“No Skinny People Allowed” Gyms: Brilliant or Bigoted?

Seriously, there are no words for how much I used to love the parachute in gym class! Although it probably had a lot to do with the fact I got to hide and no one threw balls at me…

“Plus-Size friendly!” vs “No skinny people allowed!” is the difference between a market niche and an exclusionary tactic but either way you say it, according to the NY Daily News (I know, I know), it’s a strategy more and more gyms are embracing. But is separating the cream from the whey a good idea when it comes to fitness?

The Body Exchange in Vancouver, Canada, is one example of the newest wave in specialty gyms. They tout a “strict policy that only allows plus-size women to join” in order to create “a safe haven” for people of size who want to avoid “normal” gyms. CEO Louise Green explains that these types of gyms supply a vital need as “[overweight] people are often too fearful to become active. There wasn’t a model [in traditional gyms] that offered camaraderie.”

Green’s statement should surprise no one. One of the reasons I’ve heard most from readers over the years about why they don’t go to a gym is the concern about being stared at, ogled, made fun of or harassed because of their weight. (Although, I daresay I hear that from people no matter what they weigh…) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I need to lose weight and then I’ll go to the gym!” Which while it can make emotional sense – fat discrimination and shaming is sadly very pervasive in our culture – it makes as much logical sense as telling someone they can’t go to the hospital until they’ve kicked that nasty cancer that makes them look all weird. And let’s be honest, if gyms only allowed people who looked the picture of health, 95% of us wouldn’t be there. I’ll admit that even though I’m a normal size I still get the jitters walking into a new gym sometimes, especially one that’s populated with pretty people. I gave up that race a while ago – I’ll never be the prettiest princess in the room – but it’s still unnerving thinking people are staring at my muffin top or critiquing my thighs. (Although like MizFit pointed out in the comments of my post yesterday, people are probably paying more attention to what they look like than what we look like!)

On one hand I think it’s great to give people options*. If going to a gym like one of the Downsize Fitness chain – developed specifically for those who are overweight or obese – gives people the encouragement, support and camaraderie they need to make exercise a part of their daily lives then how can that be bad? And many of the gyms offer additional services targeted to this group like counseling for food addiction and emotional eating support groups. Plus it’s a lot less intimidating walking into a place where you know everyone else is basically in your same situation – no more having to listen to blond Barbie natter on her cellphone about being on a juice fast for 21 days while maniacally stair-climbing! And in a world where a 14-year-old girl committed suicide after being taunted about her weight, the emotional reasoning is very valid.

But on the other hand, there are problems with this model. The immediate (and least compelling, in my mind) argument against these gyms is that they discriminate against skinny people. If someone made a gym banning fat people there would be an outcry but banning skinny people is okay? (Although I must point out that the level and fervor of fat discrimination far outweighs that of skinny discrimination.) Besides, most of these gyms take the position given by Jason Burns of Downsize Fitness in Chicago when he says “he doesn’t “ban” anyone from his gyms but he doesn’t encourage a skinny crowd either.” But the real issue I have with these gyms is that separating people like this – even if it is self selection – reinforces existing stereotypes and dividing lines. Fat people have their gyms, skinny people have theirs – everyone to their corners! How can we learn from and inspire each other if we never see each other? And who’s to say what constitutes “fat” and “skinny” anyhow? Do you lose 50 pounds and get kicked out? If you risk losing your friends and support group that might actually turn into a reason not to lose weight.

In an ideal world, we’d work on fixing the bias and stigma against overweight people and making existing gyms welcoming to them instead of driving them to seek out their own “safe” gyms. But we don’t live in an ideal world. And there’s obviously a need for these gyms. As Marty Wolff, a competitor on season 3 of The Biggest Loser and owner of a “plus-size” gym in Nebraska, explains, “My whole life, I have always wished there was a place for other big people. So I created one.”

What do you think about “no skinny people allowed” gyms – great idea or bad plan? Are you offended by it? Would you prefer to go to one if it were available near you?

