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Should Gyms Ban Skinny People?

SodaHead Living 2012/06/20 20:53:29
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Did you ever notice that most gyms are filled with skinny people? So did Wendy McNary, an overweight woman in her early fifties who felt too out of place to join a fitness club. Until she discovered Body Exchange. You see, Body Exchange, in North Vancouver, Canada, admits only plus-size women.

plus size gym

For Wendy McNary, Body Exchange was exactly the kind of environment she was looking for. “It’s intimidating going into a gym setting,” she told The Province. “I honestly think some people in a gym setting are judgmental to people who are overweight or have a different body type.”

Now, she exercises six days a week, is training for her second 5K race and is down 50 pounds. But does it make sense to ban fit people from the gym? Louise Green, founder and CEO of Body Exchange, thinks it does. “Many of our clients have not had successful fitness pasts so I can see the anxiety before we get started and I can see the relief and happiness after we finish,” Green told The Province. “People are often too fearful to become active. There wasn’t a model that offered camaraderie.”

But we have to wonder: Do they throw you out once you slim down? How do they decide who is too skinny to join? And wouldn’t a gym that’s only for thin people offend everybody? Hmm…
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Top Opinion

  • Rubyking 2012/06/20 20:56:40
    No
    Rubyking
    +24
    what if the skinny people want to bulk up. It's a freaking gymnasium, not a weight loss center.

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Opinions

  • bags th... Dick Nixon 2012/06/22 14:43:21
    bags the Indigenous Guru
    And admitted to having snarky fun (at someone else's expense).
  • Theresa... bags th... 2012/06/20 21:55:59
    Theresa2000
    +1
    And could very well be why they are overweight...the gym is just one place that person needs to be and the next is probably a shrink or something...just like anyone else with an eating disorder.
  • brunyon 2012/06/20 21:09:44
    No
    brunyon
    should they no that is bad business. Do they have the right yes.
  • Lakota Deviant 2012/06/20 21:09:19
    No
    Lakota Deviant
    +1
    What happens if these overweight women going to this gym become skinny? Will they be kicked out?
  • Taxman 2012/06/20 21:09:16
    No
    Taxman
    They need skinny people to keep membership up! Instead of free weights, we can just lift them.
  • barby k... Taxman 2012/06/20 21:26:02
    barby karring
    Cute'
  • Loop 2012/06/20 21:08:15
    No
    Loop
    +6
    I mean, come on, if this guy's banned from gym, he's pretty screwed for life
    skinny guy
  • Soot Th... Loop 2012/06/20 21:23:03
    Soot The Fallen
    Yep
  • Loop Soot Th... 2012/06/21 10:57:53
    Loop
    I would put him in a prison gym if I had to. That's not right.
  • Dick Nixon Loop 2012/06/22 02:08:28
    Dick Nixon
    No its not right. They would put Kool Aid on his cheeks and ink some big boobs on his back in prison. Poor guy.
  • Loop Dick Nixon 2012/06/22 17:03:32
    Loop
    Least they wouldn't wanna rape him though :L
  • Theresa... Loop 2012/06/20 21:56:45
    Theresa2000
    That looks...painful.
  • Loop Theresa... 2012/06/21 10:58:13
    Loop
    +1
    I know worse, I just couldn't get a picture of it on the internet.
  • Soot Th... Loop 2012/06/21 16:55:47
    Soot The Fallen
    Sounds nasty.
  • MlssCue =Go Blue= 2012/06/20 21:07:08
    No
    MlssCue =Go Blue=
    I'm sure the plus-sized women would not like it if gyms banned them. I understand their point of view about it being intimidated but there's no need to ban anyone. Either don't go, only go to a specialized gym such as this or, get your exercise at home.
  • sharonjohnson 2012/06/20 21:07:07
    No
    sharonjohnson
    No
  • brittneylalaa 2012/06/20 21:05:22
    No
    brittneylalaa
    I want to say yes but the only logical answer would be no. Skinny people need to stay fit or get even hotter bodies so they head to the gym.
  • Kibbles 2012/06/20 21:04:58
    No
    Kibbles
    +1
    That's ridiculous, first of all yes i know it takes courage to get into workout gear and go to the gym only to see skinny fit people there, hell I've been there. If you have a problem with that pluck up the courage. I know it sucks to see people staring at you when you're the out of shape person working out and at that point physical self esteem can run low but just remember that you're doing this for you not for them, so don't worry about them. As for banning skinny people, I find that a tad ridiculous.
  • Michelle 2012/06/20 21:04:26
    No
    Michelle
    +2
    This question isn't posed properly... "gyms" are not banning skinny people, Body Exchange only admits plus-sized (aka fat) women. Body Exchange, as a private company, can do whatever they want to but I challenge them to considering if the tables were turned... A gym that only allows thin people! Imagine the outrage. Additionally, what happens when a fat woman loses enough weight and becomes part of the shunned "skinny" club? Then what? Is her membership terminated? Will she receive a refund? One can only wonder.
  • Joe.Engebretsen 2012/06/20 21:03:19
    No
    Joe.Engebretsen
    This is dumb. You can have a gym that caters to a certain set, but you cannot exclude others from joining.
  • athomas910 2012/06/20 21:03:11
    Yes
    athomas910
    Some people look great but there is the 2 skinny people that look sick and they don't see it but we all do so it wouldn't b a bad idea if they did
  • Bob 2012/06/20 21:02:11
    No
    Bob
    +2
    You can do more at a gym than loose weight, you can build up muscle, and endurance
  • Inquisitve Kat 2012/06/20 21:01:38
    No
    Inquisitve Kat
    +1
    "For Wendy McNary, Body Exchange was exactly the kind of environment she was looking for. “It’s intimidating going into a gym setting,” she told The Province. “I honestly think some people in a gym setting are judgmental to people who are overweight or have a different body type.”
    No, the people aren't judgemental, she's just paranoid, as are many others... people are their to work out on their own bodies, not judge everyone else's. I, too, would like to know what happens if a member loses too much weight, what's "too fit", and how people would react if there was a gym for thin people only.
  • NarcolepticGoat 2012/06/20 21:01:34
    No
    NarcolepticGoat
    +2
    Ban mirrors
  • al_m75117 2012/06/20 21:01:12
    No
    al_m75117
    Gyms are to be for everyone. Anyone that believes in staying fit should be able to join any gym no matter what. I am a skinny man and need to exercise too.
  • ray 2012/06/20 21:01:11
    No
    ray
    +4
    Being skinny doesn't mean you're in shape.
  • Joe.Eng... ray 2012/06/20 21:06:04
    Joe.Engebretsen
    so true. I get super winded and I'm "average" while my husband is overweight and walks 4 miles 6 days a week. I'd probably pass out at his pace.
  • samira 2012/06/20 21:00:00
    No
    samira
    I am skinny and I get tried quicky and plus gym is not only for fat people it for people who want to get fit a health so they shouldn't ban gym for skinny people because the fat people will lose confidents in them self because they goNna think there fat and that why there going gym
    Rave if you agree
  • Riku Xa... samira 2012/06/20 21:11:36
    Riku Xander
    +3
    "Rave if you agree"

