Exercising control: Empowerment and the fitness discourse

Abstract

To take the body as a project, as a site of investment and work, is to take account of its form and function (Baudrillard, 1998; Featherstone, 1982; Shilling, 1993). We typically confront the form of the body through outer appearances-physique, surfaces, and decoration. In a consumer service economy, where physical appearances are important for occupational success and social status, investing in the body’s form- through toning exercises, dieting, and cosmetic surgery-is considered a way of maximizing one’s competitive edge.