- [Narrator] 19 year old Ian has joined a program unlike any other. Here in the United States,
it's called a fat camp. A camp for obese people. - I am going to get weighed out, as this is last morning here. Let's see how much weight
I've lost at the entire camp. - [Narrator] Before coming to this place, his weight was putting his life at risk. - 406, I think, was how much
I weighed when I got here. But it should be on the
piece of paper they hand me. - [Narrator] It's his very last day here. And the results are in. On a giant weighing scale, the director of the camp
tells him his weight after three months of dieting. - [Ian] Hopefully I
haven't put any on, so. - You have 376. Did a good job, man. - Thank you.
- Very good. - [Interviewer] So are you
happy with this result? - Yeah. Yeah, wasn't how much I
expected at the beginning, but this is definitely a good amount. - I think that someone like Ian is gonna need ongoing maintenance. He's gonna need to stick with
things when he goes home. Whether he does that, only time will tell. - [Narrator] Obesity is
a disease that affects almost all young Americans. To battle it, some have chosen to sign up to the biggest fat camp for
children in the United States that is situated two hours from New York in the middle of a 350 acre park. - This is the biggest camp in the world for health and wellness. There's no one even close. - Everything is good. - [Instructor] Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! (whistle blows) Come
on, let's go, let's go! - [Narrator] Early summer,
nearly 400 overweight teenagers come here to undergo an
intense training program. For some, it's a matter of life and death. - [Campers] Go! (squealing) - I'm here to do something. - [Trainer] Worry about this
part of our leg right now. - [Narrator] They will give their all. - Good job now, let's go, hey. Remember what we say,
keep it on your knees. - [Narrator] Latest figures show that 14 million teenagers are obese. That's four times more than 30 years ago. This was brought into sharp focus when America's former
First Lady Michelle Obama launched a national campaign
to combat childhood obesity. - You were working out. You could teach it to your
little brothers and sisters, to your parents. - [Narrator] But since the
election of Donald Trump-- - Thank you. - [Narrator] These educational programs have been brought to a halt. Every year for Halloween, the President even hands out
candy at the White House. - So you have no weight problems. That's the good news, right? - [Narrator] 20% of all American
children are overweight. - Take them, we have plenty. - [Narrator] Over the next few months, we are going to follow the journey of five of these children. They will stay at a camp
where the rules are tough but losing weight is even tougher. - I want to go home
'cause I miss you so much. - [Narrator] In Buffalo, New York State, we meet a young American
girl who, like many others, loves pancakes for breakfasts. Her name is Amanda. At the tender age of 12, she weighs nearly 200 pounds. She is overweight due to
suffering from an eating disorder. For her final meal before departure, Amanda's mother is letting her eat whatever she wants until she feels sick. - I don't get home until six o'clock. So she's home alone. She'll eat her ramen noodles or cereal before I even get home
'cause she's home by herself for three hours before I even get home. Then I make dinner. She is gonna be 13 years old. She's interested in boys. Unfortunately, she thinks
nobody's interested in her because of the way she looks. It's a confidence boost,
that's what it is. I hope she gets good habits, I get good habits and
move forward, I mean. - [Narrator] Teased by her classmates, Amanda has gradually become withdrawn. In the United States, over half of all overweight
children are bullied at school. (soft music) - I really don't want to stay
in a body like this forever. - Why don't you--
- Oh my goodness. There's a spider on my window. I've developed a little bit of depression. And I really don't want
to deal with that anymore. And I don't really have enough money to afford to go to a
psychiatrist or something to see if I really do have it. But I looked up the symptoms
and I have most of them. - [Interviewer] Symptoms of depression? - Flat emotions. Either not eating or overeating. And it's just like, well,
it didn't help at all. - [Narrator] In Shreveport, Louisiana, meet twelve-year-old Jaylynn. It was her own decision
to sign up for camp. She weighs 265 pounds and she
is constantly gaining weight. - This is my first time
having this, what is this? - It's the ribs from
McDonald's I usually get. - [Narrator] Her mother
has agreed to enroll her because she feels responsible. Junk food has taken
over their daily meals. - [Mother] Dry salads are horrible. (laughs) - [Narrator] Jaylynn's
mother is morbidly obese. She suffers from severe breathing problems and high blood pressure. - I'm not comfortable
sitting in those chairs because of my weight. So those chairs are really shaky anyway. So I don't want to have any
accidents or anything like that. Extremely heavy and no
one really addressed it. I want her to know that
there's more to life, it's more solutions than food. - [Narrator] Jaylynn has a genetic predisposition to obesity, but she also suffers from binge eating, and an obese teenager has an 80% chance of remaining obese as she
grows up if nothing is done. - You would think it
would maintain its color. I don't think you should
go back to her again. - In Phoenix, Arizona, young Zander is getting ready to leave. - [Alicia] I'm proud of you. - [Zander] Of course I'm gonna do great. - [Alicia] Proud of you. - [Narrator] Since childhood, Zander has dreamed of being an NFL player. But sadly, because he is overweight, he has never even made his football team. At school, everyone makes fun of him. At just 12 years old, his dreams have been shattered. To combat his low mood, his mother Alicia signed him up for camp. - [Alicia] How much do
you think that weighs? - [Zander] Pounds. - [Alicia] How many? - Enough. (laughs) - [Alicia] Are you gonna
be able to carry that? - Yeah.
