Downsize Fitness: Gym Only Accepts Overweight Members With 50 lbs Or More To Lose

The fitness industry has long featured toned and perfect figures effortlessly gliding on an elliptical machine or treadmill. But at Downsize Fitness, skinny people aren't welcome.

Instead, eligible clients must be at least 50 lbs overweight, according to the company's website. When members reach their goal, they "graduate" from the gym.

With locations in Chicago and Las Vegas, the gym first opened its doors last fall with the goal of creating a non-intimidating environment where members can focus on working out, Headline News reported.

Though some 42 million Americans joined health clubs in 2011, according to a report by IBISWorld, the Chicago Tribune notes gyms are guilty of alienating obese members who most need the fitness industry's help.

So far, the gym's members are happy with the atmosphere the club provides.

Club member Tara Lawton told the Tribune she's lost 20 pounds since joining in October.

"I want to cry sometimes at how it changed my life," Tara Lawton, 42, said in an interview with the paper. "My body is responding positively to being pushed."

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Comments

[Carol555]

06:44 PM on 01/12/2012

If you're overweight and unaccustomed to gym equipment, it can be a painful and possibly humiliating process adjusting to things. With all the cell phone cameras circulating today, finding a video of yourself posted to YouTube showing such adjustment, would be enough to keep any sane person miles away a gym. A safe place is needed and I hope they franchise their idea soon.

[russcurran]

04:54 PM on 01/10/2012

I like this concept, to provide a non-intimidating environment for people to feel comfortable to focus on their goals! A great compliment to this gym is the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge which provides the nutritional platform to help you accomplish a person's weight loss goals. The Challenge has helped thousands of people lose over 10 million pounds in the last 24 months! It's simple, fun and effective. Go here to see; http://info.OneStepAway.net

[miketothad]

02:48 PM on 01/09/2012

Smart idea.

[Mark5301]

12:58 PM on 01/09/2012

Protected classes are clearly defined, ie race, national origin, sex, religion, ethnicity. Your weight is not a protected class, and while it certainly is a discriminatory policy, it's not illegal discrimination. The only difference between this and a women's only gym like Curves is that what Curves is doing is actively illegal and would be actionable if they were sued. Men just simply don't tend to do that sort of thing. What this gym is doing is perfectly legal.

Does it make sense from a business stand point? Well, the market will decide based on whether it is profitable or not. Business does thrive on long term customers, which this policy basically makes impossible to have. Once they go under the weight requirement you are handing your clients over to competing gyms. But I can see how many potential clients would find this atmosphere appealing.

[Elizabeth A Robinette]

10:12 PM on 01/07/2012

Clubs such as professional societies, country clubs, dining clubs, fraternities, sororities, Shriners, Masons, Hells Angels, etc have long focused on a specific audience. Not everyone is eligible to join or welcomed.

How is this any different from, say, Curves or men/women only health facilities/spas?

[Jessica Van Den Elzen]

09:46 PM on 01/07/2012

This is a fantastic idea since most of the time when overweight people, especially women (of those I've known over the course of my life, anyway), tend to either avoid going to the gym or become discouraged from going to the gym because they feel awkward around all of the already-fit-people there. When I was overweight and attempted to go to the gym I was snickered at on multiple occasions and promptly stopped going. I later joined a different gym and the same thing happened. I have since bought an xbox and kinect system so I can do my workouts at home, which is working well for me... but if there had been a gym that had specifically targeted people like me, I would have been more likely to follow through and would have appreciated having the availability of advice from gym staff and better equipment than I can afford to have at home.

[VeggieLove]

12:42 PM on 01/17/2012

People can be so cruel. It's great you found something that works for you.

[acumenguy]

08:13 PM on 01/07/2012

Possibly the most profoundly idiotic marketing idea in human history.
-New clients walks in, check in hand.
-Gym denies potential new member a membership because ...... they're NOT over weight.

I will have the schadenfreude moment of the year when I see this business go under.

Are these the same people who don't want school children to play "tag" because of the potential self esteem issues it "might" cause.

I would love to hear George Karlin riff on this.

[Francis Wisniewski]

09:02 PM on 01/07/2012

George Carlin with a C is dead but I'd be willing to make a bet that Downsize Fitness works really well

[LeftRightCenter]

07:00 PM on 01/07/2012

what an absolutely wonderful idea...wish i had thought of it

[Sofia Champion]

06:53 PM on 01/07/2012

I think this is a good idea. Often when you're overweight and you're the only overweight person at the gym, you'll get heckled, or feel pressured to do better than you're capable of at your size, and eventually just quit from the stress. Now when overweight people go to this gym they'll feel a bit less alien, and a bit less like they're being looked down upon.

[BuffaloBills222]

06:00 PM on 01/07/2012

seems like a bad idea, since most over weight people go to the gym for like a month then quite.

[Stephanie White]

06:51 PM on 01/07/2012

They quit because it's difficult to look at perfect people all around you and feel as though you're being judged, because let's face it, you probably are. That's WHY this gym works.

[cameron d]

03:33 PM on 01/07/2012

Why not? There are already women's only gyms. This is a good idea.

[ImaNichols]

03:18 PM on 01/07/2012

This is a really wonderful thing this gym is doing. I hope it spreads across the country. I also hope the long time members would continue to be allowed to stay. After all, they are living proof the gym works and would be inspirational to those new people who come in. Imagine seeing healthy people and knowing each and every one of them has already lost 50 lbs. That shows the disheartened that the weight loss is very possible. Very motivational.

[VeggieLove]

12:44 PM on 01/17/2012

I read the original article and I believe it said people "graduate" from the gym once they've reached their weight loss goals. It's a nice incentive.

[sillyfrog]

02:32 PM on 01/07/2012

So when asked to leave it is celebration time. Cool.

[Swinger Style]

12:13 PM on 01/07/2012

I wonder if I can join, that's all I want to know.........and once I drop 50lbs.. will I no longer be a member? I'm sure there's a contract to sign.

[chiGrkBoy]

10:18 AM on 01/07/2012

I love this idea, and I hope it does wonders for these people.

I do want to point out how I often see men and women ask which gyms get all the hot looking people. It's funny how that is an important criteria to many.

[Sandra MacKay]

03:03 PM on 01/07/2012

I go to the YMCA and I don't see that..

[VeggieLove]

12:45 PM on 01/17/2012

Thankfully I don't see that at my gym either.