Inside the middle-class fat camp for teenagers

Honey · July 23rd, 2007, 08:02 PM

New research says children from well-off families are more likely be fat. Here teenagers fighting the flab at a special summer boot camp give a fascinating - and disturbing - insight into the pressures they blame for their weight problems

Less than three weeks ago, if 15-year-old Charlotte Tracey had been given a large box of chocolate brownies, she wouldn't have hesitated to polish off the lot - all 1,000 calories.
In fact, any time she had a fight with her friends or missed her parents - whom she didn't see regularly while at boarding school - Charlotte would reach for her stash of junk food and demolish it.
"It was the only thing I could think of to do. While other people might have gone for a long walk to clear their heads, played a sporty game or even talked to their friends, I ate," says Charlotte. Scroll down for more

Weighty matters: Tamara Pratt (left) and Charlotte Tracey both attend Wellspring camp

"It would be anything from pizza or ice cream to crisps and chocolates. On top of that, I'd be eating my three main meals in the school dining room and I never scrimped on portions.
"Of course, the more I ate, the more weight I put on and the more miserable I became.
"Then I'd want to eat even more. It was a vicious cycle and one I'm still fighting to get out of."
So vicious that, aged 15, Charlotte weighed a staggering 18st 4lb and was classified morbidly obese by her doctor.
But she believes she has now put her bad habits behind her and credits an American-style weight-loss camp in the Lake District, for helping her turn the corner, losing 6.2lb in just eight days.

"In the first week at Wellspring, I have been happier than I've been for years. I'm learning to do sport and exercise again, and now I know that if I'm hurting or upset I should talk to someone about my feelings - instead of trying to eat them away. "I've also been learning about healthy eating. The camp leaders teach us how to keep our calorie intake down to 2,000 a day, with only 12g of fat and we are encouraged to keep journals of everything we eat during the day, so we can use it as a guide when we leave camp."

Full Story Inside the middle-class fat camp for teenagers | the Daily Mail

Beeyotch · July 29th, 2007, 03:43 PM

It's so demoralizing to have it called fat camp.

Even weight loss camp would feel better. They know they're fat. No need to rub it in.

And what does "American-style" mean? Just that it's in the U.S.? Rife with bad foreign policy? It incorporates McDonald's and/or fried chicken? (Okay, just kidding about those last two.)

But anyways. I do wonder what the success rate of these programs are. It seems like as soon as they're away from their paid support system of counselors or fellow camp mates, they won't know how to readily deal with the same pressures that make them overeat and under-exercise. I feel like you need a really long time, like maybe a year, to really learn how to deal with new habits and how to keep them up on your own.

DCGossipGirl · July 30th, 2007, 02:09 PM

I know teenagers who went to a camp like this and they lost weight while at the camp, but put it back on once they got home. I agree with Beeyotch, they need to be at the camp for a longer period of time to make the changes more of a lifestyle change, not just a summer at camp.

Grimmlok · July 30th, 2007, 02:21 PM

It's fat camp. Calling it something else doesn't make it something else. They're fat, they go to fat camp.

Thing is, wtf good is a camp if the home situation doesn't change?

coolios5o · July 31st, 2007, 12:30 PM

They should more likely have an educational camp for whole families. It is quite hard for a teenager to keep up with healthy living if the rest of her/his family are eating like monsters. I mean, usually an overweight kid has parents who are overweight themselves too since they pretty much decide what food the family is eating day to day.

veronabrit · July 31st, 2007, 01:04 PM

at least they are doing something about it and not just getting fatter and fatter. I have compassion for these young girls because they must be so insecure and so sad

I think they should focus more on healthy eating and fitness in schools and only serve healthy food for lunch and give rewards for kids who play sports or do any sort of physical activity.

Heavenseventeen · August 4th, 2007, 11:05 AM

Instead of a fat camp, it should be a fit camp for EVERYBODY. Just because people are not fat, it doesn't mean they're healthy. Doesn't everyone have the right to get fit and live longer?

Then again, I think the slim teenagers probably wouldn't want to go because they can wear whatever they want, don't get ignored by their peer group, so they'd see no reason to change.

suede · August 4th, 2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimmlok

It's fat camp. Calling it something else doesn't make it something else. They're fat, they go to fat camp.

Thing is, wtf good is a camp if the home situation doesn't change?

Exactly.

Why should their habits changes if the very same bad habits they just learned to break are going to be shoved down their throat again once they get home.

The daughter eat brownies when she feels sad or lonely - her mom either does the same or pours herself a gin tonic to soothe her heart or head.

Habits are learned at home - good or bad.

travelbug · August 4th, 2007, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veronabrit

at least they are doing something about it and not just getting fatter and fatter. I have compassion for these young girls because they must be so insecure and so sad

I think they should focus more on healthy eating and fitness in schools and only serve healthy food for lunch and give rewards for kids who play sports or do any sort of physical activity.

I agree, school lunches are crappy fast food. Would it be that expensive to offer some healthy stuff, little packets of carrots, some yogurt, cheese and wheat crackers, turkey on whole-grain bread, (gasp) a salad bar? I pack my son's lunch and he only eats school lunch once a month on a pizza day (which is every Tuesday). The other days it's hot dogs, nachos and cheese (for an entree, I kid you not), tacos, hamburgers, cheese sticks with marinara (the marinara is supposed to be the vegetables, snort), and chicken nuggets. Talk about priming the kids to have a taste for fast food.

My son's friend has both parents working, and they make him buy his lunch. He's in first grade and already a bit overweight. This kid's going to be huge by 5th grade! I don't think his mom cooks either. They do eat at home but I get the sense that they rely on Tyson a lot.

Now, my son's not perfect. But he has told me he likes my lunch better than the school lunch (I pack him the healthy stuff I mentioned above). And he likes asparagus! He will ask me for blueberries or strawberries for a snack. I'm so proud!

misskris · August 4th, 2007, 06:48 PM

It's for sure the parents because I know from my own days of packed school lunches, you can get little packets of carrots with a nice pot of low fat ranch to go with them, you can get crackers and peanut butter in prepacked lunch form, you can get all kinds of healthy things. I used to have lovely lunches. Turkey sandwiches with real lettuce on a nice hearty bun with real tomatoes and maybe some nice mustard. I am quite a bit older than these girls but if all this was available when I was going to school then certainly there should be even more lunch format food available.

So unfortunate that these girls (and guys) suffer huge weight due to crappy eating routines.