Weight-loss camps are growing in popularity in China, where more than half of adults are overweight, which according to authorities is a “major public health problem.”
Yang Qiao lost 30 kilograms of weight after following a strict diet and exercise, in one of these weight loss camps in China.
In front of a row of treadmills, she waits for the trainer to call her to begin her exercises, like about 60 of her colleagues. On one of the walls of the place, a large poster was raised with the words: “Become thin! Become beautiful! Become elegant!”
3 months ago, this 23-year-old teacher left her job to join a slimming camp in the suburbs of Chengdu (southwest). She weighed 114 kilograms.
These camps are becoming increasingly popular in the world’s second-largest economy, with more than 50% of Chinese people overweight or obese, according to a 2020 report by the National Health Commission (NHC).
Controversy arose regarding these camps following the death of a social media influencer last year at the age of 21, after participating in a camp in northern China with the goal of losing more than 100 kilograms.
Among the activities on offer in Chengdu are brisk walking tours during which instructors monitor participants, who may be tempted by trailside food stalls.
“There will definitely be people who want to buy food secretly,” confirms Yang Qiao, who walks at a good pace along the 10-kilometre route.
“I thought about it, but I couldn’t eat any food because the trainers were constantly monitoring me,” she says.
to bear
While some of her colleagues struggle while walking, the young woman is happy to see that her “endurance has probably improved.” “A month or two ago, I was feeling very tired,” she says.
The rules are strict in the camp, as it is not allowed to go out between Monday and Saturday, except for those facing “certain circumstances.”
“No one goes out secretly because there is surveillance everywhere, and if someone does, they are punished,” Yang says.
In October, Chinese authorities published recommendations for obesity monitoring, with the aim of standardizing the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
“In recent years, the rate of overweight and obesity in China has continued to rise,” the National Health Commission said, with obesity ranked as the sixth risk factor for death and disability.
This phenomenon may be due to the increasing incomes of the Chinese, which prompts them to spend more on food, notes Charles Poon, a doctor at Raffles Hospital in Beijing.
He continues, “In addition, jobs have become more complex (…) and cause great stress for people,” and this leads to hormonal imbalance and contributes to weight gain.
Social capital
In July, authorities launched a three-year campaign recommending reducing the intake of foods high in salt, sugar, and fat in school cafeterias, and encouraging physical activity among staff and schoolchildren.
Pan Wang, an associate professor of Asian studies at the University of New South Wales in Australia, says the government should better monitor strict diets and exercise programs that potentially pose a health risk.
He points out that “the thriving beauty sector (…) and the concept of thinness have become social capital, from which companies such as weight loss camps benefit.”
In Chengdu, music blares from speakers as sweaty participants box.
Their coach, Chen Hang, gives them instructions while standing on a platform, demonstrating the movements they need to do.
She says, “Their attendance at weight loss camps means that they cannot control their diet (…) and they are unable to exercise on their own,” welcoming the “continuous increase” in the number of participants.
Every day, Yang Qiao posts videos on two Chinese social media equivalents of TikTok and Instagram, which helps her keep up her enthusiasm.
“If I don’t wake up every day to film these videos, I won’t have any content to post, and everyone will know that I’m being lazy,” says the young woman, who wants to stay in the camp until at least the end of March.
One of her classmates, Zhao Yuyang (30 years old), came to the camp after watching these videos.
She lost more than 5 kilograms in one month, but she wants to take her time to lose weight.
She says, “You do not become fat in one bite, so in order to lose kilograms of weight, you must be patient.”