HAES Retreat!!
Every so often I get an email from the contact/tip form about some new weight loss product or service that "really works" and that I should "tell [my] readers about". Usually I just roll my eyes and delete. You can imagine my surprise then, when I received a tip email from the proprietors of the Oakledge Wellness Retreat and it turned out to not be (as I assumed) another weight loss business. It looks really cool, actually. The program is based on the principles of Health at Every Size and stresses actual healthy behaviors rather than focusing on weight as a measure of health. It's not cheap, as you can imagine, but for a week in Massachusetts surrounded by HAES folks working out and eating great food, I bet it's well worth it. Cool!
Uh...you're too fat. Thanks for coming in. | I'm not fat, I'm <euphemism>
Posted by CarrieP on March 17, 2010
That's actually really cool, thanks for sharing that!
Judging from the titles of the sessions offered, the organizers seem to assume that the participants will not be physically active, that they don't know how to cook healthy food, and that they have low self esteem. They sound prescriptive and a bit condescending. There's a low carb cooking class and several that are low sodium, and the only food related class that sounds at all interesting to me is the Japanese cooking class - but for some reason the Japanese cooking in question has got to be low sodium and contribute to longevity. I would prefer tasty and authentic.
Out of 19 classes, the only ones I'd be interested in are:
- (Low-Sodium) Japanese Cooking (: Secret to Longevity?)
- Movement and Meditation: Making Meditation Easy and Fun
- Salsa Dancing for Everyone
and if I was really bored:
- Simple Tips for De-Stressing Your Life
- The Ghost In the Closet: How your clothes and your environment affect your self-esteem
- Gentle Yoga for Every Body
These two, I find kind of funny:
- Nature Walking Made Easy and Fun
- Shake Your Booty! How to Have Fun on the Dance Floor
These are both activities I enjoy, but since when has nature walking been difficult or a chore? We're not talking about mountain climbing or even serious hiking, here. Also, does anyone need a course on how to have fun dancing? I mean, let's face it. Most people are just a bit inhibited and need some amount of alcohol before they're ready to bust out the moves. Is the course a drinking game? That might work...
There's this "your life is messed up and we're going to tell you how to fix it!" vibe to the whole thing. It's negative in a very conventional way and reads like a slightly retooled fat camp. I almost feel inspired to re-write the curriculum.
Thanks for the feedback on our Wellness Retreat! Carrie pretty much has the idea what we're trying to do here, but your points are well taken. Fortunately, our program is flexible, and we're looking for input. What else do you think would make it more appealing?
-- Jason
I'll give it some thought and get back to you.
I have one immediate suggestion, though: offer professional massages and other spa-type treatments that fat people might be nervous about getting normally. I think that a lot of us don't go to massage therapists because we're afraid they will find our bodies disgusting. I think a lot of people would enjoy an opportunity to get a professional massage from someone that's definitely not fat-phobic or judgmental.
Definitely a fair point, though I saw it more as a retreat for people who are just getting started in HAES and don't already cook for themselves and haven't ever considered activity as something they might enjoy. I've been doing these things for a while myself and it's hard to remember sometimes just how not deserving of delicious food and enjoyable movement I felt in the beginning.
I know what you mean, but in spite of the word "fun" being used a lot, it doesn't sound fun at all to me. And I looked at the details because I thought I might be interested in something like that. I'm not the target market, I guess.