The message board has left a lot of noses out of joint. Photo / Supplied
The message board has left a lot of noses out of joint. Photo / Supplied
Hundreds of Queenslanders have shared their disgust over a public message board outside a Sunshine Coast gym that allegedly fat shames people into joining up.
Anytime Fitness Kawana is copping a lot of heat over a humorous sign staff placed outside that read: "Are you fat and ugly? Just beugly."
The gym franchise's misguided attempt at humour has left a lot of noses out of joint, as people claim the messaging fat shames overweight locals into becoming members, news.com.au reports.
'SAVAGE AND HORRIBLE'
Debbie Peut told the Sunshine Coast Daily she was "horrified beyond explanation" when she saw the sign.
The gym officially opened in May last year and has been trying to boost membership numbers.
DON'T FAT SHAME US
Ms Peut said the move was a hurtful ploy by the gym to score free publicity.
"I can tell you that as a person who is not thin or classically beautiful that this gym is the last place I would set foot in, if in fact I chose to go to a gym to exercise," she said.
"I wonder do they know that people can be 'healthy and fit' at any weight?"
She told the Sunshine Coast Daily health was "not dependent on a number on a set of scales", and the gym would never understand the struggles overweight people faced.
"Being shamed about it is a sure-fire way to include anxiety, depression and eating disorders to the list of problems," Ms Peut said.
" β¦ eating disorders are the single largest killer of our younger generation in Australia today, yet people think it is funny to put signs like this up?"
THE GYM RESPONDS
While the gym has not responded to a request by news.com.au for comment, it did take to its Facebook page this morning to gauge members' feelings on the matter.
Posting a clip from the Today Show, the gym's staff asked its members: "Did we go too far?!? What are your thoughts?"
