Fat Camps: Power of More than One
In losing weight, two heads are better than one. Triple that advantage and you get a fat camp. Battling your inner demons (called FATS) alone is enough for others to throw in the towel yet – if you see others struggling as you do against obesity, you’re going to have second thoughts of giving up the fight that easily. This perhaps explains why the idea of a fat camp appeals to a large range of people. Apart from the group encouragement, just about anyone can do the exercises and they escape the women-only stigma of aerobics and the men-only stigma of weight lifting. Influenced by traditional military boot camps, these fitness programs are so popular because they work – when they’re done right. Weight loss camp participants enjoy the camaraderie of exercising in a group. And in the same way that peer pressure keeps soldiers moving in military boot camp, peer encouragement – and developing friendships – keeps people moving in a fat camp.