How Overweight People Feel About Your Staff
I came across a study today in the January/February 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior about how overweight and normal weight people feel about exercise. We all know that few people like to exercise, and we think that overweight people would feel even more uncomfortable about exercising than normal weight people. Well, the study found that this is true.
The overweight people in the study of more than 1,500 people were generally more embarrassed and intimidated about exercise than normal weight people. They also felt more embarrassed and intimated by exercising around young people and fit people.
Most importantly for club operators, the study found that overweight people were more intimidated and embarrassed about being around health club salespeople than normal weight people are. The study didn’t go into details about why, but considering the salespeople at many clubs are young, fit and trying to sell something, I think we can guess why they’d be intimidated.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of all your young, fit salespeople, but you should make sure you are training this staff to be particularly sensitive to overweight prospects and how they behave towards them. They should behave in a warm and welcoming way, showing real interest and concern for the person.
The study offered some other interesting findings that you can read about here.
December 21st, 2009 at 6:22 pm
While I find it interesting to read the results of the current study, I feel very strongly that everyone who works as a health and/or fitness professional should present themselves in the most positive health/wellness light possible. If we are expected to talk the talk, we must walk the walk!
When you write, “..the salespeople at many clubs are young, fit and trying to sell something,” you paint the protrait of a holier-than-thou, non-caring, distant 20-something. If that is the representative attitude of the industry’s sales force then shame on the industry. Salespeople must see the person sitting front of them as a customer (in need of the service(s) the club can provide) and not a contributor to their paycheck. I totally agree that industry-specific, and customer-type specific, education and sales training can go a long way to breaking down virtually all intimidation barriers between the potential member and the healthy/fit salesperson.
On the other hand…I have become increasingly alarmed by the number of overweight/overfat and seemingly out of shape industry professionals that I see in both the club setting and at industry events/conferences. Potential club members should be equally, or more, distressed by that image of industry professionals. We need to be physical fitness and lifestyle role models for the majority of the population who are not in the health and fitness industry.
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Bruce, I could not have said it any better. If you run into a “personal trainer” at a party or social event, in most cases you would have no idea what they did for a living. Their bodies and food choices will startle you.
Steven
December 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I created shapelygirl fitness just for all of these reasons. Our message is that “FITNESS COMES IN MANY SIZES”. Overweight people think that all thin or skinny people are healthy because of their size and I am trying to get the message out that it is not true and that you can be a larger size and still be healthy if you EXERCISE AND EAT HEALTHY. We are not all meant to be a size 2. I weighed over 300 pounds and 25 years ago lost over 140 pounds and today am still a size 12 and am fit and healthy. tHERE ARE PLENTY OF FITNESS PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE UNHELATHY.
Debra Mazda
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