This is disgusting! I used to have a 24 hour fitness membership, but if I were to be able to afford a gym membership again, I would not be going to 24 hour fitness.
I'm passing along some information from a fellow size acceptance organization concerning weight discrimination from 24 Hour Fitness. This is not the first time we've encountered discrimination from them. Remember about 10 years ago, they had an ad campaign with aliens and the tagline "When they come, they'll eat the fat ones first!" That ad campaign was actually banned in China for singling out a group of people for discrimination (that had to have been a first of some kind concerning size discrimination). It wasn't banned in the U.S. but it was voluntarily withdrawn by the company after LOTS and LOTS of complaints from people. It may be time for Round Two!
- Allen Steadham, Director ISAA
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For Immediate Release February 28, 2009
Oakland, CA - 24 Hour Fitness Club, the sponsor of the reality show The Biggest Loser, is discriminating against fat people in their REAL clubs. If they are not prepared or equipped to assist people of size in their pursuit of fitness and health, then why do they exist?
NAAFA has received several complaints about this organization, and most recently these were complaints of specific discrimination based on their size. Read just two examples:
Ranae was visiting a friend in Anaheim, CA last fall. Back home in West Virginia, she works out 4 times a week and maintains a moderate level of fitness. Not wanting to abandon her health regimen while on vacation, her friend took her to the Anaheim Hills 24 Hour Fitness Club where she was a member, expecting to bring Ranae into the club on a guest pass. The staff members of said club refused to issue a guest pass for Ranae citing liability issues (she is a size 24) and refused to elaborate on what that meant exactly, hiding behind "policy".
Enrique hosts a popular bi-lingual morning radio talk show in the greater Miami area. Having been a police officer prior to moving to radio, fitness has always been an important issue. A more sedentary job was leading to weight gain so Enrique and one of his closest friends agreed to join the 24 Hour Fitness Club in Miami and work out together. This seemed to be working well for them for several weeks until Enrique was verbally abused by the manager of the 24 Hour Fitness Club and physically assaulted by one of his employees. The club manager had concluded that these two men were in fact trainer and client as opposed to friends since one was obviously in much better shape than the other and this relationship violated a club policy. A heated discussion ensued, an employee began pushing Enrique toward the door, the police were called and a complaint was filed.
NAAFA advises our members and supporters to cancel all memberships to 24 Hour Fitness Clubs across the country. We encourage you to use any other gym, health club or fitness center as a form of protest against 24 Hour Fitness Clubs' mistreatment of and discrimination against fat people.
Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
On the web: http://www.naafa.org
For more information contact: Peggy Howell, Public Relations Director National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) e-mail: naafa_pr@yahoo.comphone: (707)246-6116
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