A frequent topic of discussion in our meetings is how the industry can learn to better speak to and serve members of their communities that are overweight. No one will deny that this is a struggle for our industry or that is it one that must be overcome.
Right now about 17% of Americans are members at health clubs. Meanwhile, 67% of Americans are either overweight or obese. Clearly, our industry has a tremendous amount to offer the majority of Americans that struggle with their weight, but before we can help them, we must make them feel welcome enough to enter our clubs.
A sad story came across my desk this morning about a woman who was asked not to use the equipment at her new gym because of her weight. At 380 lbs. the management felt it was unsafe for her to use certain equipment that had weight limits. They offered her an alternative fitness plan, but she was not interested and instead took her story to the local television station.
This story is sad for a few reasons. First, it must have been a crushing emotional blow to this woman for whom weight must be a brutal daily struggle. Second, it's sad because the story will become an excuse for others to not step foot in a gym because it will reinforce their perception that gyms are only for skinny people. That means, these people won't reap the health benefits that are out there and waiting for them.
As an industry, we must do a better job of making overweight people feel welcome at clubs. That is not just about how there are treated when they are there, but how we market to them and attract them to our facilities in the first place. Personally, I feel the industry would be better served to cease using all images of ultra thin women in sports bras working out. Now, I've worked out in a lot of clubs in my day and I can honestly tell you, it's a pretty rare site to see. But for those that haven't been to a lot of clubs, it's no wonder they feel that they need to lose weight BEFORE they join a gym because all of the ads make it look like the land of beautiful people!
Let's start showing images that reflect the people that are really in the club. Young, old, and middle-aged. Athletes, average Joe's and Jane's, and yes, people struggling with their weight. The more we do this, the better we will be able to serve everyone and make our country a healthier place. We have the knowledge, we have the passion, we have the equipment for safe and effective weight loss. Now, let's put out the welcome sign for everyone.
Before I sign off, I just want to say that there are some amazing programs out there in our clubs that welcome people struggling with their weight and help them succeed in living a healthy lifestyle and those stories far out-number the stories like the one I came across today.
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