Understanding fitness professionals’ weight biases and uptake of weight-inclusive practices: Findings from a mixed-methods survey

Background: Weight bias is highly prevalent in the fitness industry, posing significant challenges for people in larger bodies seeking to engage in health-promoting behaviours, such as physical activity. Despite small ideological shifts in the fitness industry calling for more weight-inclusive practices, little is known about fitness professionals’ engagement with such approaches.

Purpose: To explore weight bias attitudes among weight-normative and weight-inclusive fitness professionals and factors influencing adoption of inclusive approaches.

Methods: Mixed-methods survey among 120 fitness professionals (Mage=34yrs) to gather quantitative data on weight bias and experiences of working with people in larger bodies, and qualitative data on facilitators and barriers to adopting weight-inclusive approaches.

Results: Weight bias was positively associated with negative attitudes towards working with people in larger bodies. “Weight-inclusive” fitness professionals reported higher empathy (p<.001; d=-.86) and size acceptance (p<.001; d=-.79), and less negative attitudes towards working with people in larger bodies (p<.001; d=.81) than “weight-normative” fitness professionals. Thematic analysis of qualitative data resulted in four higher-order themes: (1) Inclusivity and accessibility; (2) Weight as a motivator; (3) Does weight equal health?; and (4) What’s body image got to do with it?.

Conclusions: Fitness professionals who adopt weight-inclusive practices display lower levels of weight bias and less negative attitudes towards working with people in larger bodies. Qualitative findings highlighted multiple barriers that need to be addressed in order to encourage more fitness professionals to adopt weight-inclusive approaches.

Practical implications: Insights gained from this research will serve as a basis for developing future weight bias interventions for fitness professionals that are relevant, acceptable, and effective, to ensure all people feel comfortable accessing fitness spaces.

Funding: This research was funded by a Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher (VC ECR) Development Award 2023–25, University of the West of England (ref. USOS1010).