Weight Stigma Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination in Fitness
Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination all exist in various forms within the fitness world. When you google image search photos of fitness, working out, or strength training, it often results with thin, white, abled bodies. This is leaving out many individuals who are part of the fitness world and want to be included in the demographic. What kind of messages are we sending to people by leaving them out?
While there are various forms of prejudice and discrimination in fitness, the area of discrimination this paper is going to explore is weight stigma. Not only is weight stigma horrendous to deal with on a daily basis but the specificity of weight stigma in fitness can multiply the effects that an individual can experience from others and the harm they can do to themselves. We will discuss what weight stigma looks like at the stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination levels, how weight stigma exists specifically in fitness, what has been done and is currently being done to improve the discrimination experienced against people in larger bodies, and what else can be done to further make individuals of all body sizes feel and be included in fitness.
What is Weight Stigma?
Cassiano et. al states that “weight stigma is the social rejection and devaluation of those who do not comply with prevailing social norms of adequate body weight and shape. This “socially” adequate body is regarded as slim and fit. The weight stigma and bias can manifest in many ways, through negative beliefs, attitudes, stereotypes, preconceived judgments, verbal assaults, physical stigma, and physical barriers and obstacles, due to someone’s weight” (2021). Weight stigma is bred starting from a stereotype. Cassiano et. Al goes on to discuss how laziness, lack of willpower, lacking motivation, ineptitude, and inability to follow medical directions, are all stereotypes that people can attach to those in larger bodies. (2021) These stereotypes can then lead to prejudice. Prejudice is the negative association that someone may hold when they view another individual or themselves as belonging to a group; (Baron and Branscombe 2017) in this case, the group is larger bodied individuals. Regarding bigger bodies, the idea of morality often gets attached to physical appearance. For those holding prejudice against larger bodied individuals, it means there is something inherently bad or not good about them while those with smaller bodies are hardworking, healthy, and inherently good. Prejudice can then lead to discrimination. Discrimination is the negative action taken against an individual or group due to the group they belong to. (Baron and Branscombe 2017) This weight stigma can also be coupled with and multiplied by sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, racism, and classism. (Owens, 2019)
Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, can have extremely harmful effects on individuals and on groups. Shawna Felkin talks candidly about her experience growing up and living in a bigger body. She discusses her struggle with bulimia and the pressures she faced from her family, her friends, and others around her. “I couldn’t help but internalize these narratives, this framework, that my body, my fatness means that I am inherently a bad person, and a bad person deserves punishment.” (2019). Sonalee Rashatwar shares a similar sentiment in her interview with Cassie Owens. "When we teach someone to experience shame based on your body, whether it's about race, body size, disability, and we internalize that shame, we internalize this sense of our body having less self-worth than other bodies.” (2019) These individuals are expressing what millions of people experience on a daily basis. The prejudice and discrimination that is felt every day becomes internalized and a feeling of shame against yourself can be created. This then perpetuates feelings of prejudice and acts of discrimination towards yourself and others in bigger bodies.
Weight Stigma in Fitness
Arguelles et. al discusses how there are direct, indirect, and structural forms of discrimination. Direct discrimination can be when someone attaches a negative connotation to someone in a larger body or explicit verbal discrimination against someone’s size. Indirect discrimination can look like an internalization of fatphobia and feeling negative towards one’s self for those in bigger bodies. Structural discrimination can look like practices that institutions put into place that explicitly or implicitly work against those in larger bodies. (2022). As stated in the introduction, oftentimes images around fitness and training only come in the form of straight size bodies. Not including larger bodies is a subtle form of structural discrimination. This could then lead an individual in a larger body to experience indirect discrimination where they think negatively about themselves and question if they belong in that space. It could also lead to direct discrimination where an individual calls out people in bigger bodies for not working hard enough or making fun of individuals for their size.
