Study Says Plus Size Women Often Forced To Wear Men's Workout Gear

Size discrimination is all too common in the fashion industry, but new research from Washington State University’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles suggests the phenomenon is also prevalent in the world of fitness apparel. In other words, a plus-size woman who wants to look good and feel good about her workout can’t pull on some cute activewear and head to the gym like a thinner woman could — even though the average American woman is close to a size 18, according to other research by the study’s co-author, Assistant Professor Deborah Christel of WSU. Instead, the study shows that plus size women have no choice but to shop the men’s department for workout gear. “There’s a societal expectation that I think is communicated in clothing availability,” said Christel to NBC’s King 5.