Courageously disrupting diet culture within the fitness industry using positive body image principles
Written by: Dr Emily Matheson, PhD
“What makes these individuals [Roz Mays; Jessamyn Stanely] unique and quite frankly refreshing is that they steer clear of traditional motivations for exercise and fitness (e.g., burning calories; weight loss), and instead promote intuitive exercise and/or movement and fostering a deeper appreciation for our bodies and what they can do and experience”
This blog is coming to you from a cafe in Greenwich Village on a Sunday morning, where 80% of the coffee consumers are wearing athleisure. For those new to this term, it is a popular fashion trend whereby athletic clothing is both comfortable and aesthetically appealing. As a body image expert, it brings me joy to see people of differing body shapes and sizes embrace the comfort of this clothing, particularly those who inhabit bodies that have been typically vilified by the fitness industry.
It shouldn’t be a courageous act to wear a particular item of clothing, or attend a fitness class and yet diet culture has infiltrated society’s perception of what it means to be ‘athletic’ and worthy of being accepted into these movement-related spaces. It’s these individual acts of courage that challenge industry and serve as a call to action to create movement apparel, equipment and spaces for everybody; and we’re seeing just that!
How does the fitness industry and its culture prevent individuals from developing a deeper, more holistic relationship with their body?
Today, the global physical activity economy is worth $828 billion, with the fitness ($109b), sport and active recreation ($230b), and apparel and footwear ($333b) industries being the largest contributors to this net worth¹. Unfortunately, this economy is somewhat underpinned by diet culture and the inherent desire to shrink or bulk your body, as a means for achieving unrealistic beauty standards.
Diet culture can be briefly defined as a set of beliefs that worships thinness and equates it with health and moral virtue². The fitness industry, in particular, is plagued by this mentality and promises to provide “quick fixes'' for body, diet and fitness woes. But, it’s these quick fixes that put individuals at risk of a lifetime of yo-yo dieting and the severe mental and physical health consequences associated with this lifestyle³,⁴. These can include, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, hormone fluctuations, reduced bone density and muscle strength, and menstrual disturbances, just to name a few.
Sadly, some of the biggest perpetrators of diet culture are the professionals working within the fitness industry. Research indicates that students and professionals in the fitness (e.g., gym instructors, personal trainers) and exercise science (e.g., physical education, kinesiology, physiotherapy) fields tend to place high importance on achieving the ideal athletic body type, and express negative attitudes towards larger bodies, including associating them with being lazy, weak and unattractive⁵. These attitudes and beliefs have shown to manifest and develop over the course of a students education, with college students demonstrating greater weight bias and fat phobia in their third year, relative to their first year⁵.
Similar attitudes are also reflected in activewear brands. Up until recently, a majority of these brands only showcased models with an ideal athletic body (e.g., toned abdomen, firmer lower body and muscular upper body), and provided limited clothing sizes (e.g., upto women’s 2XL).
These attitudes and biases are harmful to those living in larger bodies, as it suggests that only certain body types are welcomed within movement spaces, and ultimately discourages larger bodies from engaging with and utilizing apparel, equipment and spaces. In turn, these individuals internalize these prejudices and do not reap the benefits of living an active lifestyle, including muscle and bone health, balance and coordination, good sleep quality, stress relief and social connectedness.
Fortunately, it’s not all bad, and there are some individuals and brands who are challenging this status quo, and creating more accepting, inclusive and diverse movement spaces.
Who is leading the way in making more accepting, inclusive and diverse movement spaces?
Individuals…
In recent years we’ve seen the rise of anti-diet fitness professionals who are creating safe spaces for all body types, particularly those living in larger bodies. This includes personal trainer Roz Mays and Tally Rye, yoga teacher Jessamyn Stanley, and dance instructor Jessie Diaz-Herrera, just to name a few!
What makes these individuals unique and quite frankly refreshing is that they steer clear of traditional motivations for exercise and fitness (e.g., burning calories; weight loss), and instead promote intuitive exercise and/or movement*⁶ and fostering a deeper appreciation for our bodies and what they can do and experience.
These instructors also acknowledge that bodies come in different shapes, sizes and abilities, and offer space for individuals to either modify or tap out of activities such that they honor and cater to their body’s needs, abilities and comfort.
Brands…
We’re also seeing a shift in brand values and attitudes, which are reflected in the apparel they design and the models they choose to showcase it. Some of the brands leading in this space include Aerie, Athleta, and Girlfriend Collective. These brands are either well underway or starting to design clothing for a broader range of body shapes and sizes, as well as developing clothing technology that better supports larger bodies while being active. We are also seeing more brands use diverse representation in their models, as well as opting out of using airbrushing in marketing. Hallelujah! A less common, but emerging trend within brands is the use of body functionality*⁷ terminology to market their products!
