Neither a sinner nor a saint: Health as a present-day religion in the age of healthism

Pelters, Britta; Wijma, Barbro

doi:10.1057/sth.2015.21

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Personal trainers seem to be influenced by the healthiest view on health characterized by moral obligations and individual responsibility for achieving health (Crawford, ; Lupton, 1995). This view is connected to one of the dominating health discourses in Western societies (Lee & Macdonald, 2010), in which health receives an almost religious status as a main goal in life (Pelters & Wijma, 2016). However, PTs take a highly critical stance on their own reflections regarding their impressions of the clients’ flaunting health behaviours because they are aware that an unhealthy mind can secretly hide behind a healthy appearance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“If it’s not Iron it’s Iron f*cking biggest Ironman”: personal trainers’ views on health norms, orthorexia and deviant behaviours

Håman

Lindgren

Prell

2017

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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Orthorexia nervosa (ON) describes a pathological obsession with healthy eating to avoid ill health. In the Swedish context, ON is also understood in terms of unhealthy exercise. Fitness gyms are popular health-promoting places, but exercise-related problems, disordered eating and ON-like behaviour are increasing. Personal trainers (PTs) play an important role in detecting unhealthy behaviours. The aim of the present study was to illuminate PTs’ understandings of healthy and unhealthy exercise and eating behaviours in relation to orthorexia nervosa in a fitness gym context. Five focus groups with 14 PTs were conducted. These were analysed using interpretative qualitative content analysis and Becker’s model “Kinds of Deviance.” In contrast to PTs’ health norms (practicing balanced behaviours and contributing to well-being), ON was expressed mainly in terms of exercise behaviour and as being excessive and in total control. The PTs maintain that extreme behaviours are legitimized by an aggressive exercise trend in society and that they fear to falsely accuse clients of being pathological. Certain sport contexts (bodybuilding, fitness competitions and elite sports) and specific groups (fitness professionals) contribute to complicating PTs’ negotiations due to a competition, performance and/or profession norm, making it difficult to determine whether or not to intervene.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“If it’s not Iron it’s Iron f*cking biggest Ironman”: personal trainers’ views on health norms, orthorexia and deviant behaviours

Håman

Lindgren

Prell

2017

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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show abstract

“…The intention to eat healthy has a long investigative history with a myriad of underpinnings, such as biological needs (Gibson, 2006; Osman & Nelson, 2019), individualisation of health (Hakola & Tolvhed, 2018; Pelters & Wijma, 2016), household situations (Darmon & Warde, 2019), resources (French, Tangney, Crane, Wang, & Appelhans, 2019; Sproesser, Klusmann, Schupp, & Renner, 2015), access to stores (Cummins & Macintyre, 2006), skills (Wolfson, Leung, & Richardson, 2020), choice and retail restructuring (Elms, Kervenoael, & Hallsworth, 2016), manufacturing process, traceability, labelling and regulation (Hawkes et al, 2015; Thanem, 2009; Turnwald & Crum, 2019), and marketing promotion and communication (Festila & Chrysochou, 2018; Wang, Liaukonyte, & Kaiser, 2018). Indeed, healthy eating research stresses many factors, with most leveraging cases of specific Western consumers (e.g., seniors, teenagers, individuals with allergies or particular medical conditions, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers' perceived value of healthier eating: A SEM analysis of the internalisation of dietary norms considering perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and intrinsic motivations in Singapore

Kervenoael

Schwob

Hasan

et al. 2020

J of Consumer Behaviour

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Consumers' internalisation of social norms is at work when they make routine, healthier food choices in everyday contexts. We investigate the dynamics of this phenomenon in Singapore, where over 98% of consumer food products are imported. To study this, we propose, through a consumer perspective (n = 316) via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), a model that establishes a positive relationship between perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and intrinsic motivations and the perceived value of healthier food. Subjective norms are themselves found to be a function of perceived barriers, facilitating conditions and personal innovativeness. Our framework contributes to establish a shift in the drivers of healthier food choices toward a more socio-culturally grounded decision-making approach that is particularly relevant to understand food consumption. We show that daily food routines (opposing the exceptional healthy food item) are encapsulated in perceived value of healthier eating. The data indicates further that to support healthier food product consumption, both policy makers and food providers must facilitate imported foods that meet quickly changing lifestyle requirements.

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“…In western societies, there is an emphasis on the individual responsibility of one's health and wellbeing (Crawford, 1980(Crawford, , 1984Pelters & Wiljma, 2016). According to this ideology of healthism, health is conceptualized as an achievement as well as selfexpression and is inherently linked to self-control (Crawford, 1980(Crawford, , 1984.…”

Section: Health Fitness Gym Space and Gendermentioning

confidence: 99%

Personal trainers’ health advice in the fitness gym space from a gender perspective

Håman

Yring

Prell

et al. 2020

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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Purpose: This study aimed to describe and problematize the advice on exercise and diet that personal trainers (PTs) provide to their clients from a gender perspective. Method: The present study had an explorative design, and the interviews were analysed using an interpretative qualitative approach. Seven focus group discussions were conducted with 19 PTs (aged 23-47 years). Results: The findings indicated that the PTs had a gender-neutral health advice approach to both women and men, guiding them towards a relaxed attitude to exercise and diet, prioritizing and rationalizing their exercise and diet and eating a natural diet. PTs also had a gendered health advice approach as regards women who showed unhealthy exercise and eating behaviours; advising them to eat more and exercise less, to focus on performance rather than appearance and to avoid heavy weightlifting. Some PTs acted evasively and did not give advice to men. Conclusions: Both approaches include advice that reflect health as control and health as release. From a gender perspective, PTs health advice both challenged and reproduced the stereotypical male norm in the fitness gym space. However, PTs gendered health advice may create different opportunities for men and women to promote their health and wellbeing in the fitness gym.

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Neither a sinner nor a saint: Health as a present-day religion in the age of healthism

Cited by 12 publications

References 32 publications

“If it’s not Iron it’s Iron f*cking biggest Ironman”: personal trainers’ views on health norms, orthorexia and deviant behaviours

“If it’s not Iron it’s Iron f*cking biggest Ironman”: personal trainers’ views on health norms, orthorexia and deviant behaviours

Consumers' perceived value of healthier eating: A SEM analysis of the internalisation of dietary norms considering perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and intrinsic motivations in Singapore

Personal trainers’ health advice in the fitness gym space from a gender perspective

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