Dear Goodlife,

I am writing to you today to express concern about something that I was asked at a Goodlife Club while inquiring about membership pricing and information. The gentleman who showed me around the club and went through the form with me was very nice and gave me a lot of great information. As he asked me questions about my goals, etc. I could tell it was just a set of questions and prompts that he is supposed to ask and things that he is supposed to say so I in no way was offended by him personally but I think one of the questions is surprising, troubling and a huge cause for concern.

The question that I was asked is on a scale of 1 to 10 where would I rate myself in terms of current fitness. When I, surprised at the question said that it was hard to answer, trying to imply that I wasn't comfortable with the question, he prompted me, "would you say 6, 7?" (I think this was him innocently trying to associate a number with where I told him my current level of fitness is and not making a judgement on his own but I did feel that there wasn't an option to 'skip' a question I wasn't comfortable answering).

I understand that having a benchmark where you begin can certainly be a motivating factor as you achieve health and fitness goals but a number from 1 through 10?! We must all realize the connotations that such a "grade" conjures up for many people and often especially women. To have to pick a number of "where I'm at" right now feels oddly a lot like picking a grade for my body 1-10 and I don't think that's a healthy road to go down for most people.

Personally for me, seeking out a gym membership is primarily a way to improve my health and fitness, be more active and interact with friends who also have memberships. Having to appraise myself with a number 1 through 10 felt like a message from you to me of what my goal should be; having a body that would be described as a "Perfect 10".

Thank you for your time and please consider removing the question from orientation for future inquiries and memberships,

Sincerely,