Obesity Discussion Forums

[GracefromBoston]

I spent 10 years at a fat camp in western Massachusetts when I was growing up (ages 9 to 19). I started as a camper and was a counselor my last three years.

It was a wonderful experience for me emotionally and it really helped my development to be around people who faced taunting at school or who felt otherwise ostracized. I met some people who are my good friends to this day.

I have wonderful things to say about the whole experiences, EXCEPT:

I do believe that it contributed to my lifelong struggle and rollercoaster of weight ups and downs. Every summer most people would return to camp having gained back everything they had lost the summer before plus some new weight for the new year. That was expected and when someone came back who had maintained or continued their loss, it was a remarkable feat.

In addition, we spent way too much time (as campers), focusing on food that we could not have. We would talk about it constantly instead of focusing on more positive things.

Just my 2 cents.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by GracefromBoston

I spent 10 years at a fat camp in western Massachusetts when I was growing up (ages 9 to 19). I started as a camper and was a counselor my last three years.

It was a wonderful experience for me emotionally and it really helped my development to be around people who faced taunting at school or who felt otherwise ostracized. I met some people who are my good friends to this day.

I have wonderful things to say about the whole experiences, EXCEPT:

I do believe that it contributed to my lifelong struggle and rollercoaster of weight ups and downs. Every summer most people would return to camp having gained back everything they had lost the summer before plus some new weight for the new year. That was expected and when someone came back who had maintained or continued their loss, it was a remarkable feat.

In addition, we spent way too much time (as campers), focusing on food that we could not have. We would talk about it constantly instead of focusing on more positive things.

Just my 2 cents.

Interesting comments. Do you think people felt it was OK to eat bad during the year because they'd be coming back to the fat camp to lose it?

Great insight. I never would have thought of this.

[GracefromBoston]

It really had a big impact on my life.

I think that even if you were maintaining weight throughout most of the year (which is unlikely), you would feel a certain freedom to eat anything starting in March or so - since you knew the summer was right around the corner.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by GracefromBoston

It really had a big impact on my life.

I think that even if you were maintaining weight throughout most of the year (which is unlikely), you would feel a certain freedom to eat anything starting in March or so - since you knew the summer was right around the corner.

That makes sense. It almost defeats the purpose of going in the first place?

Do you still keep in touch with anyone?

[William Wallace]

Originally Posted by GracefromBoston

I spent 10 years at a fat camp in western Massachusetts when I was growing up (ages 9 to 19). I started as a camper and was a counselor my last three years.

It was a wonderful experience for me emotionally and it really helped my development to be around people who faced taunting at school or who felt otherwise ostracized. I met some people who are my good friends to this day.

I have wonderful things to say about the whole experiences, EXCEPT:

I do believe that it contributed to my lifelong struggle and rollercoaster of weight ups and downs. Every summer most people would return to camp having gained back everything they had lost the summer before plus some new weight for the new year. That was expected and when someone came back who had maintained or continued their loss, it was a remarkable feat.

In addition, we spent way too much time (as campers), focusing on food that we could not have. We would talk about it constantly instead of focusing on more positive things.

Just my 2 cents.

I'm gathering you would not recommend a fat camp to anyone based on this? It does not sound like it was successful overall. LIke a bandaid if you would.

[NeedingHelp]

Originally Posted by GracefromBoston

I think that even if you were maintaining weight throughout most of the year (which is unlikely), you would feel a certain freedom to eat anything starting in March or so - since you knew the summer was right around the corner.

I watched a special on a Fat Camp and had the impression that what you're saying was happening there too. A lot of the campers commented on other members "getting large" again and a lot of them also said they had gained back all the weight they had lost the year before.

Would you recommend these camps, or no?

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by NeedingHelp

I watched a special on a Fat Camp and had the impression that what you're saying was happening there too. A lot of the campers commented on other members "getting large" again and a lot of them also said they had gained back all the weight they had lost the year before.

Would you recommend these camps, or no?

A part of me gets the vibe that some of these fat camps are like diets; they may be just temporary solutions to a long term problem.

[dickytoughy]

Grace..keep do good jobs..!!!People who in desperate to loss their wieght, will find the right way to accomplished it..

[vernitaearles]

I agree... Sometimes I think that these fat camps are too much focused on the psychological situation of things, and therefore focus somewhat of the summer on more emotional/ personal issues. This then doesn't leave that much time for the intense workout. Which then makes the diet and exercise temporary solutions.

[kenneth]

I went to a fat camp once when i was a kid, i hated it and would never send my kid to any kind of 'so called camp' that 50% of the time doesnt work to help you lose weight.

[classylady]

Growing up, I went to a camp in upstate NY called Camp White Oaks. The camp was tailor-fit for people who had child obesity problems. I remember every day going on hikes, riding bicycles, jogging "figure-8's" on the grandstand of the local high school (a figure-8 is an exercise where you would run up one side of the GS, half way across, down the middle, half-way cross, then up the other side, etc.). When it was mealtime, we had 5 minutes from the time we sat down (we were all standing until the last person was @ his/her table) to eat what was on our plates. If we didn't finish, we were SOL. They would constantly exercise us and we only had fish or lean poultry: Beef or Pork once a week and a LOT of vegetable substitutes for protein. It was utter hell, but it did work for those of us who didn't cry home to mommy and daddy to pick him/her up from camp because they couldn't take being hungry all the time. Trust me, there were @ least 10 campers a summer (I spent 3 summers there) ending with myself calling up my dad to please take me out of "this hell" because the counselors would push me harder (I was one of the biggest ones @ the camp) then some of the others to the point of vomiting. Needless to say, I sure hope that some of the fat camps out there today are a lot nicer to their campers and having more of a positive atmosphere than I did.

[hollandoforange]

i never went to fat camp