Gym for oversize people

[JoeTube]

Dear all,

I'd love to hear your feedback about an idea I have had.

I've come up with this very obvious market need: weight loss for overweight people
Paradoxically, the people who need this the most are the people who struggle about it the most and who may be even hostile to it (exactly due to the similar psychological patterns for which they are overweight).

The solution of this need brings quite obvious positive consequences, from an objective point of view (but tell me if you disagree about this:

• better health
• lower medical care costs (statistically)
• higher self-esteem, thus higher quality of living
• better results in broad areas of life (there are multiple studies that assess how the looks influence our relations)

However, from a subjective point of view, the need is not so accepted by people: many people defend their weight, stand for body positivity, etc. There is an intricate mix of psychology, beliefs, social pressure, etc.

I found a story about it from some years ago.

However, the founder already told that it is a really really hard demographic, because many people just ghosted after a few months of membership. They are no longer active, as far as I know.

What do you think in general about these services that address issues that the targeted people do not want to address?
For example: quitting smoking, porn (somebody mentioned this in some post recently), gambling?
I think this would add a to of value to people, but I feel like most of them are just hardwired against it for the same reason they would need it.

It seems to me they're huge potential huge markets, but pretty much out of reach just because most of the targeted people are fundamentally/psychologically against solving (what at least I consider) a problem.
In other words, I think this would add a to of value to people, but I feel like most of them are just hardwired against the solution for the same reason they would need it.
(Does this reasoning make sense?)

Many thanks for any feedback you would like to give.

Best

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I thought this was the concept behind Planet Fitness?

Cheap memberships, no expressiveness allowed, and free pizza at the front desk?

 

[Antifragile]

 

[JAJT]

What do you think in general about these services that address issues that the targeted people do not want to address?

If you've talked to folks with these issues, or had faced them yourself, you'll realize the situation is exactly the opposite - they are desperate to address it, but feel powerless to do so.

Habits and addictions are the hardest nuts to crack.

You can sell to these groups all day and night for this reason (they want help and regularly seek it out), and you'll even help some of them, but the vast majority will fizzle out and fail when they fall into old habits and addictions.

Psychologists and doctors and everyone else have been trying to treat/cure/solve these problems for people since time immemorial.

 

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[heavy_industry]

may be even hostile to it (exactly due to the similar psychological patterns for which they are overweight).

They live in denial and are even hostile to the idea of losing fat because most of them have tried and failed several times to fix the problem. Mostly due to the lack of education and following the "calories in calories out" dogma which clearly doesn't work and will never work.

This is an amazing idea, definitely has the NEED in CENTS.
Make sure to include a proper diet plan that is devoid of sugar and carbohydrates, because that's where most of the results are going to come from.

I thought this was the concept behind Planet Fitness?

Cheap memberships, no expressiveness allowed, and free pizza at the front desk?

Planet Fitness was designed as a safe-space for middle aged moms and men that are scared of barbells.

The fact that they offer customers free pizza really shows how much they care about their health.

 

[S.Y.]

So, exercise and gym for weight loss is bullshit. You can't out-exercise a bad diet. You might get away with that in the short term, but good luck keeping it off.

If you want to help people to lose weight, think about nutrition, communities and movement.

If you just want to have a gym where overweight people are comfortable, maybe make it more of a movement gym, rather than an exercise gym.

 

[AmazingLarry]

Exercise is definitely important, but like others have said, diet is the deal breaker and a lot of really overweight people have deep psychological/trauma issues with food that need to be dealt with first and foremost.

It is a huge market though, and helping people lose weight can truly improve their lives in massive ways. Very challenging problem though. Just look at all the programs and diet books out there. I think the statistic is about 95% of people who lose fat on a diet don't keep it off long term.

I would think about also incorporating diet coaching/counseling into the gym so it's a more complete package. There's a lot of dogmatic BS diet info out there too. Almost all of it boils down to calorie restriction, and finding the "easiest" of the many methods for doing this on a per person basis.

 

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[Patryk.]

So, you want to create a place where one land whale is not intimidated by other land whale?

You are the average of five people you spend the most time with... so how they can change in environment like that?

All they need to do is stop using elevator, eat less and exercise more - if they can't do simple things like that they simply just don't want it enough.

It like trying to sell something to someone who doesn't want that thing at all...
It is like trying to convince people the entrepreneurship is the only "right" way...

They need to feel like a losers to "wants" that change and when they already wants they don't need gym at all - if they need it instead they will experience yo-yo effect and any type of education won't help them as they simple just "don't want it enough".

In my deduction there is no market and the news make the right material for some people - "make them lose some time as we know it won't work and we can make some more money".

Instead of trying to change "mindset" it is easier to make life of people more easier (cube gyms, better products for gym, better bikes, better shoes, etc) - that's were the real market is.

 

[JoeTube]

Hi guys, thanks for your feedback.

they are desperate to address it, but feel powerless to do so

Thank you JAJT, however I had some sort of addiction (not to food) myself and I really was not inclined to solve any of it, actually not even aware of the damage. I really believe that addiction makes you think you don't even have a problem in the first place. I am doubtful that many people are desperate to address it, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

This is an amazing idea, definitely has the NEED in CENTS.

What I fear is that what I have in mind is not really scalable. I believe that each person should be supported almost 1-to-1...

If you want to help people to lose weight, think about nutrition, communities and movement.

Yes, I have talekd about a gym for semplicity, but I actually have in mind a physical space (gym) that would be the center of a community of people working towards the same goal through a holistic process. In my idea, each person should be awaken from their numbness with the power of words, data and images, but really scaring the shit out of them, not just presenting a chart.
My idea is something like "You've come here to lose weight. First of all, we will trigger you, then we will give you tools (diet, training schedule, psychological support) to reach the goal and we'll be at your side until the end".

You are the average of five people you spend the most time with... so how they can change in environment like that?

Very true, but overweight people would not be there eating all-you-can-eat. They would be there to improve themselves. The saying is correct, but it's related to the approach and attitude of people; the physical aspect is just an indicator of attitude and approach. If you hang out with super motivated overweight people that are working to lose weight, in the long term some positive change will come, I think.

However, the main point is that it does not seem scalable to me (not in the 1-to-1 approach, which seem key but not very viable to me). I am thinking about some sort of model or framework that can be implemented by other people (franchisee) and that would basically "trigger" overweight people by simply exposing them to that, once they accept to hear me and try this hypothetical method. In my mind, something like a very very convincing pitch, basically.
Something like Allen Carr's books (the famous one about quitting smoking seem to be working, as far as people I know told me; I haven't read anything of his, but I definitely should ).