CHENGDU, Nov. 5 — At a weight-loss camp in China, where more than half of adults are obese, Yang Qiao is stationed next to gym equipment, waiting for her instructor to call her out.
Featuring strict daily exercise routines, mandatory trips to the scale, and strict monitoring to prevent snacking, they are popping up across China to tackle the growing obesity crisis.
They are also controversial, with local media reporting last year that an influencer died while attending a facility in northern China as part of his weight loss of more than 100 kilograms.
Yang, 23, quit her teaching job earlier this year and enrolled in a weight-loss camp on the outskirts of the southwestern metropolis Chengdu, and has been following a strict diet and exercise routine ever since.
She was one of about 60 Slim athletes who showed up early for training, with a large poster towering over her head and the goal: “Lose weight!” Be beautiful! Let’s become sophisticated! ”
Chengdu camp activities include long brisk walks, with instructors watching over participants as they stop for snacks on roadside carts.
“There will always be people who will try to buy food secretly,” Yang told AFP as he walked with a steady pace.
“I had an idea, but it didn’t work out because the coach kept following me.”
Yang said she has lost nearly 30kg since arriving in July at 114kg.
She also said some participants struggled to hike the 10km, but she said their stamina “probably improved.”
“A month or two ago I might have been very tired,” she says.
Yang’s parents pay about 3,000 yuan (RM1,849) a month to stay at the camp, where he shares a room with three other people.
She lives nearby, but said participants are not allowed to leave their homes Monday through Saturday unless there are “special circumstances.”
“No one can sneak out because we’re being watched everywhere. If we’re caught, we’ll be punished,” she said, adding that disciplinary measures included running a 5K or doing burpees.
China’s fitness boom is epitomized by the film “YOLO,” about an overweight woman who takes up boxing to regain her self-esteem. It topped the box office during this year’s Lunar New Year. — AFP Photo
Challenge to obesity
The country has stepped up its efforts to tackle obesity, ranking it the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability.
“The prevalence of overweight and obesity in China continues to increase,” the Beijing National Health Commission said.
That sparked a fitness boom. Yoroa film about an overweight woman who takes up boxing to regain her self-esteem, topped the Chinese box office this Lunar New Year.
Jia Lin, who directed and starred in the film, reportedly lost more than 50 kg during filming, and her physical changes became a hot topic on the internet.
Charles Poon, medical director at Beijing Raffles Hospital, said the upward trend could be related to rising disposable incomes and increased spending on high-calorie, oil-rich foods.
In addition, many face tougher working conditions.
“Work is becoming more and more complex…so there’s a lot of stress involved,” Poon said, adding that this can cause hormonal imbalances and contribute to obesity.
In June, China launched a three-year campaign to tackle obesity, with measures including reducing foods high in salt, sugar and fat in school cafeterias and encouraging employers to help employees get fit. Recommended.
The state will also ensure that elementary and junior high school students engage in at least two hours of physical activity a day.
Experts warn of risks when it comes to camps like Chengdu.
Pan Wang, an associate professor of China and Asian studies at Australia’s University of New South Wales, said governments should monitor and restrict potentially dangerous training and diets.
“The beauty industry is booming, (and) the concept of ‘thinness’ has become a kind of social capital,” Wang said.
“Businesses like weight loss camps can benefit from that.”
“It takes time.”
At another camp activity, music blared from speakers and sweat dripped down faces as participants threw punches and jabs during a boxing routine.
Trainer Chen Han yelled instructions from the stage as he demonstrated the technique.
“The reason they came to the weight loss training camp is because they can’t control their eating and can’t exercise outside,” Chen told AFP after training.
He added that the number of people visiting the facility “continues to grow.”
Yang posts daily videos on Chinese social media apps Douyin and Xiaohongshu (China’s equivalent of TikTok and Instagram), which she says helps her stay accountable.
“If I don’t wake up every day and shoot, I won’t have any content to post and everyone will know that I’m slacking off,” said Yang, who plans to stay at the camp until at least the end of March next year. year.
One of her roommates, Zhao Yuyang, discovered her videos online and decided to join the camp.
Yang Qiao during a training session at a weight loss camp in Chengdu. — AFP Photo
The 30-year-old has lost more than 5kg in the past month but is in no rush to lose more weight.
“You can’t become a fat person in one bite, so you need to do it slowly to lose weight,” Zhao told AFP during an evening gym session.
“It takes time.” — AFP
