In the fitness world (and in much popular media) there is a lot of talk about the ‘problem’ of obesity and about how fat people should exercise more. But does your facility really welcome fat people? Have you ever really looked at what the barriers are for someone obese who is considering using your fitness facility?
It isn’t unusual to have disability access audits done to help highlight areas that need addressing for people with disabilities to access leisure and fitness facilities. I would like to argue for ‘fat friendly’ audits to help facilities be truly welcoming to fat people.
It may surprise you to notice that I am suggesting that the barriers are real and are caused, at least in part, by us in the fitness industry. The usual assumption is that the barriers are to do with fat people’s reluctance or laziness. I believe that the problem is more our laziness and prejudice.
So what should a fat friendly access audit cover?
- Do you have turnstiles at the entrance to your facility? Have you ever considered how off-putting it would be to face the potential humiliation of getting stuck in the turnstiles, or the embarrassment of having to ask to have the wheelchair access gate opened for you when you don’t use a wheelchair?
- Do you have generously sized private changing cubicles? It isn’t just fat people who can be self concious about undressing in full view of everyone else in the changing room, but many would prefer not to face the stares. It is just as bad when the tiny changing cubicle is too small for you so that once in you can’t shut the door.
- Do you have generously sized toilets? For larger women in particular, many toilet cubicles are so small that it is necessary to stand straddling the toilet itself in order to shut the door, and when the sanitary bin is squeezed tightly into the gap between the toilet and the wall many large women will end up sitting on the bin as well as the toilet.
- Do you have private shower cubicles with room to undress and hang up clothes and towel in the dry? Communal showers were the worst experience at school for many fat children, and not one we want to relive.
- Do all your studios have mirrors? Many people, whatever their size dislike watching themselves in the mirror. For many fat people the mirrors are a significant extra barrier.
- Do you have any larger sized fitness instructors? Many instructors struggle with weight and resort to using extreme diets, over-exercising, vomiting and laxitives in order to maintain a low weight due to the prejudice faced in society in general and the fitness industry in particular. But having larger instructors in your facility makes it potentially more welcoming to fat participants. It also helps bust the myth that being overweight equals being unfit. And if you aren’t sure that is even true, and you don’t welcome larger instructors to your facility, you have some serious work to do!
- Do you address attitude problems and prejudice among your staff and other users towards fat people? Most of us wouldn’t tolerate oppressive comments or unfriendly looks and attitudes towards users with disabilities any more. But it still seems socially acceptable for people to ridicule, despise, resent and blame fat people for being fat. While much of it may be subtle, fat people are only too aware of what others think of them, and fitness facilities can be some of the worst environments especially those filled with people ultra concerned with their phisique. Would you want to come to a facility where people made their dislike clear just by the way they looked at you?
- Do instructors have any appreciation of the physical needs and challenges faced by larger people exercising? Are they able to advise on these kindly and tactfully? I have seen many examples of larger people’s needs not being accomodated in classes. Some stretches and floor exercises are not possible because range of movement is restricted. Do your instructors offer alternatives? Machines may be uncomfortable, repetitive movements may cause painful chafing. It is a significant problem in instructor training in the UK at least, that training in working with obese clients is a level 4 course. Most instructors are not trained at this level, and I would suggest that training modules in obesity should be developed which equate to the level 3 units in Ante and post-natal, active aging and disability.
- Do you currently have fat users at your facility? Have you asked them what challenges they face and where you could improve?
- Do you assume that fat people are exercising to lose weight? Fat people may have many reasons for exercising including improving health and mobility, gaining strength or endurance, flexibility or balance. Assuming the weight loss is the main or only goal may be more about your agenda than theirs. Constant references to weight loss and diet can be more than a little irritating to overweight people many of whom have already tried more diets than you have ever heard of and who personally know only too well that dieting doesn’t work for most people.
- Do you assume that fat people need special classes? While some may need low impact or chair classes, others may comfortably take part in your regular classes and may already be fitter than some of your slim participants. Don’t assume anything. Ask and give plenty of options.
- Do you have images and messages around your facility that promote respect and welcome larger participants? Or are all your positive images of skiny people?
- Does your seating accomodate larger people? You would be unpleasantly surprised by how many chairs are too small or too flimsy for even moderatley obese users. Imagine being afraid that the chair you sit on will collaspse under your weight or that you will have trouble getting out of it again. Check the chairs in your chair classes, in your changing rooms, foyers and cafeterias.
- If you sell fitness clothing, do you have larger sizes? It is really difficult to find attractive and comfortable fitnesss clothing in larger sizes. Lack of anything suitable to wear is a significant barrier to many people. And supplying items up to only a size 14 or 16 (UK sizes) clearly conveys the message that larger users (50% of the population) aren’t really welcome.
What can you think of that I have missed? How does your facility measure up? What stops you asking your larger clients for help in auditing how welcoming you are?
