Introduction According to a latest study by department of Healthcare, Australia is fast becoming a nation of obese people. As per the study 47 percent of women and 63 percent of Men in Australia are facing weight problems or are obese. Today Australian population has reached a stage where people start accepting that it is normal to have a weight problem. In the last decade itself the national average has increased by 5 kg and if this trend continues than by 2010 seventy percent of the Australian population will be above the health and weight range. (Mandy Biggs, 2006).
The core reason for these drastic statistics is reduced physical activities due to changing lifestyle and inclination of people to have diet control measures rather than physical fitness measures. (Nutrition Australia, 2000) Problems faced by Obese People in Present Environment Obesity is not only a health problem but also a social problem. From a survey done among obese and overweight people regarding their lack of physical activity and reluctance to join fitness center, it has been revealed that these people are not overtly comfortable in the present day fitness center.
The gyms today are designed for health savvy individuals and obese people even though are source of revenue are hardly welcomed. Some of the problems faced by people in present day gyms are (Paige Waehner,2008) – 1. Intimidation – Obese people usually feel intimidating in an environment where the whole quest is to be the next Sylvester Stallone. Most obese people look up it as a humiliating experience. 2. Problems with the Machines – It is believed that cardiovascular exercises are good for obese people but the machines are not designed for them.
For example recumbent bikes have smaller seats and climbing them can be a real challenge for obese people. 3. Swimming is a recommended exercise but an environment where more stress is on displaying one’s health body walking in the bathing suit with obese body spread instant panic among obese people. 4. As for strength training the equipment is often ill designed, like weight benches are too narrow for larger bodies. Traditional exercises like lunges and hopping cause knee and back problems.
5. There are no immediate health checks of how the fitness schedule is affecting the body. Most gyms today have very rudimentary infrastructure to assess the physical condition of the clients. Key Factors that can Define Success in the Market Health and Fitness industry is a service industry. At present most organization are treating it as infrastructure industry where products define whether a center is good or not rather than level of service.
Secondly integration of health and fitness is essential, at present most fitness or more specifically gyms try to project them as health and fitness center thus alienating not only present customers but also de-motivates the prospective customers as they fail to deliver the desired results. Third and most important factor is- designing the whole process as per the problems and needs of obese and overweight people.