She Went to Fat Camp to Escape Being Bullied at School

China has the world’s largest population of overweight children, and a new industry has popped up to solve this problem - fat camps. We followed a 14-year-old girl who attended one this summer, and what motivates her to go through an intense two months.
0:59 - Inside China’s obesity camp
1:48 - What’s the day like
4:48 - The bullying factor
7:00 - Mom doesn’t listen
8:40 - Happier moments
10:11 - One month later
If you liked this video, we have more stories featuring China’s underdogs:
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Producer: Lyn Yang
Videographer: Shirley Xu
Editor: Hanley Chu
Animation: Stella Yoo
Mastering: Victor Peña
#China #fat #obesity #fatcamp #loseweight

[@ZHC_Adventures]

Legit it’s not the kid’s problem. It’s their parents that need to be taught how to properly cook and plan a nutritious meal. That’s where the money is to be made. Not sending kids to fat camp and making them look at a scale for weeks.

[@marieindia8116]

but you can't make adults do anything they don't want to do.

[@liamnorson9032]

Counter point: the money to be made is in ensuring the influx of fat kids continues. Furthermore, it's tough to eat healthy if you have a limited budget of time and money. I'm not trying to say all fat kids come from poor families but it is an established trend. Advocating for cheap and healthy meals will definitely be beneficial but I just wanted to make clear that the obesity problem is not that cut and dry.

[@jennyk629]

I wondered what lead to these children being considered overweight. Are they sneaking food (a behavior that should be handled/explored with a psychologist), are their other family members overweight (genetic problems, and ingrained poor eating habits that will be an issue once they’re out of a heavily controlled environment), or is it that they are heavier before they go through their growth spurt (most of these kids look young…like haven’t reached puberty yet).

[@_Minos]

@@jennyk629 Honestly I started to think that it has to do with genetics in most of the cases.

[@shikreally2365]

@@liamnorson9032 if they have enough money to send their kid to a fat camp why can’t they afford healthier food

[@johnnychang4233]

The lack of understanding and empathy for her situation from her family is heart breaking 😢

[@TheDechen]

Im so impressed with this girl!! It takes enormous courage and strength to lose a lot of weight. May she be successful and live long with someone who loves her.

[@bustedkeaton]

It takes a lot of courage and strength to live with that kind of bullying, even if she didnt lose the weight.

[@brii5]

she pasted away :(

[@TheDechen]

@@brii5 oh I'm sorry to hear that

[@ifergot]

At first, I was amazed at how she was only 14 when I heard how she spoke. But I knew why after her phone call with her mom. She had to grow up mature at a young age due to her upbringing. I see myself a lot in her situation, but she has it worse than me. I definitely understand the frustration she felt with her family and her life tho. Her mom was so hypocritical and couldn't sympathize with her daughter even after Han Shuya cried out and literally told her how she felt. That was such a huge shame. How can you give up on your own child when all they are looking for is comfort and support?? Her mother called her a child- she is one!!!

[@nixiepink1661]

Ikr.

[@nixiepink1661]

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[@firzen2010]

I thini agree on your points to a certain degree... Also coz this is not a single layered problem... while the way the parent treated her was not good, i cant imagine what problems the family has in a financial level too... and the point that the parent makes about giving up is also something to look at. We as a race have become more softboiled now than ever before. Our levels of tolerance have dropped so low that we keep circling within our comfort zone, if not just borderline outside of it... Its obviously not a simple problem that can just be discussed over a few comments...

[@ifergot]

The ending message from the staff was so sad.... The kids wanted to stay there because they found a place they were accepted, supported and motivated. They should be allowed to find that outside the camp as well. :(

[@O2life]

I'm glad Han Shuya understands that what happened to her isn't her fault. Lying in a hospital for three months is huge challenge to anyone's body, and it's hard to recover from. In the US some insurances will pay for rehabilitative exercise training after a long hospital stay. Add to the that the probability she was on a lot of antibiotics for the appendicitis and surgical complications. Antibiotics change the gut biome, leading to increased calorie uptake in the intestine. That means you can eat the exact same amount and type of food, but you'll absorb many more calories from it. Shuya had a lot working against her in this. I'm glad she's feeling more confident and I'm impressed she's keeping up with her gym routine!

