“Fat” Chicks Who Run: Stigma Experienced by “Overweight” Endurance Athletes

Abstract

Research on “overweight” and “obese” populations is extensive, but little of this research specifically addresses the “obese” or “overweight” amateur endurance athlete. Amateur endurance athletes often have bodies that defy the stereotype of the typical marathoner, swimmer, or triathlete. As a result, these athletes can experience stigma, both within their sporting communities as well as in the workplace, at home, and from spectators at athletic events. In an effort to discover what brings “overweight” adults to endurance sports and to recognize the barriers that they encounter to stay active in sports, this study seeks to identify the types of stigma that “overweight” endurance athletes face, the effects stigma has on their physical and mental health, and the effects stigma has on their participation in sports. Six amateur endurance athletes who identify as “overweight” were interviewed, and data were coded using Owen’s interpretive themes framework. Participants were found to experience stigma in being members of the “back of the pack,” in their entry into endurance sports, and in the lack of competition-quality clothing available for larger body types. Participants experienced negative physical and mental health outcomes as they internalized the stigma messages received during training and racing. No negative effects on participation were observed.

Weight stigma experiences and self-exclusion from sport and exercise settings among people with obesity

“…In accordance with findings by Lewis et al [11], participants complained about gym equipment being designed only for normal-sized bodies, yet they did not mention this as a major reason for why they avoided the gym. This finding is in line with the results of a recent interview study according to which sports gear did not affect the willingness of female runners with obesity to exercise [51]. The only possible exception to this could be seen in reports about 'perceived lack of structural conformity' when participants thought that treadmills sounded too loud under their weight.…”

“…The latter strategy, e.g. running at night, had also been found by Inderstrodt-Stephens and Acharya [51]. Furthermore, a recent qualitative study conducted with women by Myre and colleagues [43] reported very similar results regarding altered physical activity, such as individual activity or avoiding busy times, in response to weight stigma in PA-related contexts.…”

“…Some studies focused on everyday social situations and occasionally on physical activity and exercise settings [11,45]. To our knowledge, only few studies [3,43,50,51] have analysed how exercise-related discriminatory experiences may lead to self-exclusion and social withdrawal from physical activity settings. An interesting assumption in this regard was stated by Vartanian and Novak [41], namely that stigmatised individuals may avoid public exercise settings, such as gyms, due to weight stigma, but may nonetheless exercise in other ways.…”

Weight Stigma Experiences and Physical (In)activity: A Biographical Analysis

“…However, negative experiences in sport and exercise settings do not necessarily have to lead to less participation. This point has already been observed by Inderstrodt-Stephens and Acharya [35] and Pearl et al [36], who suggest to differentiate between the actual stigma experience and stigma internalization. It appears not to be the discriminatory action itself (like for example an insult) but the subjective perception of this certain action as a significant personal burden that hinders PA.…”

“Finally Something for Us”: Black Girls Run! and Racialized Space-Making in Recreational Running

“…In terms of socioeconomic status, about 79% of recreational runners have at least a bachelor's degree, and more than 40% make at least $75,000 per year (Running USA, 2016). The lifestyles of recreational runners reflect their predominantly middle-class status (Inderstrodt-Stephens & Acharya, 2018), as running has become increasingly embedded into leisure time. Running USA (2016) reported that 75% of recreational distance runners took an overnight trip to a race in the past 12 months.…”