Melissa Arnold, RD LD
Hello, new friend! I’m Melissa (she/her/hers) and I’m a registered dietitian in the lovely Midwestern state of Iowa. I am married to a pretty neat guy and we have a fur child in the form of a pup, Theo. Sunny days, coffee, music, books, walks, hot cider on a crisp fall evening, pizza any day any time… are just a heaping handful of things that fill me with joy. I am passionate about helping you develop more peaceful relationships with all foods, your body, and ultimately, yourself. I know what it’s like to struggle with food and body image, and I’m grateful that those days are few and far between. My mission is to help you free up space in your brain to contain thoughts other than those of your inner critic/eating disorder voice, telling you lies of not-enoughness. As those thoughts (and consequent behaviors) dwindle, the aim is to replace them with things that make you feel alive! What do you love to do? What’s your favorite hobby? Favorite song/person/animal? What’s your passion? You may currently think your passion is to exercise, restrict, and try to shrink yourself, and I am not judging you at all for that. But I am certain there is a bigger passion inside of you, just waiting to come out. That’s what More to Life is all about!
The Philosophy
I am a non-diet, weight-inclusive, fat-positive dietitian. I acknowledge and appreciate the fact that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that regardless of how a person’s body presents, it is valuable, worthy of taking up space, and deserving of acceptance, care and respect. I practice from a Health At Every Size (HAES®) social justice lens, which means I reject both the use of weight, size or BMI as proxies for health, and the myth that weight is a choice. The HAES® framework consists of five principles: Weight Inclusivity, Health Enhancement, Respectful Care, Eating for Well-Being, and Life-Enhancing Movement. The aim of my practice is to provide nutrition counseling that upholds these principles, while challenging weight stigma and diet culture messaging, honoring each individual’s lived experience, and facilitating values-based care. All bodies from all walks of life are welcome here, judgement-free.
I acknowledge that I have many privileges that allow me to do this work as a thin, white, cis-het, food-secure, able-bodied woman.
I also acknowledge the fact that health is a privilege, and not a moral obligation. No person, regardless of health status, is required to attain or even seek improved health in order to deserve respect, acceptance and care.