damnable

Huh what? I wouldn't say this is descrimination. Remmeber that there are two sides of every story. There may well be people out there saying the gym has a case against takingcontrol for breaking two of their treadmills due to misuse.

Although a discount would be nice since there is a whole section of the gym you can no longer use you don't really need a treadmill. Go for a walk or jog outside, the pavement is much more hardier.

Neil_B

Gyms make money from selling memberships. Statistically, many people who join stop coming after a while. I can imagine the dropout rate is greater among the severely obese than the 'normal' population. I don't see the gym has done anything wrong in selling him a membership. Perhaps they have been wrong for not disclosing the weight limit on the treadmills, but that's another matter.

scotlandtb

Taking control,

First off congrats on taking the high road (and longer road) to continue your journey. I hope you are not out financially for the first Gym. Keep up the good work.

Steve

rideabike

People sue to enforce rights for others. In a rational world, you wouldn't have to sue because the gym would buy a heavier duty treadmill and ask the OP to be a poster child for the benefits of the gym. Instead, the gym thinks that it can ignore the law and make their own rules.

Unfortunately, these laws are set up so that there is usually no federal or state enforcement mechanism against private businesses. The only recourse is to sue, and then we hear comments like yours that suggest that when you do so, YOU are wrong, not the private business that is discriminating.

Alathea

I think they should have the cajones to have a few machines rated for those that really need them, too. He shouldn't have to go to a hospital or whatever to use the damn treadmill. I know we are all big, and are so for various reasons, but we are all here to help each other and to lose it along the way. Stuff like this doesn't help at all and can be devastating to one's self esteem .

EmersonHart13

Good luck man! Keep dropping those pounds!

bdinger

I'm going to apologize in advance for taking this a different direction, but I'm going to chime in. When I was riding with the reporter the other day I posed the question, and that was if an alcoholic that's already drunk goes into a bar, he's refused service under the letter of the law. If he goes on a unending bender, eventually he'll end up forcibly hospitalized or in the middle of an intervention.

However, never once when I was over 500 pounds was I refused service at a buffet, a McDonald's, or any other place. Personally, I wish at some point they WOULD have stopped serving me - and it would have been a wake-up call.

The thing with obesity is, it's a life-threatening situation. An ethnicity. Having a handicap isn't. Not being able to resist McDonald's and growing to weight where you get your doctor to have you issued a parking permit - well - I'm not sure on that one.

Now, where I'm mixed is that many times the individual can't be blamed. Many today have no idea the caloric content of food, and what that does to them. Just the other day my family and I were at a restaurant and my wife was considering getting a ice cream treat they have (Similar to a Blizzard at McD's). Me, having grabbed the nutrition guide the second I hit the door looked it up - a 12oz treat was 2,000 calories! They also offered a 16 and 24 oz version - do the math on the 24oz version. I'm sure no one who orders the "small" has any idea how many calories are going into their body in that second, nor do they know some of the other things they consume - I'll use Bennigan's Monte Christo for example there (also known as the only sandwich to make me violently ill after only one bite "to try it"). At some point the food industry need to accept some damned responsibility and knock it the hell off.

I'm sorry, but I get pretty worked up on that point. Many times the individual puts on weight but "it will be easy to lose", then "I'm getting pretty big, but I'm too busy - I can diet soon", and finally "I'm too big, I can never lose this". The cycle continues on, and we get what we have now - the largest society in history. It's a 50/50 blame - like I've said before, when you get that big you lose all hope. Finding it again is nearly impossible.

Our society has become intolerant of obese people, but tolerant enough to allow them to continue killing themselves. Once I was asked to pay for two airline tickets, which I grumpily did so, then I walked straight to a buffet in the airport and my money was gladly taken.

Where's the irony there?

In the OP's example, I'm sure that when he is back to 400 they'll gladly accept his money, and when he reaches a goal - and ends up in the paper/news they'll make sure to point out he worked out there. I'm not sure I accept the fact that it would be fair, or even good karma.

So to summarize, Tom, I'm with you - it's amazing the stance taken by our society, and to a point sickening. Obesity is tolerated when it generates a profit, and shunned when it has a negative impart. Support is offered when it has condition.

I don't think any of that is right. Many cry against the tobacco companies, but what about the company that packs 2,000 calories into a 12 ounce "treat"? Or the one that serves a 1,300 calorie sandwich, but doesn't print the nutrition info for it?

Alathea

You know, ive emailed Amigos Corporate here in Lincoln, NE three times in the last two years for their nutrition info since I tend to eat their breakfast burritos and occasionally a soft taco, and the response I have received has been lackluster to non-existent. "We have information for some of our salads......" was my favorite, and she couldn't understand why I kept asking her about the other stuff on their menu, like, who cares about that stuff?

WCoastPeddler

I'll call BS on this one.

