Older men, physical activity and embodiment: Interviews with obese men on a male-only community-based weight management programme

Brendan Gough, Leeds Metropolitan UniversityChris Matthews, Nottingham Trent University

Sarah Seymour-Smith, Nottingham Trent University

Overview

• Men, masculinities and weight management

• The project: focus on older men, physical activity

• Analysis: forms of embodiment relating to exercise [and identity, wellbeing]

• Final thoughts

Men and weight management

• Male overweight and obesity exceeds female levels (NHS Information Centre 2009), and is rising: 60% men by 2050 (Foresight, 2007);

• Associated health problems - for men, being obese at 40 can reduce life expectancy by 5.8 years (Logue et al., 2010)

• But, few men attend feminised weight management programmes (e.g. Bye et al, 2005; Counterweight, 2008)

• So, new ‘male-friendly’ initiatives e.g. – ‘Motivate’, commissioned by NHS Nottingham City

• Exercise and nutrition component; 12 week programme; » 3 programmes if 5% body mass targets met

Masculinities

• Influence and constrain men’s health practices (e.g. Courtenay, 2000; Gough & Robertson, 2009)

• Can inhibit help-seeking, esp. feminised settings (Seymour-Smith, Wetherell & Phoenix, 2002)

• Changing masculinities? ‘inclusive’; ‘hybrid’; ‘composite’ etc. (e.g. Anderson, 2009) – men can and do self-care and healthy living (e.g. Sloan, Gough & Conner, 2009)

• Role of ‘masculine capital’ (e.g. deVisser & McDonnell, 2013)

• Also, glossing feminised health-related practices in masculine terms (e.g. Hall, Gough & Seymour-Smith, 2012)

Greying masculinities

• Diminishing body capital - physical decline, health and appearance issues, injuries, aches and pains… constrain previously valued masculinities [e.g. strength; action-orientation; mobility…]

• Certain conventional masculinities adopted/reinforced as men age e.g. self-reliance, self-care, a reluctance to ‘bother’ others, rationality, moderation… (Davidson & Meadows, 2009)

• New forms of capital/compensations e.g. ‘wisdom’

and opportunities for reconstructing masculine selves e.g. caring [for grandchildren etc.]

• The active older citizen – a new subject position within anti-ageing discourse/ technology (e.g. Rudman, 2006); ‘successful ageing’ market targeting men (e.g. Calasanti & King, 2007)

Previous work

• Analysis of media representations re men and diet (Gough, 2007)

• Analysis of HGV male obesity manual (Gough, 2009)

• Interviews with gay ‘bears’ (Gough & Flanders, 2009)

• Male weight loss forum data (Bennet & Gough, 2012)

The project

Project funded by NHS Nott City:• Part evaluation of Motivate;• Comparison with male clients on Slimming World and obese men

currently not participating in any programme • 30 interviews completed: 14 Motivate; 10 SW; 3 both; 3 none• Average age – 52; 14 over 55 [9 in their 60s]• Range of backgrounds

• Most – previous physical activity/sport [younger fitter slimmer self]

• Focus today - older men [55+]

• ‘thematic analysis’

Analysis

• Age inflation: ‘obesity’ begins in middle-age [30s-]; younger ‘in the head’; difficulties re reversing weight gain/ doing exercise with ageing/decline

• Social facilitation: supportive, social exercise environment

• Ecstatic embodiment: Enjoyment of physical activity [pain/sweat/achieving targets]

• Enhanced body capital: Benefits to mundane functionality and wellbeing [e.g. ‘aesthetic health’]

Age inflation

Size creeping up; declining health; life getting in the way…

P (.) I was so slim as I grew up as a boy into, you know, my teenage hood (.)

erm then about thirty then about thirty two I would say (.) I just went

balloon (C Oh okay) Yes

C Why do you think that was?

P (exhales) the lifestyle has changed (C yeah) I've got money (C yeah) I've got control over

myself, I've got cars (.) I've got everything I want to think I had (C yes) at that time (C

yeah yeah) okay (.) and er that contributed to a lot of my weight, I could eat anything I

want to eat (C okay) and of course (unclear) say a bit of ignorance that time (C oh okay)

yes, the ignorance bit comes from (.) didn't really bother what you're eating, how much

KFCs you're eating and how much, you know, what, you know, just eating because you

have to eat and er (.) not really thinking twice why am I eating this fatty food, what

(unclear) comes out you know (C yeah) that kind of thing (Henry, 57)

Age inflation

P ‘When I moved into social work my lifestyle changed completely…I didn’t exercise as much, you know, I ate more, drank more…so I’ve

put weight on over the years…I was 11 stone for years, it felt alright

and er, what am I now, 15, 16 stone, well its not good…I’m getting

really out of breath and unfit…

(Bill, 63)

P ...(.) but no I went to seed and I...I did and I...I hate myself for it, I

actually went to seed... (C Right)

P ...I just stopped (.) all kinds of training...