[@alexnim4873]

thanks for sharing. her experiences with bullying made me so sad. life shouldn't be this difficult for kids that young. good on her for getting through the camp and continuing her gym routine.

[@ricasears5910]

This poor girl. I feel sorry for her. All her mum cares about is her daughter loosing weight, like its a shame on their family because their daughter is not the perfect slim daughter. Shame on the parents they need to stop the bullying, thats what it is.

[@Isseki_Nicho]

And I just got called a f**k up by mine

[@ctashi7081]

@@Isseki_Nicho hey man it's been 4 months but are you doing alright right now?

[@Isseki_Nicho]

@@ctashi7081 days have gotten a lot better! Thank you for asking 😊

[@ctashi7081]

@@Isseki_Nicho Nice!

[@medusianAllure]

This is sad. The issue isn't her weight, it's the teacher who won't stop the bullying. It's the students who attack her. It's the parents who also bully her. Nothing is her fault, she just exists and that's enough to warrant being treated as less than human?

[@exu7325]

Pretty sure her weight is a health issue.

[@medusianAllure]

@@exu7325 Thank you for demonstrating the problem. Even if her weight was a health issue (which it might not be, depending on multiple factors), we don't bully people for getting measles. We don't ignore and neglect them because they broke a bone. No one deserves to be treated like trash because of something that happened to them or a part of who they are.

[@exu7325]

@@medusianAllure Her weight IS a health issue, there's no ifs and buts about it, there's no more debate about the health impacts of obesity. I'm not "bullying", I'm correcting you. If this video is about someone with measles or broken bones and you say "the issue isn't her measles/broken bones..", I would correct you too.

[@angelinegallivan]

@medusianAllure I completely agree with you. It’s disgusting how people think bullying is acceptable. It’s not, regardless of what the issue is. It’s definitely not her fault. She may perhaps need to be taught better habits and have a better environment and role models for healthy eating and exercise. Blaming and shaming is the wrong way to go about motivating anyone.

[@peachesandcream8753]

@@medusianAllure Measels is something you catch. Obesity is something you do to yourself. You can't even compare the two, stop being ridiculous. Her weight IS the issue, and she needs to address it. No child should be that size. Her parents are also responsible because they're the one feeding her.

[@angelad.8944]

Does this camp address the self esteem issues? It sounds like her home life is very stressful as well. Home may not be the healthiest place for her right now. Maybe she needs to live in the country with grand parents, getting fresh air and learning all kinds of cool life skills. I hope these kids find friends at this institution, that they can keep connected to, so they can support each other. My heart goes out to her and I wish her all the best life has to offer her.

[@exu7325]

Home? If you look like this in China (or Asia) as a young woman, your LIFE is very stressful period. I also don't think stressful home situation is the biggest health problem she has lol.

[@Hartsikasvo]

@@exu7325 when you’re underage and the situation you live in causes you stress, it serves to amplify any problem you have underneath. When parents correct their behaviour, or children are removed from stressful situations into more stable ones, any issues the kids are having xan be adressed way easier. Also, when this girl is very clearly expressing to her mother that she’s struggling with low motovation, her mother screams back: stop acting like a child. This girl is 14 she is in fact, still a child! and has struggled with bullies a long time. Do you honestly think Edwin, that this kind of home situation isnt contributing to her problems?

[@exu7325]

@@Hartsikasvo I don't think you catch my meaning. You CAN'T remove her from the "stressful situations" (except if her grandparents live in America or something).

[@Hartsikasvo]

@@exu7325 i’m not saying no-one should ever feel stress never ever. I was inferring that you seem to think thst this girl’s problems have nothing to do with outside pressure placed upon her. Like sure, fine, beauty standards in china are leagues above strictrer than in europe for example. But that doesn’t mean the girl in the video should just take that kind of emotional shit from her parents and not be affected by it because everyone else goes through with it. (In my previous comment the first paragraph was an example of the context i’m coming in to this discussion with, and the second paragraph is a question aimed at you to re-examine your comment above. A question you havent answered btw).