*A lot of people draw the comparison to gender-specific gyms like Curves for women but I don’t think that’s necessarily apt. Gender is constrained by societal, religious and cultural expectations and is not something you can change (well, not easily anyhow) but a person’s weight can be quite variable over their lifetime and they do have quite a bit of control over it.

42 Comments

  1. I wouldn’t call it discriminatory, just filling a niche. The people complaining about “skinny discrimination” wouldn’t go into a place like Torrid or Lane Bryant and complain about the lack of anything below a size 12. It’s essentially the same thing in a gym setting. It’s a good business strategy.

    • I totally agree with toy Casey. I don’t see that as discriminatory. How about the situation where modelling used to consider skinny people. Plus size people did not have much to complain about. It is just people who have found a niche, and as well a good business strategy in a gym setting.

  2. “And who’s to say what constitutes “fat” and “skinny” anyhow? Do you lose 50 pounds and get kicked out?” These were my first two thoughts. The good gyms, the ones that promote all-around good health, are welcoming to all. And, yes, they exist! Look for ‘wellness centers’ and Y’s and your local park and rec departments. If the ads are focused on 22-year-old fitness models…..well, that’s not the right place for most of us. I have found great inspiration and encouragement from people of all sizes. I think this is a truly horrible concept!

    • I had the same two thoughts. How fat is fat? And do you get kicked out at a certain point?

    • Ditto! I think my next two thoughts went, “ummm, do they weigh you before they allow you to join or calculate your BMI? Isn’t that counterproductive?
      The concept of this doesn’t bother me quite as much as it does you – it seems more like an extension of Planet Fitness’s marketing (or is that a local thing?) – but I’m more baffled about how it actually works.

  3. I agree with Casey Kay. It’s a niche. How is it any different than a Curves where only women are allowed? If it encourages any one at all to be more active, I say it can’t hurt anything!

  4. I also question what happens once you lose weight. I’ve lost 40 lbs, gained back 20, lost 60 lobs, gained back 50- when do I get to go to the gym?

    Seems like a terrible business plan to me. Be welcoming, yes, but what if I lost 100 lbs and now want to join your gym. I won’t necessarily be discriminatory just because I lost the weight already. Nor would I necessarily feel comfortable in a “regular” gym. Too many variables to work as anything but a marketing gimmick, then you’re almost forced into dropping it.

  5. I wrote about this on our gym’s blog last week, and I’m firmly in the “this is a bad idea” camp. Some of the arguments have already been covered:

    – How do you measure to determine who’s “overweight enough”? I carry 22% body fat well as a male; do I look too skinny to be there, even if “healthy” is closer to 15-17%? And BMI’s a fallacy; Shaq in his playing days had a BMI close to 34!
    – The “getting kicked out because I got too skinny” thing is a big issue for me, especially because these members signed up for a support system. They reach their goals and the support system gets yanked out from under them? No way.

    But the big thing for me is this: Skinny does NOT necessarily mean healthy. The primary goal of a gym is to keep you healthy (or at least that *should* be the primary goal of your gym). That doesn’t appear to be the case here.

  6. If there is a market for that kind of gym, then I say go for it. However, I’d say those who choose a weight-based gym are doing themselves a disservice. One of the great things about an open-to-all gym is seeing just how many different body types and styles do exist! Tall, short, beefy, chicken legs, curvy, straight! I would think it could help with acceptance and with goal setting. It also shows how much work goes into bodies of a certain look.

    That said, our gym is very diverse in terms of age, gender, nationality, size. I hope that all feel welcome. I have been in some “fancy city gyms” and noticed far more homogeneity that has left me feeling uncomfortable.

  7. Ive been pondering this since it came out too.

    and echo so much of what you said and the above (skinny isnt healthy etc) and have ended up at this. for me it is like single sex education. awesome empowering perhaps self-esteem boosting etc but it isnt the real world.
    and yet–spending time there and building yourself UP and growing more confident is a great thing.

  8. I’m not offended and I don’t think it should be illegal, but I still think it’s dumb. What’s next, a grocery store for over-weight people? Surely they feel judged when skinny people stare at the contents of their shopping carts.

