Even though engaging in sports considered to be the stepping stone for a better life, when carrying excess weight, the process is often blocked by the surrounding social climate. The majority of people who are overweight are regarded as un-athletic and hence excluded from sports in group situations and combative arts. Very commonly, the judgment goes beyond questioning their physical condition, going so far as to questioning their natural talent to win medals at all.
Several studies have investigated the relationship between this weight-based stigma and physical efficiency. Losekam et al. (2010) reported that teasing people based on their weight is detrimental and is associated with less physical activity, with the affected often opting not to participate in sporting activities even when they’re invited to. The phenomenon of fat-hating is present even in strength and power-based sports like grappling arts or weight lifting, despite the fact that many successful athletes have risen to Olympic gold medalist status and/or become international champions. By historical records, it is evident that people who are overweight can participate in various sports of their choosing and reach the highest level of competence.
The stigma is specifically derogatory in the context of martial arts, where students go to the club to get help in growing stronger. As a result of these abuses experienced in sport-related situations, most people with extra weight drop out of the club, fulfilling the coach’s false judgment on their lower capabilities, and are left without support to reach their goals.
The reasons for the tendency to think that any body fat would render a person incompetent in sports involve our mental image of what is healthy or sporty. The pictures circulating in the media are of professional athletes, and there are very few instances in which we would see an average naked body on a poster. Accordingly, the implication of what is ‘normal’, is incorrectly associated with those ideal bodies of professional athletes who are the outcome of several years of work dedicated to their body specifically, and are not representative even within their own sports.
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References
Losekam, S., Goetzky, B., Kraeling, S., Rief, W., & Hilbert, A. (2010). Physical activity in normal-weight and overweight youth: associations with weight teasing and self-efficacy. Obesity Facts, 3(4), 239-244.
Lox, C. L., Ginis, K. A. M., & Petruzzello, S. J. (2014). The psychology of exercise: Integrating theory and practice: Holcomb Hathaway.
