People scoring highly on Bodily Ease are primarily those who have a carefree, some would say careless, approach to the issue of ‘right’ or ‘correct’ body shape. They are the type of people who may or may not fit the socially-defined definition of normal body shape but one thing is for sure – they don’t care what you think about the way they look. They are the type of people that WeightWatchers fails to get to sessions even when they are classified overweight. Similarly it is unlikely they will worry about being too thin. Body shape to them is a given: they are what they are.

‘What you see is what you get’ is the motto for these people. Life is full of opportunities to have fun, get ahead, sit quietly or just relax with friends. They tend not to judge others and would prefer to not judge themselves. They tend to keep life simple and enjoy it as much as they can, while they can.

They tend not to be go-getters, striving for ‘results’, hitting ‘targets’ or any of the numerous buzz words and phrases so beloved by motivational speakers and management consultants. Going along to get along is their preferred way of dealing with life.

They will tread their own path and not care too much about what others think of them. Having sleepless nights worrying about what to wear tomorrow or if they should have an extra glass of wine or beer after work is not a likely occurrence in their everyday life.

This doesn’t mean they over-indulge in the more hedonistic aspects of life – far from it. They reject the excesses of the more hedonistic aspects of life. For the espousers of bodily ease being hedonistic is just too much effort. They much prefer to coast along enjoying, or surviving, life as it comes.

Some would say this is a state of mind that has ‘grown-up’ and has got over the worries of performing for others. This wouldn’t be strictly true. They are more likely to be less self-reflective than other people – not bothering to be introspective. They are not the types who try to understand their own behaviours. They do not spend their quiet times going over what they have done in the last hours and days.

“Life is here now, live it, enjoy it if you can, put up with it if you can’t, but don’t waste your time thinking about what is already over.”

This approach to life is espoused by both Settlers and Pioneers. For the Settler espousers of Bodily Ease there is an element of “why bother, I can’t control it anyway”. For the Pioneers it is almost as if they have seen through the “myth of the perfect body” thrust at them through all forms of media and they have found that not worrying about what others think makes them happier than striving to satisfy something that is constantly changing.

Prospectors reject this whole attitude. They want the perfect shape, they want to have and hit goals. WeightWatchers is a perfect place for them to demonstrate their ability to ‘go for it’ – to become the object of desire any time they want to. The orientation to a more hedonistic and active lifestyle can lead to a less than ‘acceptable’ body shape. This means their ‘fun’ can make them unhappy. Their desire to be seen as ‘better than others’ means they are unlikely to be espousers of Bodily Ease.

Espousers of Bodily Ease are comfortable in their own skin.