  9. I’m so on the fence on this one.. I’m all for whatever makes you more comfortable in the gym so you actually work to improve your health, but where do you draw the line? Like a comment above, how do you set qualifications? Who is big enough to get in and do you kick them out when they achieve the goal? I’m almost thinking it’s better to have a buddy system in existing gyms. Pair people up so they have a workout buddy. Someone to show newbies around, how to use equipment, go to class with, etc. A fitness matching based on skills, background, etc.

  10. I don’t like this idea for a few reasons. As you mentioned above, skinny doesn’t mean you’re fit. As someone who’s pretty small, I was really intimidated to start working out because I felt judged (I didn’t just feel judged – I was judged. I was outright asked why I was so slow for someone so skinny). I don’t think I’d belong in a skinny person gym, despite being skinny. And I get it. Not all overweight people want to go to the overweight gym but even suggesting it still makes me twitch a little. There are so many groups of people who feel different and judged – everyone can’t just lock themselves in a room with people who are exactly like them as a solution.

  11. Then I want a gym for skinny people who are trying to recover from an eating disorder that feel uncomfortable in a “traditional” gym because they are so thin that people look at them pathetically (or so it seems.) It can be just as intimidating to be skinny at a gym, even though the overall goal of gaining strength and health should be shared by everyone there.

    People “poo-poo” it, call it a “good problem to have” and don’t realize what an issue this can be for us, which only adds to the discomfort we already feel. Sure, there are more overweight people than underweight people and I’m sure it would fill that niche, but there are too many issues–many mentioned above–to make it a viable (and ethical) business model, in my opinion.

  12. So you go to a gym that’s all big girls…and then you lose the weight. Now you have to go to a “normal” gym and integrate yourself in normal society. Or do you get scared of your safety of your big girl gym and end up right back there b/c you freak out at a normal gym. I hate self segregation for the sake of safety because the reality is not a world where there are only big girls. And then in the big girl gym do the REALLY big girls get looked down upon by the kind of big girls? You know those girls who are size 16 mean girl the size 30 girl? Also who decides who is plus size? The girl who isn’t a size 4 may feel just as bad at a regular gym as these bigger women.

    Also – the prices. If I could afford a $155/month membership (which is what a one year 3x a week gets you at the Body Exchange) then I could afford a personal trainer at a regular gym most likely. Or at least go to a gym that I could use more than 3 times a week. That price is ridiculous.

    I’m a big girl – size 22/20 down from a 26 at my biggest. I’ve always gone to a regular gym and it’s never bothered me – so maybe I’m a different demographic. But I just don’t get it. It’s ridiculous to me to spend money for that kind of niche.

    • “And then in the big girl gym do the REALLY big girls get looked down upon by the kind of big girls? You know those girls who are size 16 mean girl the size 30 girl?”

      Ooooooh, good point. Reminds me of kids in schools when the administrators institute uniforms to reduce bullying/judging by clothes, so instead the kids judge each other by their shoes, sunglasses, watches, jewelry, hair, makeup, backpack, etc…

  13. Interesting….I really don’t know how i feel about this. I know a lot of people who would maybe go to a gym like this if there was one here, but I’m not sure that it is great for a long term solution. I’m all for getting people to the gym to work out though, so again, I don’t know. Dang, now I’m all kinds of confused about my feelings.

    What about this? I can’t handle the meatheads in the weight room at my gym. Can we get a “no meatheads allowed” gym? I’d pay extra for that!

  14. I don’t really see a problem with this. I’m all for finding the place (gym, business, bar, boutique) that feels “right.” I go to the Y because I don’t like a lot of the “hard sell” tactics of commercial gyms, like the family friendly atmosphere, and the class selection. I probably wouldn’t choose to go to a weight-specific place to work out, but if it’s what someone else is comfortable with, more power to them.