C Yeah

P ...although I did walk (.) quite a lot (Gareth, 63)

Social facilitation

Motivation

‘One of the things I lack is motivation…so left to my own devices one bit of me will be saying ‘you ought to go on a walk’ and another…the other part says ‘no, no stay where you are’, you know…and that goes on all the time whereas with this definite arrangement on Monday morning…er that sort of forces me to do it

Social comparison/competition

‘…and the only thing that encouraged me was the fact that when I got there erm…a lot of the other guys seemed in a worse [laughs] condition than I was…er, had there been sort or a lot of fit, fit looking 60 year olds that, that would have depressed me…but there were guys who I thought were a lot worse than me, er, so I didn’t feel as if I was gonna show myself up

(Peter, 60)

Social facilitation

I What do you like most about attending Motivate?

P There, there is a group dynamic, it’s nice to have some buddies…I couldn’t make myself do circuit training, I mean it’s just too punishing…I mean there’s a machine, you do something on the machine and you do it as hard as you can but it van be quite boring , so it does motivate me to do things which I would never find the motivation to do on my own in my living room…and I certainly wouldn’t do it in the park’

(Gareth, 63)

P It was... sort of what you'd call a group therapy (C right) for want of a better word was it it (unclear)…it was it was fun and I enjoyed it I really (C yeah) did enjoy it

(John, 69)

Self-consciousness in the gym

P er (.) I would be embarrassed to go on my own (.) although they did give you a session on all the different things er the machinery for want of a better word er I'd be too embarrassed to get on there (.) and not knowing what to do (I hmm) I mean I get on this rowing thing and I'd be because I'm too fat I can't get my legs out of the (.) what you put your feet in (I yeah) the er strap yourself in someone has to come and open them for me (.) that's probably why I wouldn't go on my own

I yeah so maybe some sort of erm group might be a bit more attractive

P It would be very very well more attractive to me

I okay

(John, 69)

Social facilitation

13

Gym cultureP you know it was just it's nice to be with likeminded people (I yeah) you know what I

mean I mean there was times when I can remember (exhales) I don't know wh::hen I was training (.) there was people used to come in and they'd be quite overweight (.) and you'd see how conscious cos I cos I used to help them people would say can you give me a hand you know spot me and that like you know (.) and er you could see how conscious they were (I yeah) looking around seeing all the (.) muscular guys and that like, you know, and they wouldn't stay very long.

LINES OMMITTED

P you know and I brought a few people down myself and they wouldn't er (.) you know very conscious of (.) all these muscles that were walking around and yet down there (.) it's not like that it it's it's just everybody's the same (.) I have to lose the weight (.) I really want to lose the weight badly and I'm not certain I can do it (.) unless I'm involved in some kind of a programme

(Bill, 63)

Social facilitation

14

Ecstatic embodiment

Visceral embodiment [Watson, 2000]

P ‘thoroughly enjoyed it, absolutely…I felt good at it, you know, I really did, you know, I didn’t mind sweating or being out of breath…I just really enjoyed it’…

I enjoyed the rowing machine... (CYeah) ...you know that's (.) got your heart going good that did…(C Yeah) ...pretty good (.) you know I mean the running and the jumping (.) er wasn't that vigorous but th...the rowing and the cycling…(C Yeah) ...that's (.) that really gets you going that does...

  Yeah I...I mean the, the rowing I really sort of got into it and I

really pushed myself and I really did you know…(C Yeah)...push myself on it (C yeah) you know

(Gareth, 63)

Ecstatic embodiment

P Yeah, I just like to feel (.) I like to sweat...

C Right

P ...that again is another one where my wife hates sweating (C yeah) and I said it's the...that's the best thing for me, you know, to go, a session of whatever and (C yeah) wet through when I'm done, I say I feel (.) I've achieved, I've done something (C yes) erm so that part of the (unclear) I enjoy...

