Amber Hanson, LN, CNS

Approach to care

• What does it look like for you to provide care to patients in larger bodies? How is, or isn’t, your approach different from how you care for patients in smaller bodies? If you work with children, how is or isn’t your approach different when working with children?

  Regardless of body size, we have all been indoctrinated with harmful and misleading messages about bodies, food, and health. I work with each individual to untangle those messages and learn to trust and rebuild internal body cues.

• What is your perspective on how weight is or is not related to health?

  Weight is not a proxy for health. I work from a weight-inclusive perspective which prioritizes cultivating health supportive behavoirs like eating in accordance with hunger and fullness cues from the body, finding ways to move that feel good to the individual, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, and body acceptance.

• Finish this sentence: “Fat people are…” 

  people

• How do you, your clinic, and the healthcare system you work in use BMI (i.e BMI cutoffs for accessing certain services, BMI on charts and printouts, etc)? Is this flexible?

  Intake forms do not ask for height, weight, or BMI. BMI coding might be used for insurance reimbursement if it helps a client get coverage for appointments.

• If a patient declines to be weighed, how do you and/or your staff proceed?

  I do not weigh clients.

• If a patient declines to discuss weight loss, nutrition, and/or exercise, how do you proceed?

  As a nutritionist, most clients are seeing me to discuss nutrition and lifestyle behaviors. I try to create a safe space where we can examine resistence with non-judgmental curiousity. That said, each client is ultimately in charge of the pace and direction of care.

• Do you offer weight loss as a service, and if so, how much of your practice is this? What do you do if a patient requests your assistance with losing weight?

  I do not offer weight loss services, but many clients do still come to me with a desire to lose weight. I have so much compassion for this messy middle of both knowing diets don't work but being unsure about how to proceed any other way. Generally I ask if the client is ok with setting the scale on the backburner while we focus on behaviors and tuning into body signals. The number on the scale is fickle and does not best reflect in real time the positive changes that are in process.

• What does the physical accessibility of your office space look like? What kinds of accommodations are present for people in larger bodies? Are there things you wish were in place that are currently not? 

  There are 4 steps to get into my physical office space. The main seating option for clients is a small sofa with a 500-pound weight capacity. I also see clients virtually.

• What do you do to allow fat people to feel comfortable and welcome in your office? 

  I have a physically accomodating layout as mentioned above. I am also a fat provider which, for some, can provide an added layer of comfort. Beyond that I have fat affirming books on my bookshelf and strive to have a cozy, welcoming space with pillows for hugging on laps, if desired, and room specific temperature control.

• If you’d like to use this space to talk about any identities (gender, race, size, sexuality, etc.) you hold and how this relates to your care, please do so. 

  I am a cis-het, white, educated, able-bodied, middle-class, middle-aged woman in a monogomous, but unmarried relationship. I am not a parent but do refer to my cats as children at times.
  
  I grew up with low-cal, low-fat, calorie and points counting mother and grandmother.
  
  I have found enjoyment in movement as an adult, something I wasn't sure was possible. I love food and cooking (and talking about food and cooking). I enjoy many fiber crafts and reading. I think leaning into the pleasure in life is part of health and healing.

Profile last updated August 2026