So I'm working on my master's in health science - therefore I'm in the "health" building which houses the nursing majors, kinesiology majors and the school gym. There's a public bathroom that's outside one of the gymnasiums that I use on my way to class.
Up until last week, there was a scale - a no-frills, doctor's office scale - in the women's bathroom.
Now, where the scale was, there's a sign that says "not a measure of your self worth" with a picture of a scale. It then goes on to explain how some club (I think it was the body image club) removed the scale from the bathroom, discussing how they believed it was encouraging eating disorders and body image issues and how the number on the scale is not a measure of your self worth and they were encouraging those who weighed themselves often (more than once a week was a qualifier) to come to their "Body Image Awareness" group meeting, as that may be a sign of an eating disorder.
I kind of took issue with this - yes, for some people, having a scale present and weighing yourself every day could lead to a slippery slope. However, all of the gyms that I've ever belonged to have had a scale that allows you to weigh yourself. Just because you're weighing yourself does not mean that you have an eating disorder or a distorted body image.
I started gaining weight in college, and I feel like if I weighed myself more often (or at all) I would have at least been aware of what I was doing to myself. I had no idea, just one day my clothes didn't fit - I think having a public scale, especially near the gym, isn't going to encourage bad behavior or encourage good behavior, just allow people to be more self aware.
I'm not ridiculously angry about it, I just thought it was kind of obnoxious...
Whoever removed that scale never had an eating disorder.
I'd be furious, too. Pro-anorexia sites promote eating disorders. Portrayals of women in the media encourage eating disorders. Advertising unhealthy diet pills and teas on TV encourages eating disorders.
A scale doesn't plant an idea about what you should look like in your mind. Of course people with eating disorders use scales obsessively, but THE SCALE DIDN'T CREATE THAT PROBLEM.
You have to appreciate that they're trying to promote healthy body images, but they are completely missing the source. They could be focusing their misguided energy on removing degrading magazines from the library, bringing models of all sizes to art classes, or organizing events that promote positive body image (like the Naked Bike Ride that happens here in Philly every year).
While I understand the idea behind it, I do find that a little obnoxious. It's your own personal choice if you weigh yourself or not, and they shouldn't have the right to take that away because of a belief that knowing your weight is debilitating instead of motivating. That sounds a little bit like this club is reflecting their own personal relationship onto everyone else. For a club concerning body image and, I assume, mental well being, this is not very healthy. =( You could consider politely requesting they re-implement the scale in your gym. Perhaps they could keep their sign above the scale, to remind people that it is in fact not a measure of your self worth at all. =) Though some may see it as the enemy, it can be a valuable tool.
i find it odd, because most gyms have a scale in their changing room/bathroom so it makes sense that the bathroom near the gym would have one? Because often people going to the gym are trying to lose weight, mostly for health (well, and vanity in my case ). It is a bit presumptive to take it away, assuming people with eating disorders and the like are going to abuse it. It would have been far nicer if they had created a poster or something that said, i dunno, "she who stands here measures only weight and not her self worth" and stuck it to the scale so you had to stand on it.
Last edited by Iconised Ghost; 11-25-2009 at 12:35 AM.
I get their logic behind it, but it seems to me like they're kind of just reinforcing the idea that what the scale reads should be powerful enough to influence how you feel about yourself.
Stellarose, I couldn't agree with you more. I feel that I wouldn't have gained as much weight as I did if I had regular access to a scale. Its easy to blame an increase in pant sizes as a difference of brands, cuts, etc. and ignore a greater problem.
I read some place that thin, healthy people weigh regularly due to the same line of thought.
Okay, thanks i thought I was being crazy. I'm going to ask some of the nursing peeps in my Enviro Health class about the origins of this, because it doesn't make sense, especially being right near the gym.
I agree with JMC ... the scale doesn't cause eating disorders ... just like America isn't obese b/c of McDonlads (portion sizes & personal bad decisions) & Children don't grow up with bad behaviors b/c the "school" failed them ...
Americans like to blame others ... anyone ... even inanimate objects ... instead of saying, "I have a problem and I need to deal with it."
I think this is really interesting. I agree with you on being annoyed, especially if you depend on this scale! I think that they have a decent point, but they're also totally ignorning overweight/obese people who want to be more aware and to lose weight. I weigh myself regularly not because I have a distorted body image, but because I do really, honestly need to lose weight!
This again is showing that our culture prioritizes thinness, and that while anorexia is an eating disorder that is recognized as a problem, the other side of it, overeating/binge eating, is not.
This body image awareness group is obviously completely disregarding the fact that weight is a health related issue as well. What about the people who are trying to lose weight to control their diabetes or other health problems? What about all the research that ties extra weight to serious health risks? The scale is a helpful tool to keep your health and body in check. Of course there are girls who weigh a hundred times a day or obsess over the number on the scale, but that shouldn't lead to the banishment of an innocent scale from the bathroom, geez.
I can't see a scale causing eating disorders either. In fact my (healthy weight) grandmother who is 91 still weighs herself weekly, like she has done for decades, as she says that way she will never become obese because she will eat less if the scale is approaching a number that she feels is too high.
My sister weighs herself regularly. She does not have an eating disorder. She just gives herself a 5 lb range to stay in. If she's near the bottom, she can afford to indulge a bit; if she's near the top, she needs to run a little more. She uses the scale as a tool to stay healthy. And of course I'm using the scale as one of my tools in getting healthy. I'd be annoyed if my gym removed the scale too.
JMC885 FYI- My University definitely used a wide variety of shapes and sizes in models for life drawing classes. Actually, older, larger models were more common than skinny young ones.
Yes, I would agree that a scale is a tool, and that it can be used for healthy and unhealthy reasons. It seems narrowsighted to me to attempt to have a scale removed from a washroom because people may use it as a tool to worsen their eating disorder. Eating disorders will not disappear because that washroom now has no scale. People will find plenty of other ways to decide they're not thin enough. It is not a solution.
I don't mind the idea of signage though (although the arbitrary decision of what is "too often" rankles). If done right, I think this kind of sign can be kind of like signs in bars telling people to drink responsibly.
The sign should a reminder that while the scale is a tool, the number you see is not all you are and that if you find you're feeling that way about it, there are resources to help you.
Stellarosa, I totally agree with you. I think if we took the overweight population vs. the eating disorder population, there would be signifigant more people overweight. The scale is necessary because often times people do not realize they are gaining weight if they don't regularly weigh themselves. I cannot tell you how many times my "jeans must have shrunk in the wash" before I had a scale. I have been on both sides of this coin;however, I think its not the scale that's the problem. A healthy weight/relationship with food is always key.
While I find it a little obnoxious, I can definitely see their point of view. Having problems with an eating disorder, I can understand how a scale might be difficult, but at the same time overcoming those problems will allow you not relapse due to a scale. After all, many restaurants still serve alcohol; at the end of the day it is up to the individual(not to sound harsh).
I kind of disagree with this...
). It is a bit presumptive to take it away, assuming people with eating disorders and the like are going to abuse it. It would have been far nicer if they had created a poster or something that said, i dunno, "she who stands here measures only weight and not her self worth" and stuck it to the scale so you had to stand on it.
