Healthy Weight Programs

I utilize The Health At Every Size approach in working with adults with weight concerns as well as those with emotional eating and binge-eating issues. This is a non-diet approach that focuses on stopping the vicious diet-binge cycle and the yo-yo weight loss and regain phenomenon that we have all been so familiar with as part of our current diet culture.

The "Healthy Mind- Healthy Weight Program" focuses on developing a healthy relationship with food, physical activity as well as with one’s body and mind.

This program works on two parallel lines: the initial focus is on bringing structure and balance to eating and adding pleasant physical activities to daily living. The next focus is on understanding the connection between food and feelings and developing healthy coping mechanisms with emotions which are often the triggers to over-eating and bingeing.

Relationship with food changes as one's relationship with oneself and one’s emotions and one’s body changes. This opens the door to an unfolding process of self-discovery, leading to greater awareness and acceptance of emotions, improved assertiveness in relationships and effectiveness in coping with stressful life situations. Once emotional eating is under control, food and weight issues can be better addressed, a healthy life style and a healthy weight can be achieved and maintained.  

Healthy Family – Healthy Weight for children

This program is a Parent Centered approach designed to promote Healthy life-style for all family members. It offers behavioral and educational programs to parents to promote healthy eating and exercise habits for the family as a whole.

Recent studies have supported central role of parents in addressing childhood weight problems in the context of the family as a whole, rather than just focusing on the child alone. These studies have demonstrated greater weight loss, an increase in desirable behavioral changes in eating and activity and retention of these changes in children when their parents were the main agent of change without involving the children.

Furthermore, research and clinical experience has shown children’s direct involvement in weight reduction and dieting can negatively influence child’s self-esteem, increase preoccupation with weight and shape and place the child at greater risk for eating disorders and negative body image.

This approach does not solely focus on weight but on promoting a healthy life style in an emotionally nurturing family environment. The work will therefore focus on providing parents with proper nutrition and parenting education and support to establish and reinforce positive behavioral and nutritional changes in the family.

I work closely with the primary care physicians as needed and will provide referral to nutritionists.

To obtain more information, please call for an initial consultation session to find out if this is an appropriate approach for you and/or your family.