An Ontario university that stirred up controversy by removing the scales from its primary athletic facility says everyone now has the means of weighing themselves at the centre again.
Ottawa's Carleton University says it now has scales in both men's and women's changing rooms in a bid to compromise with those who were angry when the scale in the main gym was removed earlier this month.
The university previously offered scales only in the women's changing room, as well as in the primary workout area.
Carleton sparked a range of reactions when it yanked the scale from the main gym in an effort to get athletes to take a more holistic approach to health and focus on factors other than weight.
Some criticized the university for removing a basic fitness tool and others lambasted the school for pandering to over-sensitive students who suggested scales could be triggering for those with body image concerns. Carleton itself never cited such a reason for its decision to remove scales.
The university issued a statement saying it was responding to feedback from fitness centre users, adding it hoped its new approach could strike a balance between client needs and the message it hoped to promote by removing the gym scales in the first place.