[@두부도넛-j8h]

lol no the discouragements and the gaslightings on the young women not matching to the ‘beauty standard’ are horridly harsh in Asia so even her grandparents wolud be worse - glad that she knows all of these are just the shits and are not worth hurting her mental health although she still has to go through

[@xiaokongque]

OH MY GOD. I WENT TO THIS EXACT CAMP LAST YEAR AND I WAS ACTUALLY HER FRIEND- Well, we were not exactly best friends but she vented to me and all that. She was REAL nice...and she was like the big sis of our group. I'm pretty sure this story is kept secret... so I'll be as vague as possible. You see, towards the end of the camp, she actually twisted her ankle from the exercises. We weren't allowed to take the lift, but when she asked the trainer if she could, the trainer didn't allow it still. She was really mad and our friend group supported her to walk up the stairs (I forgot, around 3-4 floors). She was legit crying, but couldn't contact her parents since our phones were taken away. Since most of us just meet at camps, I haven't seen her since then, and I'm VERY surprised to find her on a youtube video. I didn't know she was getting bullied at school back then, but I guess it was obvious since those sh!tty kids do whatever they want. I really hope she's doing well now...

[@sophialikestocode]

你是不是中国人？？？

[@xiaokongque]

@@sophialikestocode 卧槽，一年前的评论还有人看到？我是的

[@kingbugs3558]

Those are normal sized kids in the US.

[@stargazingdaydreamer]

Shuya seems like an absolute legend. Her voice is deep and there are some physical characteristics which would make me seek out an endocrine specialist. Screw those awful kids. Poor girl. This world sucks. Her parents don't seem loving but sadly, this seems common but yup, they are monitoring her weight and it seems very slow so, endocrinology would be much first stop

[@birgittaussery4280]

Exactly. It makes me wonder if any of the kids ever had a medical and psychological workup. Also, how much do their parents know about proper nutrition? These are school aged children who don't have jobs and therefore no income. Who buys the food for them ? In most cases it's the mother. I feel sorry for this young girl, her mother seems uncaring and hateful.

[@daialandai]

Incredible and valuable journalism-thank you Goldthread team!

[@bottle_arbatskogo]

I think there are many places where such camps are needed. Thank you for the video! Example of a quality journalism 👍

[@mayhudson]

"you cant behave like a child" she is 14.....

[@sometimesitslonely]

I would definitely be interested to be Han Shuya's friend. Even if I can't solve her problem I would definitely listen to her and be a partner in her weight loss routine. Even if I don't workout, I would be there and show up. She suffered a lot❤️❤️❤️ Her mom should just listen instead of just imposing pressure on her

[@vavoong3478]

This is so heartbreaking, a lot of the weight gain is not only because of food. It’s psychological and not being loved. I hope they can be happy to accept themselves for who they are.

[@kaaayl11]

Ah typical asian life when your parents dont fully understand mental health. I was quite chubby as a child but as I got older I slimmed out I hope for the best for this girl

[@ctashi7081]

Ye it's like mental health doesn't exist in Asian families.

[@Tammissa]

Shuya’s parents sound like the typical cold hearted strict helicopter Asian parents. I feel so bad for her. She need to love herself for being a good person.

[@0neAutumnLeaf]

Sometimes I think the standards in Western countries are bad, but then I remember how extreme beauty standards are back in Asia and I’m suddenly glad I’m not living there anymore 😢

[@miloshjovic3867]

At least In asia we are realistic, she is fat… she needs to lose weight… in the west she would be considered to be perfectly fine lol

[@keshams3665]

@@miloshjovic3867 Do you think that losing weight in her mental health condition is a long or short term solution?

[@miloshjovic3867]

It’s certainly a positive start, I can’t answer this question but science has proven if you are overweight you live shorter life and lower quality of life and you are subject to a lot diseases such as heart disease, diabetes etc so losing weight is good, but how she lives her life that’s really up to her to deal with the challenges of life, life is suffering…

[@johnnyw6467]

It not about extreme beauty standards, what you view might be shortsighted. It about health. When you lose weight, you gain more confidence, you will feel you can do alot of things and not bound by anything, furthermore your health will improve. Which family do not want that for their child?

