“People don't care as much about their health as they do about their looks”: Personal trainers as intermediaries between aesthetic and health-based discourses of exercise participation and weight management

Donaghue, Ngaire; Allen, Maddison

doi:10.1080/1612197x.2015.1016086

Cited by 23 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Almost all participants reported events of direct discrimination from gym staff. Mostly, they were an expression of the prejudices about poor health in overweight and obese population, as well as the belief that weight is absolutely controllable and it needs intervention (Donaghue and Allen, 2016; Panza et al, 2018). Martín's experience with his personal trainer is a good example or that.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The predominant prescription by gym staff of weight-centric exercise reinforces the dogma that obese people must exercise for weight-loss reasons, and that bodyweight is effectively controllable through exercise (Donaghue and Allen, 2016). With this regard, weight-centric exercise should be the restorative measure offered by gyms to improve bodies, exaggerating the effects of exercise on weight loss (Swift et al, 2018).…”

Section: Structural Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users

Argüelles

Pérez-Samaniego

López-Cañada

2021

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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Weight stigma is a negative social process that involves discrimination against overweight and obese people. Gyms are important environments to promote exercise where weight stigma can be a hindrance for obese exercise practitioners. This critical-oriented study provides evidence-based answers to this question: How do obese users experience weight stigma in gyms? Six obese gym users (BMI >30) participated in semi-structured interviews and provided visual data for photo-elicitation. A thematic analysis enabled the grouping of their experiences around weight stigma into three forms of discrimination: 1) direct: negative comments about body weight and body size; 2) indirect: internalization of negative stereotypes on weight, ability or appearance; 3) structural: explicit or symbolic rejection related with weight-centric exercise, equipment and recommendations implicit in marketing and advertising. The results provide evidence and interpretations of different forms of discrimination and inequality that operate in gyms, and how they affect obese users’ experiences. Based on these results, we compile a list of measures to prevent weight stigma and recommendations for exercise professionals to relate with obese users.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Structural Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users

Argüelles

Pérez-Samaniego

López-Cañada

2021

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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“…(Carlos, 30, secondary school PE teacher, six years of experience)The drive towards muscularity among men has been widely researched (e.g. Donaghue and Allen, 2016; Kwan and Trautner, 2011; Morgan, 2005; O’Hara et al, 2014), and particular attention has been paid to the effects of images of muscularity presented on television and in magazines (Field et al, 2012; Pope et al, 2001; Vandenbosch and Eggermont, 2015; Yan and Bissell, 2014). These media effects may be even more problematic for male PE teachers given the embodied identity of their profession.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lack of criticality and resistance to discourses presented in the media result in the positioning of dominant practices, products and discourses as ‘ultimate truth’ (Mcdonald and Birrell, 1999). As the media is becoming one of the most powerful sites for learning about fitness, health and ‘ideal’/’normal’ bodies (Donaghue and Allen, 2016; Field et al, 2012; González-Calvo et al, 2017) in a highly visual society (Jenks, 1995; Jones, 2003), PE teachers are now faced with the challenge of exposing a hidden curriculum of heteronormative, racialised and gendered media-driven conceptions of normal and ideal bodies (Azzarito et al, 2017), which have significant effects on students’ physical identities.…”

Section: Neoliberalism and Globalisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of consumerism on Spanish physical education teachers

Varea

González-Calvo

Hortigüela-Alcalá

2018

European Physical Education Review

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Consumer culture and neoliberalism have significantly influenced contemporary globalised, Western(ised) and highly visual societies. These influences have also infiltrated physical education settings, contributing to market-driven surveillance of physical education teachers’ physical appearance. This paper examines the reflections of a group of physical education teachers working at the primary and secondary levels in Spain concerning subjectivities of bodies and professional practices. It draws on semi-structured interview data and the Foucauldian concepts of Panopticon and surveillance to explore the ways in which the participants were influenced by the market and neoliberalism. The results of the study invite us to reflect on how images and messages from media may promote certain expectations for physical education teachers concerning physical appearance, dress and sports supplements consumption. The findings have implications for teacher education and the preparation of physical education teachers to resist dominant discourses promoted by the media.

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“…In a study conducted by Donaghue and Allen (2015), it was found that exercisers were motivated to lose weight and fat for social concerns and were motivated to engage in dieting practices. Hence the latter study supports the finding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body Self-Image, Eating Attitudes and Quality of Life among Regular, Moderate and Non-Exercisers

Sanyal¹,

Fernandes²,

Matta³

2016

IOSR

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-The present study aims to observeif there is a relationship between body self-image, eating attitudes and quality of life in men and women engaged in regular, moderate and no exercise. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was employed to select a sample of193 young unmarried adults aged between 20-30 years.The Body Self-Image Questionnaire (BSIQ) (Rowe, 1999), theEating Attitudes Scale (EAT-26) (Garner, 1982) and the Quality Of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF, 1991)were administered to the participants. The results indicated significant differences betweenregular, moderate and non-exercisers with respect to body self-image and eating attitudes (p<0.05). The analysis also revealed significantgender differenceswith respect to body self-image and quality of life (p<0.05). Body self-image, eating attitudes and quality of life were found to be significantlycorrelatedin the three groups (p<0.05). The study highlights the need to bring about awareness in schools, colleges and work places about the importance of physical exercise and its effect on building positive self-perception and self-esteem and thereby improve the quality of life and levels of happiness in individuals.

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“People don't care as much about their health as they do about their looks”: Personal trainers as intermediaries between aesthetic and health-based discourses of exercise participation and weight management

Cited by 23 publications

References 33 publications

“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users

“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users

The influence of consumerism on Spanish physical education teachers

Body Self-Image, Eating Attitudes and Quality of Life among Regular, Moderate and Non-Exercisers

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