Chinese slimmers trim down at weight-loss camps

Yang Chi'ao takes her place next to gym equipment and waits to be called by an instructor at a weight-loss camp in China, where over half of adults are overweight.

Boasting strict daily exercise regimens, mandatory trips to the scale and rigid surveillance to guard against snacking, the facilities have popped up across China as it grapples with a growing obesity crisis.

They have also sparked controversy -- last year an influencer died while attending a facility in northern China as part of efforts to shed more than 100 kilograms, local media said.

Yang, 23, quit her teaching job earlier this year and signed up for a weight-loss camp on the outskirts of southwestern megacity Chengdu, and since then has followed a rigorous regime of diet and exercise.

She was one of around 60 slimmers who turned out early to train, a large poster looming overhead extolling their goal: "Become thin! Become beautiful! Become refined!"

Among the activities at the Chengdu camp are long brisk walks -- with instructors keeping an eye on participants tempted to stop for snacks at roadside carts.

"There will definitely be people who secretly want to buy food," Yang told AFP, walking with a steady stride.

"I've had the idea but never succeeded because the coaches keep following me."

Yang said she had lost nearly 30 kilograms (66 pounds) since arriving in July at 114 kg.

And while some fellow participants struggled with the 10-kilometre hike, she said her "stamina has probably improved".

"I might have felt very tired a month or two earlier," she said.

Yang's parents pay around 3000 yuan ($421) a month for her stay at the camp, where she shares a room with three others.

She lives nearby but says that participants are not allowed to leave from Monday to Saturday -- unless under "special circumstances".

"No one sneaks out because there is surveillance everywhere, and if you get caught, you'll be punished," she said, with disciplinary measures including running for five kilometres or doing burpees.

- Obesity challenge -

The country has ranked obesity the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability and ramped up efforts to tackle the issue.

Beijing's National Health Commission has said that "the prevalence of overweight and obese people in China has continued to rise".

That has sparked a fitness craze -- exemplified by "YOLO", a film about an overweight woman who takes up boxing to regain her self-esteem, that topped China's box office during Lunar New Year this year.

Jia Ling, who directed the film and played the leading role, reportedly lost over 50 kilograms during filming, with her physical transformation going viral.

This upward trend may be linked to increased disposable income and higher spending on food, often high in calories and rich in oil, said Charles Poon, medical director at Raffles Hospital Beijing.

Additionally, many people are facing more demanding work environments.

"Jobs are getting more complicated... and so a lot of stress is involved," said Poon, adding that this could lead to hormonal imbalance and contribute to obesity.

In June, China launched a three-year campaign to address obesity, recommending actions such as reducing foods high in salt, sugar and fat in school canteens and encouraging employers to support staff fitness.

The country will also ensure that primary and middle school students engage in at least two hours of physical activities a day.

For camps like the one in Chengdu, experts warn of the risks.

Pan Wang, an associate professor in Chinese and Asian studies at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said the government should monitor and restrict workouts and diets which could be potentially dangerous.

"The beauty industry is booming... (and) the concept of 'thinness' has translated into a kind of social capital," Wang said.

"Businesses like weight-loss camps can profit from it."

- 'It takes time' -

At another camp activity, music blared from speakers as participants threw punches and jabbed in a boxing routine, their faces dripping with sweat.

Trainer Chen Hang shouted instructions from a stage while demonstrating the moves.

"The reason they came to a weight loss training camp is because they can't control their diet outside... and they can't get themselves moving," Chen told AFP after the workout.

The number of people coming to the facility was "continuously increasing", he added.

Yang posts daily videos on Chinese social media apps Douyin and Xiaohongshu -- China's equivalent of TikTok and Instagram -- which she said helps keep her accountable.

"If I don't get up every day to shoot, I will have no content to post, and everyone will know I'm slacking off," said Yang, who plans to stay in the camp until at least the end of March next year.

One of her roommates, Zhao Yuyang, discovered her videos online and was inspired to join the camp.

The 30-year-old has lost more than five kilograms in the past month, but is in no rush to shed more weight.

"You can't become a fat man in one bite, so losing weight has to be done slowly," Zhao told AFP during an evening gym session.

"It takes time."