- Seriously. - Yeah.
- Through the airport. - Yes. - [Interviewer] How do you
feel about leaving, Zander? - Nauseous. - Why?
- I don't know. - [Alicia] How do you feel about leaving? - Good, I guess. My weight goal? 110. Yeah, I want to lose enough
pounds to get to be 110. - [Alicia] Do you mind saying
how much you weigh now? - Well, I'm 141. - [Alicia] Think losing
weight's gonna change for you? - A lot.
- Like? - Everything.
- Elaborate, please. - Football. - You ready for this? - Yeah, no, maybe. I don't know. - Don't know what you're in
for but you're in for it? - [Narrator] For the first time, Zander is going to leave his parents and spend three months
away from his family. In a few days' time, he'll be joining hundreds
of other teenagers who are in the same boat. They do not know each other. They come from all walks of life. And they are not here to have fun. Jaylynn almost backed out last minute. Just before leaving, her
mother was hospitalized as a result of her obesity. - [Jaylynn] Hey mom, thank
you for letting me have this chance to do this. I truly am grateful to be able to do it. I know you may not get
this today, but I love you, and thank you once again. - [Narrator] Her mother has
been put on life support. - It means it's a good thing 'cause it gives me more determination and more I gotta do this power, but also bad because it happened and nobody wants to see
their mom go to the hospital. (soft music) - [Narrator] At the beginning of July, in the heart of the Pocono
Forest, it's arrival day. Children, teenagers and students all aged between seven and 25 years old. The price of their stay? $7,900 per person. For the next three months, they will live under
24/7 camera surveillance as well as the constant
supervision of camp counselors. - Yes, perfect. Y'all are gonna go this way and they're gonna help
you get in this part. - [Narrator] And no one
gets in or out of here without the permission of this man. - Three more, please, three more. Just follow these guys right here, okay? - Perfect, awesome.
- Thank you. - [Narrator] Tony Sparber
founded this camp 27 years ago. He too once suffered from obesity. With the help of his wife, he has made a public health
issue a lucrative business. - [Tony] Hi, I'm Tony Sparber. - And I'm Dale Sparber. - And we're speaking to you today from our private lake
at Camp Pocono Trails. At Camp Pocono Trails,
the mission is very clear. Weight loss--
- Self-esteem-- - [Both] And lots of fun. - [Narrator] His camp is unlike any other. Year after year, thousands
of people signed up to try and lose that excess weight. The method is quite simple. Sport, outdoor activities, games. There is something for everyone. The programs vary in
intensity and duration, and can cost up to $11,000. - There's close to 500 people here. - [Interviewer] The
biggest camp in the US? - This is the biggest camp in the world for health and wellness. There's no one even close. This one camp is three times bigger than any other single camp
that there is in the world. And that's everywhere. Hey guys, how you doing? Hey, how are you?
- Hi, Tony, how are you? - What's up, you? How you doing?
- Good to see you. - Gotta go to the nurse.
- Okay, okay, great, thanks. - [Narrator] Just like going into jail, each camper is inspected from
head to toe before entering. Amanda is the first to pass the test. - We're doing our routine lice check. It's the favorite part of my job. - [Interviewer] Why? - If you have those going around the camp, we all suffer, don't we? Parents are upset, we're upset. The whole place is upside down. (laughs) - [Narrator] Personal
belongings are confiscated. Phone calls are controlled
by the camp directors. - And we do the hardest part first, okay? Your stuff, I know that's tough. - Oh, I thought you were
gonna give me another shot. I was gonna say--
- No, okay, then it's easy. You got so far. Okay, sweetheart, you
are, thank you, baby. - [Jaylynn] Jaylynn Washington. - [Narrator] And now the
most important part of all and what everyone has been dreading. The first weighing. A shock for those who have
always denied being overweight. Jaylynn is no exception. The weighing is mandatory. - Do you have any food
allergies I should know about? - No, ma'am. - All right, if you want
to step up on the scale. Do you want to know your weight today? - No.