[@exu7325]

@@johnnyw6467 Not obese = “extreme beauty standard". These bananas, good riddance I say.

[@NikaBoyce]

The young lady shown in the beginning... she needs to be evaluated for hormonal dysregulation. The fat camp has no motivation to do it because if she needs some actual medical treatment that the fat camp doesnt provide.. they lose out. Im writing from the US... it struck me how "American" these kids look (yeah, the US has a problem, thats no secret)

[@Pujastanto]

The real goal is to be healthy, looking good is just the bonus

[@Mitaka-Asa]

Compared to this I'd rather take my children to go hiking at the nearest park. You burn more calories because of high inclines plus you get some fun out of it like a small vacation. Plus it's FREE.

[@ctashi7081]

Yea and also they are kids. Kids are more motivated to do something that is fun .. not like camps lol

[@jefm3598]

Some of these kids consider normal weight in USA . But it's better to start staying fit from young before they get diabetes and high blood pressure

[@linheming]

CNN headline : Chinese youths locked up in fat concentration camps

[@kielpek1]

"-52. -put your arms down. -53.1" Hahaha

[@Yeepride987]

i love how they used the tuba

[@keeko3024]

This was a real motivation for me I am also an overweight kid my neighbors always bully me😟😟😟 but I will definitely lose weight one day not for them but to stay healthy🙃🙃🙃.

[@exu7325]

This is just parents shirking their responsibilities. "Fat acceptance" ala America is a non-starter. But I don't think private enterprises capitalizing on insecurities and self-esteem is the right answer either.

[@NurmiSimo]

The problem are the bullies, not her weight. The camp is not teaching healthy eating or exercise habits. It's just punishing them for their weight.

[@JohnDoe-lp1ec]

It's both. Yes the bullying is bad for her emotional health, but the obesity is bad for her body's health too. That girl with glasses was 238lb. Chinese Girls don't grow as tall as westerners, so at most, she's 5'4". That's well into the super obese range of bmi.

[@exu7325]

I don't understand how anyone can look at her and say her weight isn't a problem. Bullying isn't nice, but she's obese.

[@vintage1950]

The potion size is a good size. It’s all about retaining your brain. Wonder how big the potions they are receiving at home.

[@vanessaabuabara8309]

All this girl wanted was to validated in her emotions. But it escalated SO quickly- grrrrr 😤😤😤

[@anicapak2674]

I was always ashamed of how big my legs were. I STILL AM 😢😢😢😢😢

[@PursuingHeaven]

Too many carbs - give these kids a diet focused on healthy fat, moderate protein, lower carbs, (stuff they want to eat and will do so after they leave), and fun exercise that increases activity and has them lift weights. They all would go home much leaner than 7% in a month. Also, they need a trainer that helps them focus on having a tough mindset that builds self-esteem so when they return they have healthy boundaries for themselves and others to decrease stress which is often why children overeat.

[@susangreen4427]

Poor girl

[@anicapak2674]

Honestly the girl is pretty

[@firzen2010]

Good thing for her... :) Am happy she has gotten to live a better life... Although the system is skewed at the moment,I guess this is one way to make changes to ourselves where motivation is so scarce compared to the amount of discouragement that prevails... Its essential for us to look at weight loss not as a discriminatory idea, but as a sincere advice for being able to lead a better life...

[@beccalove8791]

Whatever the family at home is feeding them is the problem

[@aktan6950]

When someone bullied me, I make them crazy until want to kill me, lol

[@tenki-no-ko]

Although its a bit shady that a business is capitalizing on people's insecurities, but I don't necessarily think its a bad idea. I just hope the weight loss program is done safely and healthily and not based on fasting. It's also unethical to only help the kids lose weight without caring for the psychological needs and helping them develop good eating and lifestyle habits to sustain their weight on their own.

[@sidekicks1403]

it pains me so much to see the parents dont give 1 fuck to their kid's mental health

[@SimonLi]

so sad people have to bully thought but props

[@benaam9068]

I desperately want to see her now after 6 month can you make a meetup again with her???