  15. I dunno – if it makes people more comfortable so they come in great. I bet the classes would be more tailored to beginners and those with weight issues which would definitely be good. A lot of fitness classes are way too much for someone who has never worked out before.
    But I wonder…what happens when you get thinner? Do you have to find another gym? Because that would suck to find a place you liked and got fit in and loved and then have to leave it…

  16. A slightly different situation: I was once visiting a friend in a different city and she lived close to a really inexpensive gym. I went over there one morning to see if I could work out for just that one day. The price of a one day pass was equal to about a 2-3 month membership! The owner told me it was to discourage gym rats so that non-gym rats would feel more comfortable working out. In fact, one of the gym rules was “No grunting.”

    I thought that was the worst business model I’d ever heard of. That gym wasn’t in business for very long.

  17. Like you, my first thoughts were along the lines of who decides what qualifies as fat/overweight/obese and whether you’d be kicked out for losing X amount of pounds. I definitely see the attraction of such gyms, but I also think that it’s motivating to be around other types of people to be inspired and motivated.

    Oh, and the Body Exchange gym in Canada costs $186/mo. minimum! That’s pure craziness if you ask me! Perhaps this is a motivating factor for people to lose weight quick and get out?

  18. At the moment, I would qualify for a “Plus sized only” gym by my size. But I’m training for a power lifting competition in November, and my biggest fear would be that would emphasize machines and cardio classes and not provide me with the barbells and power rack I need to get my workout in.

    Because we all know that fat older women cannot be interested in pushing weights…

  19. Its a niche and I don’t think it will last. Theoretically they will lose all their clientelle because everyone will be so happy and motivated to work out there that they will lose all the weight and then be banned.

    In terms of commraderie, I have never been to a big box gym that had that. I go to 24 hour fitness sometimes and I don’t speak to anyone and no one speaks to me. Everyone there does their own thing. When I got to CrossFit there is commraderie and everyone is welcome.

    • Oh, Laura it is so sad that nobody speaks to each other at your 24 Hour. I will admit it takes a while – I think the members want to know you’re in it for the long haul – but there are guys I talk to every day. And even a couple girls (but they are a-scared of the barbell and don’t come into my part of the gym.) I will admit that the cardio queens are not very social.

      We even a group that goes out to lunch once a month from the gym!

  20. I hate the idea of any gym banning any group of people. That said, when I used to live in the city in Europe, I went to the municipal gym where people of all ages, abilities and sizes were welcomed. When I moved on to another gym where there were only a bunch of “barbies” and grunting bodybuilders I felt really uncomfortable. I cannot imagine how unwelcome someone with a lot of weight issues would feel! It was bad enough having a healthy but not skinny waist line…
    I think a gym that is geared towards helping obese people and provides specific workouts, nutritional help and a support group is a great thing. As long as they also accept others and keep people in after they lost the weight! I would otherwise just be ridiculous!
    Skinny bashing and discrimination is as bad a fat-hating in my book.

  21. I had never seen this, thanks Charlotte!

    The first though that came to mind was the bars they have at Disney World that prevent kids that are too small from going on a ride 🙂

    As for me, I do not like belonging to a club that limits its membership, and I have actively avoided them, such as fraternities for example. In the south there is a long history of racial exclusion and that was something that has affected me and the way I look at situations.

  22. So my mom has alopeica and is totally bald everywhere and has to wear wigs/hats and will not go to the gym because she doesn’t like people staring at her. While it’s not quite the same as being obese and being uncomfortable with other people looking at you, it’s more or less along the lines of feeling bullied/criticized/stereotyped etc. I would love it if there was someplace my mom could go workout and feel comfortable doing so and if it meant coming up with some gym that was only for bald people I’d be all for it! And would never think of it as something discriminatory. When it comes down to it, if having gyms like this makes people more comfortable and more likely to work-out than it’s a total win-win.

  23. Well it’s about time! Discriminatory….HuH!! Who out there with some extra pounds around the middle have done the “perp walk” into a gym and had to put up with the looks, snickers and politically correct attitudes? I expect there is none of that in a plus size only gym. That alone justifies the approach. Thanks for the post.

