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Gym Stigma
Kaitlin Jones
Department of Sociology
Carroll College
May 1st, 2017
Abstract:
Uses Goffman’s theory of social stigma, this study sociologically
examines whether or not there is a stigma at gyms based on bodily
appearance or fitness level. The findings suggest there is a perceived
“norm” for body type at the gym, and this does affect whether or not
people feel judged at the gym. This research was conducted to better
understand obesity, and more specifically why people are not getting
enough physical activity. This study found that judgment is affecting
gym attendance, as the majority of participants not only said they felt
judged at the gym--and that the judgment was based solely on bodily
appearance or fitness level--but also that the judgment actually
affected their attendance. Through this, both males and females
reported feelings of judgment; however the findings suggest that
females’ attendance is more likely to be affected than that of their
male counterparts. This contributes to our understanding of why
females have a higher likelihood of being overweight or obese.
Overall, this study provides evidence in support of better
understanding and addressing body stigma as an essential piece in
solving the obesity epidemic in the United States.
Introduction: Obesity, as we know, is a major problem in the United States, as “more than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese” (NIH 2016). According to the European Association for the Study of Obesity, “overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk factors for global deaths. At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese” (EASO 2017). While there is a variety of reasons that contribute to obesity, such as genetics, family lifestyle, unhealthy diet, medical problems, social and economic issues, lack of sleep and more, we do know that lack of exercise or inactivity is one of the main contributors (Mayo Clinic 2017). There could be multiple explanations as to why people do not exercise, particularly at a gym: for example accessibility, financial constraints, time constraints, and more (Springen 2017). Gyms are still one of the most popular locales for exercise. Therefore, we might expect to see that overweight and obese people are the ones we are more likely to see at the gym. However, the majority of the population at gyms seems to be or is thought to be people who might already appear to be “fit.” Consequently, this study was designed to understand whether or not there is a bodily norm at the gym and whether or not that norm creates a stigma for anyone who does not fit that norm, ultimately seeing if this “gym stigma” affects whether or not people go to the gym. This research project examines the relationship between perceived stigma at gyms, perceived fitness at gyms, and gym attendance rates. The research
question is as follows: is there stigma based on perceived appearance in gyms, and if so, does this stigma affect the likelihood that people will use gyms because of fear of this perceived stigma? The hypothesis is that there is a relationship between perceptions of “gym goers” and “fit people,” thus creating a stigma against the “unfit,” and that in turn, this stigma drives people away from gyms if they do not already fit the social construction of a “gym goer.” This study also hypothesizes that woman will be more likely to feel judged in gyms, and this is more likely to have an effect on whether or not they go to a gym. According to the Obesity Society, women have a 2.8% higher obesity rate than do men (Obesity Society 2017).
study, Thomas et al (2010) analyzed people who identified themselves, or were defined as obese or “fat” by examining and exploring different opinions and attitudes of obese individuals towards interventions. However, Thomas et al. focused more on how to do something about it, and examined the attitudes on intervening and a call to change. Approaching any obesity intervention is and always will be complex and should be according to Thomas et al. (Thomas et al. 2010). Gyms are supposed to be able to provide tools and resources to help people to make healthier decisions, yet this study examines the negative feelings associated with gyms, and why people do not utilize them as much for physical activity. Vartanian and Novak (2010) studied experiences with weight stigma and found that it affects both the mind as well as behaviors like dieting and exercise. They stated, “weight stigma can negatively influence motivation to exercise, particularly among individuals who have internalized societal attitudes about weight. Reducing internalization might be a means of minimizing the negative impact of weight stigma and of facilitating healthy weight management efforts” (Vartanian and Novak 2010: 760 ). While this research looks at the avoidance of exercise, a sociological approach to addressing stigma, and understanding the norm at gyms will help to understand this public health problem a little more in depth. Relating to the other studies, it is clear that there is a stigma around weight that it does affect one’s likelihood of exercising, and that addressing this issue is very complex.
Not only does being fit affect your overall health, but research also suggests there is a degree of value generated from appearance, attractiveness, and physical ability (Hutson 2013). Bodily capital is shown to affect one’s life in a more professional way. While it affects people differently in the different careers they hold and the different roles they have throughout the community, there is overall evidence that bodily appearance can get you farther in your career, or hold you back, creating even more of a degree of value on fitness level and bodily appearance (Hutson 2013). This plays into how there are certain norms or a certain expectations for appearance based on the value it has in this culture. This expectation in the literature is referred to as obesity bias (Cardinal at el. 2014), or what this research project is defining more specifically as “gym stigma.” With this certain expectation, it may be really difficult to be a part of a gym when one is not already “a part of the group,” the group being gym-goers who generally already fit in. Cardinal et al.’s (2014) research on obesity bias in the gym, found evidence of a need to “create a more welcoming and safe physical activity environment,” if we as a society do not want people to feel uncomfortable or belittled”( 5 ). Their research addresses a need, which is “…helping all people be physically active--because it benefits not only their body, but also their mind and spirit” (Cardinal at el. 2014:6). Their research provides evidence that there is already an unwelcoming environment at gyms. In Hunger et al.’s research, they discovered that Stigma around weight does contribute to more weight gain and poor health. This weight-based social
Data and Methods: This study was quantitative, and data were collected via a survey. The unit of analysis was individuals, and the survey was administered to individuals in a medium-sized community in the Rocky Mountain west. The sample from the population of this medium-sized town was aimed to represent the community of both non-gym goers and gym goers. The survey was administered in a variety of locations, including gyms as well as other public (non-gym) spaces. Through a variety of questions regarding stigma, gym attendance, body image, and feelings towards judgment, the survey aimed to be able to understand peoples’ feelings and experiences regarding gyms and stigma (see survey in appendix). This research set out hoping to determine the extent of stigma at the gym and whether or not stigma has any impact on gym attendance. If there really is stigma at the gym, and it does affect gym attendance, then this research can help to better understand, and consequently contribute to decreasing, obesity in the United States. Key variables that were measured were gym attendance, operationalized by how often someone goes to the gym; perceived fitness, with respondents rating their fitness level, their own body type, and body types most commonly seen at the gym; and perceived gym stigma described by whether or not one felt judged at the gym and how often. Additionally, demographic variables were also measured. See the appendix for the full survey instrument.