C Yeah

P ...I enjoy, and I enjoy (.) you know, just, it just make you feel good... (Ernest, 56)

Ecstatic embodiment

...so (.) also I'm, I'm much happier when I'm hammering my body (C right) I, I didn't really discover that un...until the late 40s experience but (.) wh...when I'm working my body really hard, I mean maybe it's (unclear) endorphins or something like that (C yeah) but I, I, I really am much happier in my general life when I'm fit

 

Al...also physical exercise is very, it's a very simple experience, you go to the gym, there's this machine (.) and it's sort of obvious what you do, it's a simple, it's pretty much one-dimensional (C yeah) physical activity with, with weights going up to a maximum (unclear) er (.) and, and that in itself becomes enjoyable, you, you ca...you can compete with yourself is a cliché but that's sort of what it amounts to (C yeah) you can make measurable progress (C yeah) and al..also I still see myself looking better so my, my vanity is (C yeah) is, is tickled by that and, and it, it very emphatically was (.) er when I split from my wife (C right) I, I wanted to get in shape (C yeah) and I want to get in shape now but it, but it's taken these (.) state sponsors...sponsored interventions (C yeah) to actually get me to do it

(John, 63)

Ecstatic embodiment

Caution! age-appropriate exercise

‘and they were very attentive like…especially with me and Jonny like cos we’re older…I mean Jonny’s 69 and I’m 63…you could see they were keeping more of an eye on us than the younger people…they’re very attentive (Gareth, 63)

‘the two fitness instructors they were very very good, very tolerant of people like me, older people and you know, overweight people, and they give you exercises but you know you don’t have to do that one you can do it this way, which was slightly better’

(John, 63)

‘me hip hurts a little bit but I think its part of general aches and pains you know… as you get older you get these things don’t you? But no, no injuries, very good with the stretching and all the exercises, I’m very careful on that…no, they’re brilliant (Harry, 63)

…but some will overdo it:

‘I’ve now developed bloody cartilage trouble…and I think that’s been brought on with the exercising down there…impact’

(Gareth, 63)

… risky re age and weight

‘putting body on the line’ (Messner, 1990)

Enhanced body capital

Improved functionality: ’practical embodiment’ [Watson, 2000]

‘what I did get from it was a sense of fitness…I was able not to run for a bus but I could jog for a bus or I could walk fast for a bus, I could walk up the hill here without stopping – which I used to have to do half a dozen times…but now I can walk up without stopping at all’

(John, 63)

Enhanced body capital

Appearance – normative embodiment [Watson, 2000]

P …and also when I get out the shower and I stand in the bedroom and getting dry…(C Yeah) …and I happen to catch a glance of meself in the mirror (.) ah not bad that… (C Yeah) …it’s alright now (C yeah) that’s going down that, it’s shrinking… (CYeah) …it’s going (C yeah) which is, which is brilliant

C And…and it feels good to (P yeah) to, to do that?

P It does yeah, oh yeah, it does (C Yeah okay)

P You know so it’s like I mean like I say I mean I’ve gone down from a 38 to a 34 waist (C Yeah) Er the wife bought me a pair of trousers hmm about two years ago (.) er I’ve not had em on… (CYeah) …until before Christmas, 34s and a 34 small… (CYeah) …not a large 34 (C yeah yeah) there are a 3…they are a tight 34… (C Yeah) …and I put em on and I fastened em up dead easy (.) and I were like, bloody hell, yeah they’re alright… (C Yeah yeah) …you know so, which is a good feeling

[Bob, age 55,] 

Enhanced body capital

Confidence; wellbeing – experiential embodiment [Watson, 2000]

P It's, I think it's very important, it, it's very important it...it (.) it's good for my, my self esteem (laughs) I think (C right) it...it, although as I said I, I don't think I was overly...

C No

P ...overweight (C no) but I just think (.) losing any, getting any, you know, I mean I've been boasting that I've been pulling my belt one notch (C (laughs)) more since I've started (C yeah) you know and I say, you know, so it kinda give you that (C yeah) that look and every morning you, I am getting, I'm getting dressed, I look in the mirror and I, and I don't want to see no (.) the flab...

C Yeah

P ...you know I...I'm not happy...

C Yeah

P ...seeing it (C yeah) you know and I...I feel like I'm (.) my underwear sits properly now (C right) it's, you know I don't have to climb a little ridge (C (laughs)) you know (unclear) (.) so it, it must make some subliminal (C yeah) impact on, on, on me, on me (unclear)

[Robert, 56]

Conclusionss

• Overweight/obesity rising in men, creating problems in later life

• Health promotion campaigns should incorporate pragmatic [mundane functions]– but also normative [appearance] and experiential [emotional] dimensions

• Importance of peer group, joint action, social support with similar others outside gym environment

• Appeal of activity per se – visceral embodiment [heart rate/sweating/ fatigue… - evidence of investment] – as well as enhanced body capital

• Challenging self to achieve targets – within limits [action orientation]; expert support

• Appearance important for (obese, older) men; social comparisons; visual reflections of self [‘aesthetic health’]

• Weight loss tied to wellbeing, quality of life