Gym advert targetting fat people is offensive

[Roar87]

They should have gone with a different angle.

- Incentivise cheaper membership for people with a 'weight problem'. Financial motivation.
- Provide evidence of a comfortable environment for people to exercise without feeling judged or stupid.
- Offer personalised help and motivational support from employees.

Putting on weight is 100% down to diet, exercise will never be the difference between being overweight and being in good shape. It's all diet.

With that in mind, why should people who are overweight be subsidised by people who eat sensibly? They're already subsidising overweight people who will use the NHS more. Also not sure if you've noticed, but people who are overweight tend to take more sick days off work, so people who bother to keep themselves fit and healthy also have to pick up their work load.

So based on that, wouldn't it be fairer if people who are in shape get a gym discount and tax breaks rather than the other way round?

 

[Haggisman]

So based on that, wouldn't it be fairer if people who are in shape get a gym discount and tax breaks rather than the other way round?

"Fairer"? Maybe. Would it help to solve the problem?

 

[Washout]

"Fairer"? Maybe. Would it help to solve the problem?

Exactly. Although someone else made a fair point, don't need the gym alone to lose weight. I've a friend who lost an immense amount (more that halved, he was seriously big) simply by walking to and from work each day, 3 miles each way and cutting out soft drinks.
I think a huge amount of it was liquid. He never ate particularly huge meals, but could pack away a large amount of soft drinks.

 

[Combat Fighter]

Who ate all the pies?

 

[Mr-White]

That adverts awesome, hope they follow it up with a zombie apocalypse

I bet the ones who are offended are the ones that need to sign up lol

 

[Jono]

Don't want to be bullied for being fat?
Don't be fat.

I am allowed to say this because I am very much overweight. (Fat cuddly)

 

[bitslice]

It's not OK to be fat, it creates a list of avoidable problems for everyone.

If a culture wishes to show it won't tolerate that issue (just as with say smoking or speeding) then it will do that by being angry or mocking it.

Mockery is the more cutting, but then it's not like being fat is more addictive than smoking and plenty of people gave that up when faced with being ostracised.

The advert was poorly done though, everyone knows that fat people are most at risk during a zombie apocalypse.

 

[Jonesiani]

This is in my home town

I have several friends who visit this gym

 

[bloodiedathame]

Putting on weight is 100% down to diet, exercise will never be the difference between being overweight and being in good shape. It's all diet.

With that in mind, why should people who are overweight be subsidised by people who eat sensibly? They're already subsidising overweight people who will use the NHS more. Also not sure if you've noticed, but people who are overweight tend to take more sick days off work, so people who bother to keep themselves fit and healthy also have to pick up their work load.

So based on that, wouldn't it be fairer if people who are in shape get a gym discount and tax breaks rather than the other way round?

Well they can't sell gym memberships by telling people they don't need to go..!

 

[Illusion]

Agree with this. I have a lot of respect for a larger person in a gym. Not only are they doing something about it but it can be emotionally difficult to get out there in front of people the first time.

This is very true. A large proportion of them seem to sit on bikes reading their phone and burning 20 calories per hour but that's a separate discussion

 

[Burned_Alive]

This is just another one of those things where people arent offended, until someone actually asks them if they're offended... and then it all kicks off.

 

[grumpysculler]

If a fat person says the ad is offensive, then it's offensive. It's not the decision of some judgemental roid rage protein guzzler whether it's offensive or not.

Contrary to common belief, nobody has a right not to be offended. As Stephen Fry so eloquently put it "So <colourful word> what"

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

Contrary to common belief, nobody has a right not to be offended. As Stephen Fry so eloquently put it "So <colourful word> what"

Quite.

I believe he also said, why do people who are offended think that by being offended, they are entitled to extra rights and their demands should be met?

 

[linktoinsanity]

Meh, people get offended by anything these days. **** them.

 

[BrightonBelle]

The gym scene just can't get it right eh?

BB x

 

[Avenged7Fold]

So what EXACTLY about this advert that is offensive?

There is a joke about aliens taking fat people first but there really is no basis/reasoning/insult behind that, its just a silly claim. The advert also makes no claims as to what fat is.

 

[Diddums]

To be honest I'm more offended that the rainwater pipe next to the billboard is black. That's cultural appropriation, I should probably contact the OFT.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

On the flip side, fat people are harder to kidnap and no one wants to rape a fatty, so on that note, eat more cake!

 

[Cyanide]

Whilst I'm not offended by this ad I do think that the attitude of a lot of gyms, and those who attend them, is pretty poor towards overweight people who want to go.

I'm overweight and unfit. I know I am and I want to do something about it. I'm changing my diet but that will only achieve so much - I can't get fit through diet alone.

Going to the gym, for me, is hard because there are so many judgemental people there. As I walk in I can sometimes feel the collective eyes of all the super healthy people looking at me saying "what are YOU doing here?". The same when I can't run 10k on a treadmill in one go or can't sit on the cycle machine for an hour non-stop.

Overweight people going to the gym should be supported the most - they're people who know that they need to better themselves and are doing something about it and yet the attitude towards us sucks a lot of the time which only puts us off going even more.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Whilst I'm not offended by this ad I do think that the attitude of a lot of gyms, and those who attend them, is pretty poor towards overweight people who want to go.

I'm overweight and unfit. I know I am and I want to do something about it. I'm changing my diet but that will only achieve so much - I can't get fit through diet alone.

Going to the gym, for me, is hard because there are so many judgemental people there. As I walk in I can sometimes feel the collective eyes of all the super healthy people looking at me saying "what are YOU doing here?". The same when I can't run 10k on a treadmill in one go or can't sit on the cycle machine for an hour non-stop.

Overweight people going to the gym should be supported the most - they're people who know that they need to better themselves and are doing something about it and yet the attitude towards us sucks a lot of the time which only puts us off going even more.

As a former fat person who went to gym during my weight loss and still goes now this is just your own insecurities, no one really cares to be honest. There are a few reasons why people stare at the gym; your doing something wrong, your lifting a lot of weight or your a hot girl in yoga pants.