Yes, I think it does. Parham presented a case for size acceptance in weight management in the August 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association . Forget scales, Hugs preaches. It asks participants to keep track, privately, of their waist-hip ratio as a measure of body change. Carrying fat in the abdomen is considered a greater health risk.
Participants also take quizzes to measure changes in attitudes toward food.
More studies are needed, says Paul Ernsberger, PhD, of the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, whose work has looked at the biomedical side of the non-diet approach. More on Ernsberger's work can be found in the summer 1999 issue of the Journal of Social Issues . Helene Ragovin is a freelance writer and editor based in New Jersey. Her work has appeared in several New Jersey newspapers. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center .