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.
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…
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…
How do you decide what to eat for dinner then??
This offends people because they don't like being told "You, and you, but NOT you may enter." People don't like overt practices that seem divisive, and deep down inside they want whatever they're told they can't have. They're just nosy... Because seriously, who wants to see heavy women exercising? For many people working out is a personal experience. All the haters should get over it... Stop being a Lookie Lou.
However, it seems like you would be losing a good community not being able to go the gym you've been to for so long. For public gyms, no. For this gym in particular, I want to say yes.
Seems to me a legitimate question ... But since they've already gone so far as to ban fit people from a GYM ... Not even a weight loss center, an actual gym ... that they will probably let anyone who they knew used to be fat stay as long as they want because "they've been there". What a load of horse crap. This is why I don't do things that involve people in real life. Everyone sucks ass, except my wife because she's awesome.
That is all.
Watch out... someone filled a niche by creating a gym/environment geared towards a certain type of clientele. Good for them. That's how business is supposed to work!
I work out regularly and I have to say that I can understand the position of these folks. For every out-of-shape or overweight person there, there are probably 15 folks who are in much better shape and I could see where that would be intimidating or even make them more self-conscious.
Why not have a gym that serves plus-size women exclusively, there are many gyms that are women-only.
I say, way to go.