Effects of Weight Stigma in Fitness
People in larger bodies experience weight discrimination in various different locations and throughout various times in their lives (for example, in sports, gym class, local pools, gyms etc.) This can then lead to individuals pulling away from fitness in order to avoid discrimination and negative feelings. (Arguelles et. al 2022) In a study conducted with six individuals, between the ages of 19-39, measuring over or equal to a BMI of 30 and have exercised a minimum of once a week in the last year, all experienced direct and indirect discrimination. Examples of direct discrimination included statements from staff insinuating the individual made poor health choices, uncomfortable staring from strangers, and friends telling them they need to go to the gym and need to lose weight in order to be healthy. Indirect examples of discrimination looked like fears of being stared at in the gym, fear of being looked at as unhealthy, fear of trying new exercise movements they might not be able to perform, fear of being fed unsolicited weight loss advice, and fear of regaining weight that had been previously lost. (Arguelles et. al 2022) Structural discrimination was felt by the experience of workout equipment not being built or suitable for all body sizes, constant recommendations of weight centric workout advice from staff, and rewards for weight loss over other kinds of fitness results. (Arguelles et. al 2022) For those in larger bodies, weight stigma is extremely pervasive. In a study conducted with 46 individuals in Australia, 91% reported experiences of discrimination and negative occurrences in relationship to their weight over a two week period. (Vartanian et al., 2013) These studies show that it is almost guaranteed individuals in larger bodies will face some kind of prejudice and discrimination in the fitness space and on a regular basis.
These various kinds of experiences can have long lasting and widespread consequences. “Research has consistently documented the link between weight stigma and health consequences, including maladaptive eating, disordered eating behaviors, the risk for eating disorders, decreased motivation to engage in physical activity, vulnerability to depression and anxiety, physiological stress, and weight gain” (Cassiano et. Al 2021) Due to these consequences, oftentimes weight stigma is a cyclical nightmare. Many diseases previously thought to be caused by being in a bigger body have now been theorized to have more of a direct link from stigma and discrimination. This means that the pure experience of being in a bigger body can make someone more at risk for disease not because of their body, but because of the prejudice and discrimination constantly felt around them. (Randall 2021) There are two main theories around the idea of weight and negative health outcomes. The first is that weight stigma is a stressor that creates weight gain through physiological stress, increased eating due to stress and elevated stress hormones. The second theory suggests that individuals in larger bodies avoid places where they are more likely to experience discrimination and prejudice, such as the gym. Both of these theories catch individuals in a loop that perpetuates negative health outcomes. (Aldhahi et. al 2022) While more research needs to be done to understand the cyclical nature and repercussions of weight stigma, it is clear that prejudice and discrimination are inherently damaging to individuals directly and indirectly.
What Improvements have been made? What can still be done in the future?
Changing weight stigma begins with changing the stereotypes that are attached to people in bigger bodies. This will then help rid prejudices and further prevent discrimination. Arguelles et.al discusses some ways that stereotypes can be challenged by having a gym code of conduct that lays out inclusivity of all bodies, discuss more inclusive and affirming communication methods, and providing training to the staff on weight stigma. (2022) Some other ways to prevent prejudice and discrimination is to stop assuming people’s goals include weight loss, and discuss appropriate training goals with individuals based on their personal desires and needs. Some structural changes that can be made include, providing equipment with varying size capability, providing enough space between machines, images that include a diverse set of bodies, mirror free spaces, and banning dishonest weight loss messages. (Arguelles et. al 2022)
There are currently gyms, coaches, trainers and fitness specialists who are taking note of the need for more inclusivity and already taking steps to make these changes. One gym that is taking this on is Fitness4AllBodies(F4AB) in Boston Massachusetts founded by Justice Williams. Their mission is as stated: “Fitness4AllBodies teaches coaches, gym/studio owners, and people in the fitness industry to better understand how our bodies are connected to systems of oppression, how those systems are reinforced by the fitness industry, and how to develop a social justice lens and apply it to their work. We provide a space to come together from our fields of expertise to create new ideas and visions of what fitness can be in a way that honors and serves all of us without reinforcing patriarchal, white supremacist bodily ideals.” (Sikorski 2021) While many coaches, trainers, and gyms are focusing on how to modify what already exists there are many who want to take dramatic action, such as Sonalee Rashatwar who wants to completely deconstruct western culture in order to create a more size inclusive reality. (Cassie 2019).
As a strength coach who has worked in fitness for nearly a decade, I have seen the devastating effects that weight stigma can place on an individual level. I have sat with hundreds of individuals who have described their struggles to fit in, to feel like they have a place in movement spaces, and felt the pressure to lose weight while simultaneously working to reject other’s ideas about the thin ideal. I have seen the pain it causes people first hand and how it prevents individuals from going to the gym, going to the doctor, or participate in activities they always wanted to do. While I have seen a great deal of struggle, I have also see a shift on the horizon. I see individuals who are focused on what their body can do over what their body looks like. I see individuals who are ready to find enjoyment through movement rather than punish themselves. This change is going to take time and it will need to come not just from trainers and coaches but a full on societal shift in how those in bigger bodies are perceived.