Five ways that the fitness industry can coexist with positive body image
Diet culture has plagued the fitness industry and society more broadly since the 1800’s2. Therefore, a shift in attitudes, values and beliefs will not occur overnight. In order for all bodies to feel welcomed and encouraged within movement spaces, we need individual and collective change to occur. Here’s what that might look like…
1. Let’s start by removing diet culture messaging from movement-spaces. This includes gyms, changing rooms and clothing stores. It might look like…
a. Removing images of idealistic athletes and replacing them with images of people with differing body shapes, sizes, and abilities.
b. Removing quotes that discourage or demonize intuitive exercise(e.g., “If you give up, you never really wanted it”) and replace it with quotes that encourage connecting with and listening to your body (e.g., “Move to celebrate your body, not punish it”).
c. Monitoring staff dialogue, and challenging body talk*8 both among staff and towards customers (e.g., “Those leggings look great on you! Your butt looks toned and your waist super skinny”).
2. Promote a range of reasons and benefits for participating in movement, beyond the traditional and harmful rhetoric of diet culture (e.g., to burn calories; to lose weight). This might look like…
a. Bone, muscle and brain health
b. Enhanced sleep quality
c. Reduced anxiety and depression
d. Increased self-efficacy in mastering a new skill
e. Higher and regulated sex drive
f. Opportunity to connect with friends and/or family
g. Deeper appreciation for the complexities of the body, and what it can do and experience.
3. Reimagine what the term ‘athlete’ means and showcase diverse appearances in your marketing. This includes people of different ages ( children, adolescents, young- middle-aged, older adults), genders (women, men, non-binary), sexual orientation (e.g., LGBTQIA+), skin complexions and shades (people of color, alopecia, vitiligo), body shapes (rectangle, inverted triangle, hourglass, pear and apple), body sizes (tall, short, fat, thin), abilities (a person with an amputation, or someone who uses a wheelchair).
4. Incorporate body functionality terminology into your organization. This includes how you talk about consumers’ bodies (e.g., in terms of function and form, not appearance) and showcasing how your activewear or equipment enhances what the body can do, not what it looks like. For example, “sports bra technology provides breast support, reduces pain and increases runners’ comfort and technique”.
5. Make the full spectrum of sizing available in physical stores and not just online! By only providing larger sizes online, it infers that these body types are not welcome in stores. It also places a higher burden on these individuals by needing to 1) shop online, 2) wait for it to be delivered, 3) try it on, 4) return the item if it does not fit, 5) wait for a new size, and 6) repeat this process - as opposed to the immediate feedback they can get in a store. Not to mention the environmental impact that shipping and returning has on our planet!
Everyday we are seeing more and more courageous acts by individuals and brands to create safer and more inclusive movement spaces. It’s my hope that enough light is cast over these efforts, such that they transcend and transform the field and in time everybody feels worthy of- and finds joy in moving their bodies.
Helpful Definitions…
Intuitive exercise: Connecting with your body and its internal cues and using these to determine what type of movement, the length of time, and the intensity you'd like to engage in⁶.
Body Functionality: Focusing on what the body can do and experience, rather than on what it looks like⁷.
Body Talk⁸: Body talk refers to any comment or conversation (positive or negative) that reinforces the idea that there is one ideal way to look (e.g., “She’s too fat to be wearing those shorts”; “You look great! Have you lost weight?”)
References
Global Wellness Institute. (2019). Move to be well: The global economy of physical activity. https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/global-economy-physical-activity/
Harrison, C. (2019). Anti-diet: Reclaim your time, money, well-being, and happiness through intuitive eating. Hachette UK.
Puhl, R. M., & Heuer, C. A. (2010). Obesity stigma: important considerations for public health. American journal of public health, 100(6), 1019-1028.
Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A. M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare's search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer. American Psychologist, 62(3), 220.
Zaroubi, L., Samaan, T., & Alberga, A. S. (2021). Predictors of weight bias in exercise science students and fitness professionals: A scoping review. Journal of Obesity, 2021.
Voelker, D. K., Galli, N., Miyairi, M., Reel, J. J., & James, K. (2021). Validation of the Intuitive Exercise Scale in Patients With Eating Disorders. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 1(aop), 1-17.
Alleva, J. M., & Tylka, T. L. (2021). Body functionality: A review of the literature. Body Image, 36, 149-171.
Nichter, M., Vuckovic, N. (1994). Fat talk: Body image amongst adolescent girls. In Sault, N. (Ed.), Many mirrors: Body image and social relations (pp. 109–131). Rutgers University Press.
Meet Emily
Australian born and living in New York City, Dr Matheson is passionate about helping people to feel at home in their bodies, so they can connect with the world around them. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology, she uses evidence-based techniques to understand and improve mental health and well-being among young people and adults.
Emily has a stellar track record for leading large-scale, international body image research and consultancy collaborations between industry and academia. She’s known for the development and evaluation of innovative well-being tools for digital landscapes and in-person communities.
Found this interesting? Share it on your socials!
