You can only be a member if you are 50 lbs. overweight or more
Elite clubs and groups are nothing new in the U.S. But, one gym has a unique membership requirement.
Downsize Fitness only lets people become a member if they are 50 lbs. or more overweight. The gym is trying to eliminate some of the objections people use to not go to the gym, namely skinny people.
The new gym was created in 2011, in Chicago and has since spread to Las Vegas and Dallas. Downsize Fitness caters to larger people by fogging the windows, having larger machines, not having mirrors, and eliminating the peer-pressure by not having skinny people.
Civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen says in a country where over 30% of the population is obese, an obese-only club is long overdue. As for the legal ramifications, Kallinen says weight is not a legally protected class of people, so the membership requirement is legal.
So, what do they do when you lose weight? Do they kick you out because you are no longer fat? The answer is no, if you lose weight they let you stay a member to serve as inspiration for others.
