling for individuals and families seeking support with their health, eating habits, and relationship with food.
Our weight-inclusive, LGBTQIA+-affirming approach is grounded in Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size principles. We specialize in eating disorder recovery and nutrition care for chronic conditions such as PCOS, diabetes, and heart disease, offering compassionate, personalized support through in-person sessions in Illinois and Missouri and virtual care across multiple states.
How It Works
An Easy Three-Step Process to Get You on the Road to Recovery
Make An Appointment
What service do you need? We offer a range of appointments of different durations to best fit your needs, including online support groups, meal plans, and more.
01
Meet with your Personal Dietitian
Be paired with the dietitian nutritionist on our team and get continued support with one of our online groups. One-on-one counseling, in-person, or virtual. WE TAKE INSURANCE!
02
Take Control of Your Life
Heal your relationship with food and your body. Choose the best foods for your unique needs. Get the tools you need to live a healthy life. Receive continued support.
03
Schedule an appointment and we’ll verify your insurance for you!
Note: In order to secure a spot on a dietitian’s schedule, we need a valid payment method on file.
Testimonials
See how lives change — one nourishing choice at a time.
Our clients aren’t just improving their nutrition — they’re rebuilding trust with food, gaining confidence, and creating healthier, more balanced lives.
Branz Nutrition in the Media
Branz Nutrition in the Media