- Okay, I won't tell you then. All right, you are all set. Your counselor will take
you right to your cabin. - [Jaylynn] Thank you. - So her weight was 241.4 pounds. So regarding her height for weight, she is over where she probably should be. So that's why we're working on her nutrition and exercise here. I would say that the
highest weight I've seen is anywhere between 450
pounds and 500 pounds. - [Narrator] This young man
arrived before everyone else to undertake an intensive program. At 19 years old, Ian was
sent here by his doctor. - I think it was, I'm
399 pounds right now. I was 406 when I came here. Yeah, I already lost over seven pounds. I chose to come here 'cause, well, I was diagnosed with Type 2
diabetes, which is not good. So I figured that I really had
to make a change in my life. - [Narrator] He was given
electroshock therapy in hospital. Due to his obesity, Ian almost had to have his foot amputated, and his diabetes is getting worse. Obesity is responsible for over 300,000 deaths in the
United States every year. - You guys ready to work? Let's do it, don't make me look bad. Let's go.
(clapping) - [Narrator] One of the main
causes of childhood obesity is a lack of physical activity. Here, the campers do 20
hours of sport a week. - Not as big a fan of this one, but there's so many other
things here I enjoy. - [Narrator] Jaylynn arrived at the camp less than half an hour ago. - Okay, we're doing this one. We're gonna focus on the top of our leg. Okay, the top of our leg,
that's why we're squeezing. We're gonna go the whole way, straight our legs out. Good, you just want to keep on going, keep on going, keep on going. Straight, yes. Worry about this part of our leg right now with this machine. Okay, come on. We're gonna control it on the way down and the whole way up. There we go, there we go, come on. - For Jaylynn--
- 15 seconds, let's go. - [Narrator] Like for Ian,
the first class is a struggle. - You've got five more, let's go, hey. Remember what we said,
keep it on your knees. Okay, on your knees. Remember what I told you, there you go. (muffled yelling) This is their first time lifting a weight. So I can't, I have, we're
starting out from ground zero, but I want to keep them moving as well. So we're doing simple movements that they can understand very quickly so that we can get moving and then we can actually
put some weight on for them to get some resistance and so they can actually grow some muscle while burning some
calories at the same time. - [Narrator] Things are off
to a bad start for Jaylynn. She wasn't expecting a schedule
like this at summer camp. - [Instructor] How do you feel? - Not coming back here by choice anymore. - [Narrator] At seven
p.m., the classes finish. It's the end of the very first day. (people chatting) Tony the director has
gathered all the campers for a welcome evening. His goal is to motivate
the troupe to the extreme. - Tomorrow, we're gonna get it going. Tomorrow we start fitness. Tomorrow, we go swimming. Tomorrow, we go on a zip line. Tomorrow, we go on the lake. Tomorrow, we play basketball. Tomorrow, we play tennis. My question is, are you ready? (clapping and cheering) I said, are you ready? (clapping and cheering) So check this out. If you do everything we tell you to do, if you eat the food, if you do the activities, you follow our direction, I promise you, you will leave here in the-- - [Everyone] Best physical and mental shape of your life. - It's gonna be a great summer. Welcome to camp! (clapping and cheering) - [Narrator] 65 days now
lay ahead of the campers. Will Zander, Jalynn, Amanda and the others be able to keep up with the intense pace? And are these methods really
suitable for teenagers? - Good morning, Camp Pocono Trails. Everybody, rise and shine. Wash up those eyes, brush up, brush up those teeth, put a smile on your face. - [Narrator] Every morning,
Nina, leader of the girls' camp, wakes up the dorms. - Play all different
songs, make them crazy. So that's the first wake up, 7:45. I do another wake up
call at eight o'clock, and then at 8:15, we gather
around the flag pole. - [Narrator] Boys and girls are separated across the whole camp, but they all must adhere
to the same rules, the first being to swear
allegiance to the American flag. - [Campers] I pledge to the flag of the United States of America. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty
and justice for all. (upbeat music) - [Narrator] The first
class begins at 8:30 a.m. For the girls, it's Zumba aerobics with some loud music to
keep their spirits up. In just one hour, they can
burn around 800 calories. This means that Amanda and Jaylynn could lose up to seven pounds
per week just from dancing. ♪ Oh, light it up tonight ