Chinese people flock to ‘fat wringer’

Ms. Yang is one of about 60 people losing weight at the Chengdu camp. Each gym hangs a poster clearly stating the goal: “Slimer! More beautiful! More refined.” The coach always follows the students in their daily activities, preventing them from buying food or secretly snacking.

Yang said she has lost nearly 30 kg since arriving at the camp in July, when she weighed 114 kg. While other students still had difficulty climbing 10 km, she said her physical strength had improved and was no longer as tiring as two months ago. The cost per month at the camp is 3,000 yuan (557 USD).

In the weight loss camp, Yang shared a room with three other people. She lives nearby, but said participants are not allowed to leave the camp from Monday to Saturday, except in “special circumstances”.

“No one hides out because there are surveillance cameras everywhere. If you get caught, you will be fined,” she said. Punishments include running 5 km or doing burpees.

Weight-loss camps with strict exercise regimens, mandatory weight checks and strict dietary monitoring are popping up across China as the nation faces an obesity crisis. Mr. Han Jun Cheng, co-founder of Jianfeidaren Go Change Now, a weight loss training franchise, has seen its membership increase over the past decade.

“There are about 1,500-2,000 training camps nationwide and 80% of them have the capacity to receive more than 100 students at a time,” he said.

Despite their success in helping many people achieve their desired body shape, these facilities have also caused controversy. In 2023, an influencer died while trying to lose more than 100 kg.

China ranks obesity as the 6th leading cause of death and disability, and is making efforts to tackle the problem. The National Health Commission (NHC) said “the proportion of overweight and obese people in China continues to increase”.

This has created an exercise “fever”. During Lunar New Year 2024, the top box office movie was Yolo, about an overweight woman who learns boxing to regain her confidence. Jia Ling, the film’s director and main actor, lost more than 50 kg during filming. Her change in appearance spread online, motivating many others.

According to Dr. Charles Poon, medical director at Beijing Raffles Hospital, China’s obesity crisis stems from rising incomes, which increase food spending. The foods many people choose to buy contain high amounts of calories and fat. In addition, many people’s work environment is stressful and demanding, leading to stress and hormonal imbalance, contributing to obesity.

In June, China launched a campaign to tackle obesity, recommending schools reduce salt, sugar and fat in canteen food; Companies support employees in physical activity. The country will also ensure elementary and middle school students exercise at least two hours a day.

The weight loss wave caused camps like the above to spring up like mushrooms, but many experts warned about health risks. Associate Professor Pan Wang, majoring in Chinese and Asian studies, at the University of New South Wales, Australia, believes that the government should monitor and limit exercises and diets that can be dangerous.

“The beauty industry is booming. A thin body shape has become a type of ‘social capital’. Weight loss camps are a popular form of profit,” Associate Professor Wang said.

In a room at the Chengdu camp, loud music played from the speakers, the students were practicing boxing hooks, sweat pouring down their faces. Instructor Chen Hang instructs each move, with a loud and intense voice.

“The reason they go to the weight loss camp is that they cannot control their diet outside and cannot exercise on their own,” Mr. Chen said. According to him, the number of people coming to this facility increases every year.

Yang posts daily workout videos on social media platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, hoping this will help her become more disciplined.

“If I didn’t wake up every day to clip, I wouldn’t have content to post. People would know I’m lazy,” Yang said. She plans to stay at the camp at least until the end of March 2025.

One of her roommates, Zhao Yuyang, saw these videos and was motivated to join the camp. The 30-year-old girl lost more than 5 kg in the past month, but is in no hurry to gain more weight.

“You can’t get fat in just one bite, so weight loss must be done slowly. Everything takes time,” Zhao said.