  24. Alyssa (azusmom)

    I think I’m in favor of this. Yes, there are absolutely some legitimate concerns, but I heard similar arguments when I joined a women’s-only gym back in the early 90’s. I LOVED that gym! I felt SO much more comfortable there, and ended up working out a lot more. I wish we had a place like that where we live now.
    Having said that, most YMCAs and community centers are much more open-minded than the “high-end” gyms are. ( I can’t tell you how many 85 year-old men walk around our gym in Speedos, lol!)

    • Alyssa (azusmom)

      Oh, and I, too, loved parachute day! I wish my kids were still young enough for Gymboree…

  25. I have lost over 100 lbs and have belonged to both camps. I quit going to “gyms” and joined a “Fitness Center” instead. The emphasis is on wellness and there are workouts & classes available for all levels of fitness. Sadly, a huge bias against larger sized people exists. I don’t agree with it but I have to admit that it did contribute to my motivation to become healthier. Bullying, like the fourteen year old suicide victim, for any reason is abhorable and needs to be addressed & remedied. Allowing discrimination of any kind for business purposes or otherwise could well be the top of a very slippery slope. For that reason I am opposed.

  26. “Fat People Only” gyms don’t make any sense. If I join at 230 pounds and get down to 160, or whatever the “fat” threshold is, are they going to kick me out, or what? That’s stupid.

  27. It is such a hard call. I know so many I have talked too that feel so uncomfortable in a gym if they are very overweight so this will allow them to get started & feel good about themselves yet on the other hand, like others have written, it is not the real world & it does hamper understanding the whole process in a way. I want everyone to have a chance yet I am conflicted & do wonder if this is legal – I guess it is if it is happening. I really just want everyone to have a chance to be healthy – not necessarily skinny – healthy!

  28. Hi Charlotte,
    I just found your blog via a recommendation from a friend 🙂 Just wanted to say hi and that I’ll check in often!

    I also wonder about the legality of the “plus sized gym.” I don’t think it necessarily provides a solution to the problem, and if it does, it’s only temporary. It makes me wonder what the eventual consequences will be.

  29. These gyms wouldn’t exist if they weren’t filling a need. How many people don’t exercise because they feel awkward about going to a gym with people in perfect shape? Or at least better shape than they are? Also, would the people that are “denied” really be interested in joining anyway? My YMCA has a water-aerobics class for the elderly, but it doesn’t upset me that my age prevents me from joining this class.

  30. I’m a new gym goer. Two months ago I decided to lose weight and started going to the gym 5 days a week for an hour. Now, at the time I was 330lbs and looked it and because I was on such a tight budget I used the gym at the military base where I worked because it was free. Yeah, I dreaded and hated the idea of working out surrounded by ridiculously fit men/women, but honestly after going there for so long I’ve realized that no one is watching you. Everyone is in their own worlds. I even feel motivated when there’s someone next to me on the treadmill or the elliptical (or whatever) because it makes me push myself harder because I don’t want to come off as weak or lazy and I end up getting a better work-out because of these people. I’ve also come to realize that if you’re not comfortable in your own skin when you’re fat, you won’t be comfortable in your own skin when you’re skinny. I’m against separating ‘skinny’ from ‘fat’ when it comes to gyms. I think everyone has their owns battles and most of them are with ourselves.

  31. I have been reading about these gyms since seeing an interview with the owner of Downsize Fitness on CNN a few days ago and I think the concept is brilliant! I have been thin and I have been overweight. I worked for a weight-loss company for 10 years and many of my clients felt too embarrassed and insecure to join a gym. They were ashamed of how they would look compared to other members and were afraid they wouldn’t be able to keep up in the classes. These new gyms that cater to this clientele have machines designed for their size, classes tailored for beginners, no mirrors to stare at themselves and fogged windows so outsiders can’t see in assuring their privacy. They offer nutritional counseling and personal training as well. Also, they DO NOT kick you out once you lose your weight! The owner of Downsize Fitness said that the members who succeed help motivate others and need to keep exercising to maintain their weight loss. I would join a gym like this in a heartbeat and would love to work for or own one myself!

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  33. I think beginner gyms would be better idea.