Full Name: The Association for Size Diversity and Health

Established: 2003

Website: http://www.sizediversityandhealth.org/

Mailing Address:

ASDAH
PO Box 3093
Redwood City, CA 94064

Contact Phone: 877-576-1102

Membership fees: ASDAH memberships are annual and run from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. There are 3 levels of membership:

• Full Membership – $50 – This is available to anyone who works or volunteers in the HAES field
• Associate Membership – $35 – This is open to people who are not in the HAES field, but are interested in the tenets of HAES
• Student Membership – $20 – This is open to any full time student interested in HAES

Currently, the ASDAH is running a membership special through February 28, 2010 in which membership for the remainder of the annual term can be purchased at a discounted rate.

Organizational Hierarchy:

Board of Directors

Deb Lemire – President
Lily O’Hara – Vice President
Eileen Rosensteel – Secretary
Nomi Dekel – Treasurer
William J Fabrey – Membership
Sandy Andresen – At Large
Veronica Cook-Euell – At Large
Ellyn Herb – At Large
Dana Schuster – Past President

The ASDAH also has several committees in which many of the Board of Directors serve in a dual capacity as the committee chair.

Mission Statement: “to promote education, research, and the provision of services which enhance health and well-being, and which are free from weight-based assumptions and weight discrimination.”

Current focus: The Ongoing focus of the ASDAH is the promotion of HAES (Health at Every Size) and its principles. The principles of HAES are:

• To accept and respect the diversity of body shapes and sizes.
• To recognize that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects.
• To promote all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes.
• To promote eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure.
• To promote individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss.

Other notes: For the past 4 years, ASDAH has had annual international conferences. In 2009, the conference was in Washington, DC from July 31-August 3. This coincided with NAAFA’s annual conference.

ASDAH lists their long-term goals on their website, they are:

• To develop a forum for discussion, support, and continuing education for professionals who endorse the HAES philosophy.
• To provide information, education, and resources to professionals who are interested in the HAES approach, or who are considering using the HAES approach in their work.
• To promote acceptance of, and respect for, size diversity, and to address cultural and societal issues related to body size and health.
• To facilitate access to quality health care for every individual, regardless of their body size or shape.
• To develop and maintain a website, e-group and other appropriate on-line resources for on-going communication between ASDAH members.
• To develop a Speaker’s Bureau to represent the HAES approach in educational, medical, political, legislative, research, and other appropriate venues
• To identify qualified HAES representatives to inform, educate, and respond to medical professionals, obesity/weight researchers and the media.
• To develop and make available resources for implementing HAES in health, fitness, and related industries.
• To develop and maintain resources for review and analysis of health and weight-related research, in order to encourage scientific literacy and accurate reporting of scientific news.
• To organize a self-supporting annual conference for ASDAH members and supporters to further the mission and goals of the organization.
• To provide policy makers with information and educational resources about the HAES approach and to support public policies that advance the philosophy and goals of HAES.