A fat camp, weight loss camp, or fat farm is a type of
residential program where people who are
overweight or
obese go to attempt to lose weight through exercise and lifestyle changes.
Overview
One goal of weight loss camps is to help the guests lose weight.
Some programs not only focus on weight loss, but on changing behavior through a combination of training on self-regulatory behaviors and
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), as well as maintaining weight loss after campers return home.[1] Some experts believe these are key elements of an effective program.[2][failed verification]
One study found that adolescents reported decreased
body shape dissatisfaction and increased
self-esteem immediately after losing weight at a weight loss camp.[3][non-primary source needed] These improvements were directly related to the amount of weight lost, with the greatest benefit to those adolescents who lost the most weight.[3][4]
In popular culture
Multiple films and television shows have featured programs such as these, including:
Heavyweights (1995), an American
comedy film centered around a camp for kids that is taken over by a fitness
guru.
Television
Multiple episodes of
Friends mention that
Monica Geller, who used to be overweight before the beginning of the show, went to fat camp in her youth.
"Fat Camp" (South Park), season 4, episode 15 of the animated television series South Park, original airdate December 6, 2000: in the episode, Cartman is sent to lose weight at a fat camp where he discovers a different way to earn money.
The Biggest Loser, a
reality television format which started with the American TV series The Biggest Loser in 2004, which centers on
overweight and
obese participants competing against each other to lose the highest percentage of weight (or most weight) to become the "biggest loser".
Killer Queen (Family Guy) Season 10, Episode 16 of the animated FOX sitcom Family Guy, Peter and Chris Griffin attend a weight loss camp, but when some other campers are found dead, the blame falls on Lois Griffin's brother, Patrick Pewterschmit, as he was imprisoned for the murder of obese people.
^Arehart-Treichel, Joan (August 3, 2007). "ACBT Teaches Obese People How to Think Thin". Psychiatric News.
^
abWalker, LM; Gately, PJ; Bewick, BM; Hill, AJ (22 May 2003). "Children's weight-loss camps: psychological benefit or jeopardy?". International Journal of Obesity. 27 (6): 748–754.
doi:
10.1038/sj.ijo.0802290.
PMID12833121.