[@112222lucas]

Western has the same beauty standard; most people just pretend they don’t care

[@themonkeyking]

What’s the deal with the tuba music? It’s like “ oh it’s about fat people, let’s do cartoony fat people music”.

[@icelan8900]

i mean by western standards nobody is fat there, wt u talkin bt

[@kylinki7]

大家加油！

[@lindapindabelinda3570]

Sad for the girl complaining about a tray covered in food. Her parents have taught her an unhealthy relationship with food. The whole family needs the counseling.

[@Maki-00]

1:27 The girl on the left isn’t even fat. Why is she there?

[@lynn9886]

About to comment about that. *I was like hold up, girllll you skinny why are you in the camp ?*

[@ordinarydude2237]

Probably got thinner already, just didn't want to leave. Bullying and all that stuff really does affect the mental strength, or just influences the way of thinking, of an individual. I've been on both sides, intentionally and unintentionally, it's something you develop without being aware of it until you have to take action

[@exu7325]

That's "fat" by Chinese (Asian, really) standard.

[@queenmamabear5812]

Some of those kids were not "fat" I saw atleast 3 diff kids that looked normal not perfect but healthy..... Jeez

[@fatyak4122]

Vitasoy for breakfast? The blue one is as sweet as cola! Do they hire a nutrition specialist?

[@pooperscooper8791]

200 kidstimes$2500 wow

[@lesttrose]

Can someone tell me which songs she's playing at 4:14 please ?

[@andrewyee7727]

Omg i swear it's from an anime...idk which one tho

[@lesttrose]

@@andrewyee7727 Yeah that's all I remember

[@lesttrose]

@lamasde That was fast thx a lot man

[@ISTP-TCatboy]

I used to be bullied by a swarm of kids because was big fat boy.

[@ummuhamzahz181]

Kids nowadays are scary.

[@marcodevries4481]

Most of these kids are skinny for American standards.

[@Wintersnow147]

Hold your head up high don’t allow others to ruin your spirits. Keep on pushing you’ll be just fine.

[@NewKidsOnTheFrags]

I'm more concern about their healthy issue. It is not good to over weight like that. Good for China if they have a lose weight camp like this.

[@Oversurge_]

That diet is horrible for weight loss.

[@dianne2446]

They need to add more whole veggie and whole fruits. And seems like she can’t really expect her Asian mom to help in a conversation :/

[@1stfiller696]

I got depressed with my own body

[@whitepeacock11]

Same. I've been trying to lose just 10kg for 12 years but never succeeded

[@TheXeeman]

Intermittent fasting and keto. Holy shit your weight drops fast doing this.

[@ColocasiaCorm]

This is too real. I want to cry or kill myself. Whichever is easier

[@daniswara1164]

The mindset need to be changed. Losing weight is for longer health life and happier lifestyle too after all

[@yesean59]

I think her mum need to say different way. I don't think mum know how hard is to loss weight. It's more mental than physical. I'm still in that journey. Looking at food and just can't eat them. But your mind keep saying just try one is ok.

[@cacti5520]

this is not the way to get people to lose weight, instead of making work out 24/7 and make them think they have to do smt like that everyday all day is a bad mind set

[@clee89]

lots of weight loss recommendations here in the comments. if you are here looking for inspiration or guidance on your own weight loss I hope you find a path that works for you. everyone is different. what works for some people may not work for you. to the random person reading this, good luck in achieving whatever goal you may have for the betterment of your own self. jia you!

[@Mikaeeee_]

Parents should make more nutritious food for their kids and encourage them to excercise to help them live healthier lifestyles,not sending them to a fat camp where they have to look at a scale every single day for weeks

[@Le_Blnk____]

Yo is there a camp where i can be fit? Im skinny as fck

[@duncanmit5307]

👍👍💜💜

[@snubnosedmonke]

some of these kids arent even that overweight or fat at all? The parents just send them here bc their kids don’t live to their weight and beauty standards

[@chrissystewart6268]

I know its hard to lose weight easy to gained weight the 🌎 not met to be small enough is enough stop teasing obese people just help them & encourage them to eat right , exercise more

[@sugarcan1110]

The problem is not in the kids per se and not only in china society as well 30 + years ago people were out side playing helping in the garden nower days society says stay in

[@FirstLast-jm4dx]

This "fat camp" doesn't know what they're doing. For these kids to lose weight, they need to first cut off all sugar and carbs (lots of Chinese food are full of sugar and carbs). Second, they should be not restricting calories, but reducing the frequency of eating (many of these kids have probably developed insulin resistance...and I know China has the most diabetics in the world). They should be eating one or two LCHF meals a day.

