Losing my Feminist Credentials

[bcholmes]

I'm not on the vanguard of size acceptance activism by any stretch of the imagination. I think I know a thing or two, having hung out now with a number of friends who are size acceptance activists.

But here's the thing. Recently, I joined a gym. I've been concerned, for a while, at just how sedentary a lifestyle I have and I thought it'd be groovy to get some exercise in my life. I'm now taking yoga at work again on Wednesdays, and I thought I'd go to the gym for exercise twice a week. Knowing just how exercise-ignorant I am, I even hired one of those trainer guys. No, really: I'm not going for weight loss. Just exercise. Heart pumping and all that.

A few days ago, my gym gave me a complementary "fitness assessment" and today I saw my trainer for the first time. And, um. The fitness assessment was incredibly degrading. Apparently I'm fat. So fat that the government (the government!) thinks I'm in the unhealthy range. Me, I know the counter-argument: even if that's true, it doesn't follow that trying to change my weight to the "healthy" range is going to change my healthiness. And, if anything, the scant research available suggests the opposite.

And I've talked about this stuff with other people. With cow-orkers, while sharing a one-on-one lunch over Chinese food. In a nice, safe environment where we can chat about it in a dispassionate, intellectual way. "Here's a concept to consider," I say, swishing my green tea and gesturing with my chopsticks.

But the people at the gym aren't engaging in comfortable, intellectual conversation. They're saying: "you're too fat, and you need to do these things." And they want to be believed that they know what they're talking about. And, remember that part about me not being on the vanguard of size acceptance activism?

It's a hard thing to figure out how to say, "Now hold on..."

Comments

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

Is your trainer using the BMI, by any chance? According to the BMI, M is "morbidly obese", despite the fact that he lifts weights and does t'ai chi every day, and goes to martial arts every week. Muscle weighs more than fat, but the BMI doesn't take that into account. More and more, I'm seeing articles that challenge the BMI.

I usually eschew celebrity trainers and such, but last week I saw an interview with Harley Pasternak, who is the fitness trainer to a lot of Hollywood types. He's in incredibly good shape, but he says that according to the BMI, he's overweight. His advice was to throw away your scales and focus on how you look and feel physically, instead of how much you weigh.

I'm sorry the trainers at the gym were nasty to you.That's no way to motivate people to be healthier. I hated gym class when I was in school. Why? Because it was humiliating. Striving to be fit and healthy should not be a humiliating experience.

[lovecraftienne.livejournal.com]

Ditto, about the BMI. I, too, am morbidly obese according to the BMI (a shade under 5'9", and 245-250 most of the time), yet I play a full game of soccer every week, and two during the winter. The BMI's alright for those who are relatively sedentary, but as you say, completely neglects muscle mass being denser than fat.