Results and Analysis: Data were collected in three places: a college student center, a college activities center, and a local grocery store. Ninety-two subjects participated in the survey, and 59% of the participants were female, while 41% were male. Of those 92 participants, 41% reported not having a membership at a gym. This means the majority of the participants at least had a gym membership, even if some respondents with memberships reported they did not go to the gym. The most common frequency (32% of all respondents) reported going to the gym 1-3 times a week, demonstrating that of the 41% that went to the gym, the mode of the respondents reported a consistent frequency attending the gym. The survey brought many trends to light. Below is the response chart (Figure 1) for the different body types for both male and females (See diagram in the appendix for body type image number references). Figure 1: Most Commonly Perceived Male and Female Body Types Seen at The Gym
Figure 2: Gym Stigma: Have People Ever Felt Judged at The Gym Since there is evidence to suggest that the majority of people feel judged at least occasionally at gyms, next this study will analyze whether or not they feel judged based on perceived bodily appearance or fitness level. Out of the 70% that felt judged, 78% said they felt the judgment was based on bodily appearance or fitness level, meaning that the majority of the judgment people feel is thought to be based solely on appearance or “fitness level.” Moreover of the 78% that felt judged on bodily appearance or fitness level, 51.9% said that this judgment actually affected their attendance, or their likelihood of attending a gym. All together the data provide evidence that gym stigma is a reality for many people and that it can affect the likelihood that some will attend a gym. Figure 3 below shows that of the 70% who said they felt judged at one time or another, 78% felt they were judged solely on bodily appearance or
fitness level, meaning that people are feeling judged based on appearance or perceived fitness levels, creating a stigma on appearance in gyms. Figure 3: Whether the Judgment is on Bodily Appearance or Fitness Level Figure 4 below shows that of the 78% of the people who said the judgment was on their appearance, the majority (51%) of the respondents said this judgment on appearance actually affected their attendance at a gym. Figure 4: Whether or not the Judgment Affects Gym Attendance
really interesting that females reported and expect to see smaller women and men at the gym than their male counter parts, as the mode for male responses for both male and females is a five, while the mode for female response for both male and females is four for females and a five for males, but closely followed with four for males. See Figure 6 below. Figure 6: Female Responses for the Normal Body Type Found at the Gym Next, the study will look at the separation between sex on who feels judged and how much. Figure 7 shows that 64% of male respondents reported feeling judged a couple times or more, with 33% of the male respondents reporting they had never felt judged, and only 3% of the male respondents reporting that they have never been to the gym because of fear of judgment. The stacked bar chart in Figure 7 illustrates how often men felt judged, with 42% indicating a couple of times, followed by 19% who indicated sometimes, a small minority feeling judged often, and no men feeling always judged.
Figure 7: Male Responses on Whether or Not They Feel Judged at The Gym Figure 8 below illustrates that of the 64% of male respondents who feel judged, a majority, 73%, felt that the judgment was because of bodily appearance or fitness level. Figure 8: Male Respondents on Whether the Judgment was on Appearance or Fitness Level. So if 7 3% of males who feel judged feel it is based on appearance, does this actually affect their likelihood of attending a gym? Below Figure 9 shows that the
Of the 74% of female respondants who feel judged, an astounding 81% feel that this judgement is based on bodily appearance or fitness level (verses the males’ 73%). Figure 11: Female Respondents on Whether the Judgment was on Appearance or Fitness Level Of the 81% of the female respondents who feel that this judgment is on bodily appearance or fitness level the majority (57%) of female respondents say it actually affects their likelihood of going to the gym. See Figure 12 below. Figure 12: Female Respondents on Whether Judgment Affected Their Gym Attendance
Overall the majority of both genders feel judged at the gym in general, even though females reported feeling judged more often than males, and the majority of both sexes feel that this judgment is because of bodily appearance or fitness level. Below are four charts that show the female respondents’ and the male respondents’ self-reported body types and fitness levels. The majority of females who took the survey fell within the range identified as the “norm” (4-5) for the gym among all respondents, and yet most (53.7%) of the females reported being only “somewhat fit.” In contrast their male counterparts also mainly fell into the “norm” range (5-6) that was perceived to be at the gym; however the majority of males reported that they were “fit.” The majority of respondents felt either “somewhat fit” or “fit”, and the majority also felt they were between the “normal ranges” per sex that were seen at the gym, yet still the majority felt judged based on appearance or fitness level at the gym. This might play into why females are more likely to have their attendance affected by judgment verses males, as it seems that the males are just a little more confident than their female counterparts, which research suggests. (See Figure 13 - 16 on the next two pages.)
