Is HAES a good idea?

While surfing the web the other day, I found an article about Healthy at Every Size (HAES).  I had never heard of this and it peaked my interest, so I followed the link to it's web site.  The Health At Every Size movement is based on three ideas:

1. Self-Acceptance
2. Physical Activity
3. Normalized Eating

The idea is that normal diets do not work and can in fact cause more harm than good.  Studies show us that yo-yo dieters are in worse shape in the long run than those who do not diet at all.  HAES focuses instead of accepting yourself no mater what  size you are.  Put away the scale it's not important anyway.  What is important is health.  But how can we become healthy if traditional diets can not keep us healthy in the long run?  First, we need to add physical activity.  This does not mean we have to hire a personal trainer.  We should find something we enjoy doing even if it's just dancing around the house.  As for dieting, HAES argues that restrictive diets are impossible to keep up in the long run.  It encourages people to pay attention to their own bodies and eat only when they "eat in response to physiological hunger and fullness cues."  HAES seeks to dispel myths and prejudices about being overweight by sifting the focus of peoples sizes.

   In general, I applaud the HAES movement.  It recognizes that people come in all shapes and sizes and takes the attention off appearance and on to health.  I recognize some of the things I am trying to do in this movement (i.e. not dieting but maintaining a healthy lifestyle).  There is one thing that concerns me:  "We’ve lost the war on obesity. Fighting fat hasn’t made the fat go away. And being thinner, even if we knew how to successfully accomplish it, will not necessarily make us healthier or happier." (http://www.haescommunity.org/index.php)  I'm not ready to wave a white flag and just accept the way I am. I still think my size is very unhealthy and I wish to change it.  I have what I believe are reasonable goals I wish to reach.  I may not be putting an emphasis on the scale, but by restructuring my life along more healthy lines, I believe the weight will naturally improve.  What do you think about this?  Is this a more realistic way to achieve long term results?  Or is this just a way of saying we give up?

For more information:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar06/health0306.htm

http://www.lindabacon.org/HAESbook/

http://www.haescommunity.org/index.php

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36922036/ns/health-womens_health/t/can-you-be-healthy-any-size/