I love exercise, but I hate that the fitness industry makes money off of bullying fat people. You hate that too? Hooray! Let’s be friends and get rid of fatphobia in fitness together.

Hold up, let’s define Fatphobia: it’s a dislike of fat people and/or obesity, leading to weight stigma, the negative attitude and treatment of fat people. See, this is why we’re friends, because we’re not into that. But chances are, if you’re connected to the fitness industry, fatphobia is happening around you whether you see it or not.

How does Fatphobia show up in Fitness?

• Fat bodies are generally not shown in fitness spaces; most certifications, ads, and media use images of thin bodied people.  When fat bodies are represented, they are usually featured as a “Before” photo.

• “Lose weight” is the default fitness goal. The assumption is that if you are working out, you are working out to become thin.  

• It’s only recently that fitness professionals are starting to discuss how to modify exercises to make them accessible to larger bodies.  This is not a skill that is discussed in most fitness certifications, even though 66% of adults are considered overweight. Puzzling indeed.  If you want to learn how, check out my instructional video on how to start

• While there is an upward trend in the availability of plus size fitness apparel, the brands that do carry inclusive sizing generally do not have it available in store, only online, and most brands don’t carry sizes larger than an XL.  

• In my own experience, fitness instructors in thin bodies are more likely to be hired and to receive support from the company they work for.  I know of personal trainers who have been fired for putting on weight, and who have been denied referrals and clients until they “look the part”. Yuck.

How to Get Rid of Fatphobia in Fitness

• Recognize your own fatphobic thoughts and tendencies.  Treat your clients with the same respect and consideration regardless of their size.

• Watch videos of larger athletes to help normalize fat bodies in motion.  Search the hashtag #fatathlete 

• Look at your surroundings.  Notice how things from the size and shape of exercise equipment to the accessibility of your gym’s bathroom may be barriers to fat people.  For example, I realized that the typical looped exercise band trainers like to use for glute activation is often extremely uncomfortable or even impossible for a large client to put on their legs.  I opt to use thicker, cloth-covered Slingshot bands to make clients comfortable and allow them to focus on the exercise, not on whether they fit into the equipment.  

• Question your marketing methods.  Before and After photos are the go to social proof for fitness professionals to market their skills.  The problem with any side by side comparison photo is that it inherently implies that one image is better than the other.  Try featuring photos of your clients celebrating lifting a weight record for them, doing their first pushup, or crossing the finish line of a race.  

• Think about the fitness clothing brands you spend your money on.  Look into whether your favorite brands carry inclusive sizing, feature diverse models, and whether their marketing slogans sound welcoming to all bodies. I have four recommendations of companies to start with in my blog I Protest in the Name of Plus Size Workout Clothes!

• Include in your continued education book selections such as Doing Harm by Maya Dusenbery, Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings, and Do No Harm by Hannah Hawkins, books that examine the relationship between fat bodies and discrimination in the health sector.  

For those of us who work in fitness, it means that we have a voice and a potential to make an impact on the industry that we work in. Start looking for ways that you can remove fatphobia from the fitness space you work in, and create a more welcoming environment for all bodies. Do you have a recommendation of how to get rid of fatphobia in fitness? Tell me about it in the comments!

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