Is Fat Camp Fat Shaming?

Written By admin • 2 min read

What in the world is wrong with calling a weight loss camp a “fat camp”? Well, let’s start with EVERYTHING.
People enroll in a residential program to lose weight or gain fitness for results, not shame.

“Fat camp”? Really? Does anyone still call top-rated fitness and integrated weight loss programs “fat camps”? You bet they do. Unless they are educated, experienced, empathic and enthusiastic about genuinely helping people achieve optimal health and wellbeing—then they know better. Achieving fitness and weight loss is a long, winding, and at times desperate road that is filled with intentional and unintentional distractions that derail and sometimes totally destroy any health advancement.

The media promotes the endless cycle of weight loss, weight gain, weight loss, weight gain and so on. Why? It sells product. Promises of futile and foolish “21 Day Transformations,” “Shred Your Abs in 5 Moves,” and “Drink This and Lose 10 Pounds Overnight,” knowingly hoodwink people—they’ll just buy more. DIEt means weight gain all too often.

Unintentional fat shaming friends may talk about food in moralistic terms with those who are attempting to lose weight, or act like nutrition coaches whenever they eat with someone who is overweight or obese. They’ll even act surprised and overly congratulatory when they hear an obese or overweight person is physically active. The conciliatory, “Good for youuuuu! I’m so proud of youuuuu! You’re making such a wise choice!” when you push away that cupcake, is enough to make many want an extra slice of pizza and the cupcake.

A recent article posted just this week captures intentional fat shaming that went viral. Thank goodness compassionate humans exist and turned this image of defeat into an amazing opportunity to not only bring awareness to fat shaming, but to let the “Dancing Man” know that a cruel comment cannot and should not ever stop him from dancing.

Overweight and obese folks know full well the pain and discomfort of what it’s like to hear words like “big-boned,” “chubby,” “chunky,” “fugly,” “pear-shaped,” “plus size,” “thick,” “pigging-out,” and maybe even “gothopotamus.” No, these words don’t promote healthy behavior change. Hearing “You aren’t fat, you’re beautiful,” “Someone your size shouldn’t be wearing THAT!” or knowing your friends are judging you if you eat too much or too little, or having your doctor judge you and your weight when you are only there to get some medicine for a sore throat, doesn’t promote healthy lifestyle change.

The research is unequivocal—yes, I know, that’s rare. Fat shaming does not help anyone sustain weight loss or achieve optimal health, fitness and happiness. So let’s stop calling fitness and weight loss programs “fat camps.”  A top-rated, award-winning program, like PFC Fitness Camp, is far more than a “fat camp.” PFC, which is often the acronym for Premier Fitness Camp, more correctly I believe means, “People feeling connected.” PFC is a results-focused, fat-shaming-free comfort zone, an energetic yet relaxed, educational, fun, and inspirational-motivational active community, with one lifestyle improvement aim—to insure that every detail in the 24 hour a day program is trained on advancing, promoting and increasing optimal health and wellbeing.

So let’s stop with the “fat camp” hip yet harmful shaming and insult, and instead celebrate that which elevates and enhances health in a respectful and sustainable, successful manner.

To see more before and after weight loss success stories from a weight loss camp far better than fat farm, check out some of PFC Fitness Camp’s over 3,000 success stories.