Towards a HAES approach to physical activity

1. Towards a HAES approach to physical activity Louise Mansfield

2. Physical Activity and Health • Widely researched since the 1980s • Consensus of knowledge / research (Bouchard et al., 1990; Pollock et al., 1998; Haskell et al., 2007) • Physical activity is good for health / wellness

3. Health Benefits of Physical Activity • Improved cardio-vascular efficiency • Improved pulmonary function • Muscular strength and endurance • Improved bone density • More efficient hormonal responses (insulin sensitivity) • ‘Regulation’ of blood pressure • Nervous system adaptation (motor control) • Behavioural adaptation (lifestyle, nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption) • ‘Good’ pregnancy, delivery and foetal development • Response (treatment and prevention) to disease (CV, pulmonary, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, cancer, injury/trauma, infection etc.) • Improved mental health • Well-being

4. Risks of Physical Activity • Sudden death • Injury • Disability • Orthopaedic growth problems • Drugs (sport and leisure) • Activity ‘addictions’

5. Physical Activity and Health: Complexities • ‘Determinants’ of Physical Activity, Fitness & Health • Biological (e.g. physiology, biomechanics) • Psychological (e.g. motivation, self-esteem, anxiety, mood) • Socio-cultural (e.g. gender, ethnicity, disability, social class)

6. Physical Activity and Health Benefits • Benefits differ between people • Benefits are frequency, intensity and mode dependent • Determinants of health benefits are influenced by hereditary, inter-generational and lifestyle factors

7. Physical Activity and Health Policy • Chief Medical Officer’s Report (Donaldson, 2004) • ‘At Least Five a Day’ - total of 30 mins. / day, moderate intensity, five or more days of the week • ACSM (2010) • Moderate, 30 mins./day, five days a week OR • Vigorous, 20 mins. / day, 3 days / week AND • 8-10 strength exercises, 8-12 x each, 2 days / week

8. Health Policy, PA and Obesity: An Anti-HAES Approach • “the contribution of inactivity to obesity – an estimated £2.5 billion cost to the economy each year” (Donaldson, 2004, p. iii) • “it is likely that, for many people, 45-60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a day will be needed to prevent obesity” (Donaldson, 2004, p. iii).

9. Blair and Brodney (1999) • Effects of Physical Inactivity and Obesity on Morbidity and Mortality: Current Research Evidence and Research Issues. • Active or fit women and men are protected against potential health problems of overweight or obesity • Protective effect of physical activity stronger in obese and overweight that those of normal weight or thin

10. Chang Do, et al. (1999) • Cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men. • Fitness and fatness are connected to health but the connection to mortality is unknown • Health benefits of leanness limited to fit men and being fit may reduce health problems associated with obesity

11. Physical Activity and Health at Every Size? • (uncritical) assumption that physical activity is a PANACEA for the ‘problems’ of overweight and obesity.

12. Physical Activity: Problems of Prescription and Promotion • Dominant messages • Body beautiful and fear of fat • Self-surveillance, regulation and control of bodies, morally correct lifestyles. • UK guidelines 5 years old (Scobie, 2010) • Recent review (2009/2010) to develop new public messages for different target groups (not yet complete).

13. Weight Loss Models

14. Anti-fat Models of Physical Activity • London Cycling Campaign “If the Government were to achieve its target of trebling cycling in the period 2000–2010 (and there are very few signs that it will) that might achieve more in the fight against obesity than any individual measure we recommend within this report (House of Commons Health Select Committee report on obesity. p.116).

15. Weight Loss Models • Natural England: Walking for Health Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges we face. Almost 1 in 4 adults in England are currently obese, and if we carry on as we are, 9 in 10 adults will be overweight or obese by 2050. The cost of overweight and obese individuals to the NHS is estimated to be £4.2 billion.1 Health walks have an important role to play here. For example, in the seven months since Barbara Lobley was introduced to the Walk Buddy scheme, she has lost almost 11 stone.Scroll down to read her story.

16. Couch Potato Syndrome

17. Everyday Sport Campaign (Sport England, 2005) • Physical activity prescription to reduce the “health and obesity time bomb” in the UK population (Sport England, 2005, home page) • “strategically alarmist” and “apocalyptical predications” (Gard and Wright, 2005, p. 17) • “everyone everywhere” thesis (Gard and Wright, 2005, p. 20)

18. Change4Life (www.nhs.uk.change4life) • “By the time we reach middle age, the majority of us could do with losing a bit of weight. Being overweight is not just about the way we look ....” • “’modern life’ can mean we’re a lot less active ....we don’t move about as much .... as we used to” • “9 out of 10 of our kids today could grow up with dangerous amounts of fat in their bodies”

19. Change4Life (www.nhs.uk.change4life) • “kids who are inactive don’t burn enough energy and store up fat in their body – yuk” • “low fat diet plan to cut back fat in your kids diet” • “choose low fat spreads and lower fat varieties of dairy foods” • “we all want to feel healthy and trim”

20. Physical Activity and Fat • Body fat and weight are not solely determined by levels and types of physical activity • Fat and weight gain connected to: • Stress • Sleep deprivation • Virus / infection • Pollutions • Depression • Medication

21. A Health At Every Size Approach to Physical Activity • 1. Direct Action • Bacon (2010), showmethedata • Getting ‘involved’ with policy making (National guidelines, strategies, funding applications) • 2. Resisting established ideals of the body beautiful • http://www.xlemma.co.uk/ • 3. New research, New knowledge • Critical voices • Alternative visions and practices • 4. Focus on fun / meaning / pleasure / play • 5. Value-matching approach to physical activity

22. Active Celebrations • Developing a FESTIVAL EFFECT • encouraging engagement with the idea of becoming more active through other events / projects. • build a sense of community involvement in projects or events to promoteactive celebration • creating in people a desire, if not an urge, to ‘be part of it’ and actively participate in event-related activities.

23. Festival Effect: Value-matching • De-emphasising sport, health, exercise values which focus on bodily regulation. • Emphasising cultural and creative values and a sense of communal celebration/festival and community involvement.

24. ‘Value’ Set • Personal Excellence & Achievement • Friendship & Respect • Determination & Courage • Inspiration & Inclusion • Multiculturalism & Diversity • Social Participation & Responsibility • Sustainability & Quality of Life • Community & Tradition

25. Festival Effect: Outcomes • Stimulate contemplation of general physical activity & very informal physical activities through links to values other than sporting/exercise/health ones. • Prompt activity take-up among those who have begun to contemplate becoming active especially where activity is incidental / part of other pursuits.