As a body-positive fitness instructor, I fight against society's dangerous misconceptions about the health and wellness industry every single day. Namely, I defy the unhelpful perception of the fitness "freak" who is all about supplements, "health," dieting, and a bunch of other nonsense that diet-culture feeds us. Don't lie to yourself, we have all either fallen into the trap ourselves or have been impacted by society in one way or another.
Whether it be actresses barely sweating in a gym, going to the gym solely for weight loss purposes, or living off of protein shakes, Hollywood has gotten fitness all wrong.
The wild misrepresentation of the "fit girl" has put people, including me, in a box since not all bodies have thigh gaps, six-pack abs, and curvy waists. However, all bodies are incredible.
Ever since we were young, we were bombarded with the idea that all gym bros look like "Spongebob's" Larry The Lobster — the athletic, ripped lobster, duh. Plus, who can forget the jokes surrounding hardcore, assholes who call themselves personal trainers, and scream, "Let's go! Sit-ups! You look like pieces of bacon on a plate. Disgusting. I can smell the fat!" as shown in "Bridesmaids." And don't even get me started on "The Biggest Loser" portrayal of the fitness industry — absolutely shameful. The fitness industry isn't actually about negative self-talk and body-negativity nor should it ever be.
One of the most unforgiving diet-culture perceptions that Hollywood enables is the idea that exercise is the best way to lose weight and that you should workout so you can have that second margarita at girls' night.
I'm going to say this once — incorporating movement into your life is incredibly healthy and health is not determined by your weight, size, or body type. On top of that, you can not spot reduce, and working out to lose weight will backfire. Similar to how 95% of diets fail, starting an unrealistic, unsustainable workout routine will make you feel worthless in the end. Instead, adding mindful movement will help boost your mood and comes with a plethora of benefits.
Even Zac Efron is done with Hollywood. He has recently brought attention to the unrealistic perceptions that his industry has placed on him, and he has had enough. Kudos to him. I'm not making this up, in his own words, Efron admitted that his routine to get shredded for "Baywatch" took an unhealthy toll on him. At the end of the day, his advice is "I got very big and buff for that movie, but I don't want people to think that's the best way to be. Like, be your size."
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He brings up an important aspect of Hollywood's ignorance against health at every size. People in larger bodies are constantly put on the sidelines and seen as the funny, fat friends. These incredible women are never hired to represent the fitness industry and that' is flat out wrong. The health and wellness industry is made up of a variety of body sizes, races, cultures, genders — we've got it all and we are all beautiful, strong, and capable. It's a shame that Hollywood is spreading all the wrong messages.
All in all, there is no one universal "athletic" body type. There is no one body type that is welcome in a gym. There is no one body type that is better than another. Not all gym rats are compulsive dieters. Not all personal trainers will unjustlydouble as your nutritionist, make you feel bad because of your body, or ignore blatant science.