    That's like making a facebook status and saying "Like if you agree." That's just annoying attention-seeking behaviour.
  • AngelaDuke Riku Xa... 2012/06/20 21:19:19
    AngelaDuke
    Lol so true. Then you cant even understand half of what she wrote. Sure I'm gonna rave something without knowing what it says. I only rave people that make me laugh or make an extremely good point.
  • Becca <333 2012/06/20 20:58:53
    No
    Becca <333
    No
  • july_12 2012/06/20 20:58:28
    No
    july_12
    +3
    the gym, not just for losing weight, is also used to gain weight
  • waternymphxD 2012/06/20 20:58:15
    No
    waternymphxD
    +2
    That's the most stupid question I've heard yet:-[ honestly soda head what's happening here??
  • ☠ Live Free Or Die ☠ 2012/06/20 20:57:24
    No
    ☠ Live Free Or Die ☠
    +3
    I'm skinny, and I'm out of shape!
  • Riku Xa... ☠ Live ... 2012/06/20 21:12:44
    Riku Xander
    +1
    Same here.
  • 8399tiff ☠ Live ... 2012/06/21 01:16:35
    8399tiff
    +1
    Same here. I am actually underweight.
  • Rubyking 2012/06/20 20:56:40
    No
    Rubyking
    +24
    what if the skinny people want to bulk up. It's a freaking gymnasium, not a weight loss center.
  • Inquisi... Rubyking 2012/06/20 21:03:42
    Inquisitve Kat
    +3
    Exactly! If this was, specifically, a weight loss centre, then I could see their point.
  • Rubyking Inquisi... 2012/06/20 21:06:49
    Rubyking
    +5
    and the gym is losing out on customers
  • Airhead Rubyking 2012/06/21 19:17:03
    Airhead
    but the question is about a weight loss center... I wish people on sodahead would elaborate on their questions a little more.

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Living

2013/05/19 17:53:36

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