What to Say’s 7 Guiding Principles

Thanks for signing the What to Say pledge!

WithAll has created 7 Guiding Principles that lead our What to Say initiative. They’re simple principles for adults that can be applied in most food and body conversations with kids. You can find these principles below. Click on the number to learn about the principle in-depth! 

The principles are:

ONE: No child should be singled out as a special case needing more attention related to food, body, or exercise.

TWO: Health and wellbeing are the goals, not a certain weight, size, or BMI.

THREE: Our value does not come from appearance, size, weight, or BMI.

FOUR: In addition to nutrition, food is also about community, traditions, and celebration.

FIVE: Food choices should not be talked about as a moral issue (i.e., “clean,” “junk,” “bad,” etc.).

SIX: Exercise is important, and its value is not in controlling weight, size, or shape.

SEVEN: You aren’t always going to get it right. And that’s okay.