In a rational world, businesses are in business to make money, not lose it -- and people understand this in a rational world. Apparently TC sees this too and as such took a positive stance and understood the position of the gym.

Way to go TC with regard to your attitude and the progress that you've made, and good on you for the stance that you've taken with this gym -- perhaps it wasn't completely fair to you and no pun intended, but you're a bigger man than most.

StanSeven

This response is amazing. First the gym didn't throw him out. The equipment is rated at 350 lbs. They told him not to use it until his weight dropped to 400. That's reasonable to me and apparently to the OP.

bdinger

There are several local eateries that I refuse to frequent because of this specific thing. I can tell you, however, that there are some that are beyond friendly when it comes to nutrition. We have a local brewpup/restaurant chain (Lazlo's and Fireworks) that makes everything from scratch, and are happy to go into what is in their food.

Simply put, if I am not provided with a nutrition guide when I walk in the door, I walk out. Not worth it because they obviously don't care or have something to hide.

rideabike

I think your response is amazing.

Whatever businesses do is reasonable to them. That's why they do it. That doesn't necessarily mean it is legal.

Alathea

I love Lazlo's. Jay came to my Business Management class and then to my Marketing Methods class a year+ ago to talk to us and be a springboard. They were still developing some of the 'green' stuff they are doing now-like the Water Garden was an image in his head when he told us about it then. Neat guy, Jay, and overall a great local company.

WCoastPeddler

What has the gym done that is illegal?

Alathea

If the weight requirement for their machinery is 350, then it is 350. While I would like to see them have a few built heavier, every business has the RIGHT to determine their cash outlay for equipment. In this case it sounds like the gym drew a line in the sand and said "this is the equipment we can afford". They haven't broken the law at all-obesity is not a protected class, as airlines and that business owner in New England (that fires people for smoking and being overweight) have discovered. There is no law that says they should let people use their machinery that, by their use, would cause the machinery to exceed its specifications. They asked him to refrain temporarily, and, while embarrassing it is not an enforceable case of discrimination of any kind. They can refund his contract amount and initiation fee, and maybe refer him to another gym-that would be really cool.

rideabike

You tell me.

People suggested he see a lawyer, and the response was that he should just accept it because what the business did was ok. I disagreed and thought that if he was unhappy, and he obviously was, that he should get an opinion.

You look at that and ask me what was illegal.

So you tell me about the legality or illegality.

WCoastPeddler

Intelligent answer <insert rolling eyes here>.

The gym broke no laws. If you're going to suggest that a law has been broken, you should cite the law or stfu.

Quite frankly, when you show this type of attitude your posts are not worth replying to.

HelpMeRhonda

I'd like to believe in the positive in people.

I'm going to bet The business manager knew of the possible problem, but was willing to see if the machinery could hold up. They could use a new membership and the OP could use a treadmill. Let's see if the machinery holds up. If so, nothing said, no problem. If however machinery breaks (as in twice) maybe there is an issue and we need to quitely & privately address it with the OP. Thus, the private phone call rather than a possible public issue at the gym. It seems the gym is trying to be a positive service and is willing to allow the OP to use the equipment at a weight still over the posted rating.

Not everyone is out to screw people every chance they can.

DX Rider

+1

Imagine being the gym manager having to make that phone call. No one likes being the habringer of bad news, except maybe sociopaths.

350 lbs. isn't a whole lot of weight either.

bautieri

Off Topic:

bdinger, what was the name of the resturant and this "treat"? please let me know so I never make the mistake of consuming that caloric monstrosity. Jebus tap dancing Christobel, 12 ounces of pork lard is 2500 calories...what on earth did this treat have in it?

Caleab

+1000

Ride more, treadmill less.

Save the treadmill for the winter type conditions.
too dang pretty to not ride now.

StanSeven

Businesses have the right to protect and care for the property they own. Manufacturers put limits on equipment - weight, power, climate, etc. What do you think is proper - allow someone that exceeds the weight limit to damage the equipment?

bautieri

OP,

Did the gym at least offer you some type of a refund or discount? Many of the gyms that I have belonged to over the years required you to purchase a membership in 6 month increments. If so did they at least offer you a refund for the unused portion of your membership? I'd be jacked if I was told I couldn't use the only piece of equipment I wanted to use at the gym.

Or...

Does your fitness center have a pool? You can get an excellent cardio workout by swimming.

Alathea

Dayum straight-was it a local here in Lincoln, or a Chain?

Good info to know. Ive got Subway's, and BK's menus down to what I can eat with little guilt, so this info is good stuff.

rideabike

Ok.

Just accept anything that businesses do.

Businesses used to not serve Blacks because it drove away other customers.

Maybe we should respect that argument too.

How about letting insurance companies just insure healthy people?

Or drivers that have absolutely clean records?