[@exu7325]

What kind of pseudo-science crock are you peddling here? You can eat once a day, twice a day, TEN times a day, at the end of the day the only thing that matters is total calories.

[@FirstLast-jm4dx]

@@exu7325 No you can't. Read up on the function of insulin.

[@exu7325]

@@FirstLast-jm4dx Insulin doesn't matter. Calorie intake > calorie expenditure, your body will store fat, even if you only eat one or two "low carbs no sugar" meals. Calorie intake < calorie expenditure, your body will burn fat, even if you eat McDonalds everyday (it still won't be healthy though). Calorie in, calorie out, that's IT.

[@vysharra]

@@exu7325 CICO (or just thermodynamics) is certainly the biggest factor but considering that the Asian BMI scale is different than Caucasian BMI due to the affects of insulin on the body, insulin is still an important actor in the micro. Hormonal regulation (insulin, estrogen, testosterone, Thyroid) and micro-deficiencies (Vit D, B vit, Omega 3/6 balance) are responsible for the secondary aspects of weight loss (energy, mood, recovery time, hunger) so it should not be completely ignored. Especially when your subjects are children, who need gradual weightloss in bodies that do not need many calories, being able to play with that 5-10% number is really important because you risk micro malnutrition if you restrict below 1,200kcals in a whole food diet.

[@exu7325]

@@vysharra I know, I'm just being hyperbolic. I just hate these "low carb" keto pseudoscience nonsense with a passion.

[@Peter-bt9gt]

damn we fat shaming kids not by calling them the biggest loser? I thought you're supposed to motivate them

[@curiouse]

Please try Intermittent Fasting, it works!!!

[@Hartsikasvo]

Please don’t! Staying ”starve yourself if you want to loose weight” in a video about overweight CHILDREN trying to loose weight, is pretty shitty in my eyes. No-one should have any need to starve themselves. Children especially.

[@ikitty03]

Cool they got camp to be healthy. There are ppl born big but they still lose weight. Just being normal size it better than fat ain’t healthy

[@andreakazyncski4518]

Move to somewhere else to stay !!!

[@itzsamuelx]

if you think about it... this company actually profits over the fact that kids get bullied

[@waterman3278]

lol Kl😅

[@tardwrangler]

Her voice is deeper than a lot of men

[@briannataylor9150]

:/

[@ctashi7081]

Lmao what

[@rationraw5017]

我外婆死了快六年了，他2018年死的。他活着的时候我从来都不知道他有多不开心，他的一生试过很多种方法取悦自己，那就是让他老公喜欢他，方法像虐待他的小孩，因为他们都是女的，受害者包括我妈和他的姐姐们。还有就是溺爱我，因为他对我好，他老公就对他好，不要问我原因，我什么都不想知道。他从来都不哭，因为哭，他怕他老公就不喜欢他了，他那样一个底层文盲女性的价值观里，爱和美是和顺从息息相关的。有时候我会问自己那份爱的真实性，因为他老公是个深柜（我猜的），我外婆小时候很喜欢他哥哥，他嫂嫂打他打得很多，很惨，你说一个人在那样的人生活环境，都不能爱自己，浪个可能爱其他人呢。他活着的时候，我大部分的时候是像视频里面这个孩子一样，我长得胖，其实不胖，是我这里的女的他们的家长灌输的价值观太恶心了，我也是在学校被欺负得很惨，我一辈子都不会忘记那些男同学的嘴脸的，或者我爸的，这些人真的是给我整个人好好的上了一节社会的课。我外婆活着的时候，我走不出我的阴影，也不会在乎到他的情感，然后他死了，有的时候我觉得我也要死了，这个社会怎么容得下视频里面这种胖女人，或者我这种女屌丝，连站在路边都在丢邻居的脸。