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Making and maintaining lasting changes in nutrition and fitness is not easy for anyone. Yet the communication style of a health professional can make a huge difference. This book presents the proven counseling approach known as motivational interviewing (MI) and shows exactly how to use it in day-to-day interactions with clients. MI offers simple yet powerful tools for helping clients work through ambivalence, break free of diets and quick-fix solutions, and overcome barriers to change. Extensive sample dialogues illustrate specific ways to enhance conversations about meal planning and preparation, exercise, body image, disordered eating, and more.

Wellness, Not Weight: Health at Every Size and Motivational Interviewing, brings a new, well rounded perspective to issues of weight, health and helping people change behavior. While many texts in the areas of health sciences and nutrition discuss specific, singular approaches to weight loss, this book is the first to address Health at Every Size (HAES), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and a non-diet, wellness approach to managing health and weight within one comprehensive text. The book is divided into three parts. Part One explores the three basic concepts of the book, the argument for a focus on wellness rather than body weight, the Health at Every Size paradigm, and Motivational Interviewing. Part Two provides more detailed background information for professionals and academics. It presents the science behind the approaches. Included articles offer clear, cogent explanations of potential risks and failures in a weight-centered approach to health, as well as discussions of the risks of a weight centered approach, including disordered eating and body image issues. This section of the book also provides information on how rigid attachment to dietary guidelines can be harmful to consumers, with a special exploration of the dangers posed to children. Part Two ends with articles exploring the need for size acceptance, teaching the concept of Health at Every Size, and the importance of teaching Health at Every Size ideas in the training of health care professionals. Part Three of the book helps health care professionals communicate a non-diet approach to clients and patients, as well as a discussion of the use of Motivational Interviewing techniques with a non-diet approach. Moving away from traditional approaches to weight loss, the included chapters discuss mindful eating, the eating competence model, practical steps for improving health, and non-dieting and spirituality. Wellness, Not Weight: Health at Every Size and Motivational Interviewing speaks to the emerging movement emphasizing wellness, not weight. Written with passion and insight, the book encourages people to nourish and exercise their bodies in healthy, loving and joyous ways. This book can be used in Health Sciences, Nutrition and Food Science, and Public Health courses. It is also useful for courses in Sociology, Psychology, and Women's Studies.

Background: Given the body image and disordered eating struggles prevalent in young adults, weight-inclusive anti-diet programs are needed on college campuses. Such programs replace weight loss advice with changes that center physical and emotional well-being. Methods/Program Design: University health and wellness programs such as University Coaching for Activity and Nutrition (UCAN) is a novel weight-inclusive health and wellness coaching program designed to support university students and faculty/staff in their development and maintenance of self-care behaviors related to physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. Specifically, we describe the program’s mechanisms for participant recruitment, health coach training, session protocol, program evaluation, and supervision so other campuses can replicate the program model at their respective universities. Discussion: This work can help campuses cultivate positive self-care habits that improve both physical and mental health through the lens of a weight-inclusive paradigm, while also creating service-learning experiences for pre-health professionals.

<p>Introduction. Peer-led health coaching is a realistic and sustainable way to support health behavior changes on university campuses. Moreover, motivational Interviewing (MI) is an effective framework to guide behavior change conversations in peer health coaching sessions. However, research on the perceptions of peer coaches who provide health coaching using MI are scarce. Objective. The purposes of this study were to examine: (1) university peer health coaches’ perceptions of their efficacy after participating in the training and implementation of MI; and (2) university peer health coaches’ supervision experiences as they learn to use MI for health coaching. Design. Cross-sectional in-depth qualitative study using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Setting. Peer health coaching program from a Mid-sized southwestern university. Method. Five peer health coaches were interviewed about their training, implementation, and supervision of using MI in a university health coaching program. IPA was used to analyze the interviews by two authors, while one other author audited the coding. Results. We identified four main themes: (1) learning MI, (2) using MI, (3) challenges of time and availability, and (4) supervision and peer support. Results illustrated the developmental processes peer health coaches perceive as they develop their MI skills. Individual and group supervision supported MI growth and development while also building a sense of community among coaches. Conclusion. Aside from challenges in learning and using MI, supervision was an important factor that helped peer health coaches develop. Future research should continue to investigate training methods and supervision strategies to improve the quality of peer health coach programs. Keywords: Motivational Interviewing, Health Coaching, Peer Coaches, Supervision, Education</p>

Background: Given the body image and disordered eating struggles prevalent in young adults, weight-inclusive anti-diet programs are needed on college campuses. Such programs replace weight loss advice with changes that center physical and emotional well-being. Methods/Program Design: University health and wellness programs such as University Coaching for Activity and Nutrition (UCAN) is a novel weight-inclusive health and wellness coaching program designed to support university students and faculty/staff in their development and maintenance of self-care behaviors related to physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. Specifically, we describe the program’s mechanisms for participant recruitment, health coach training, session protocol, program evaluation, and supervision so other campuses can replicate the program model at their respective universities. Discussion: This work can help campuses cultivate positive self-care habits that improve both physical and mental health through the lens of a weight-inclusive paradigm, while also creating service-learning experiences for pre-health professionals.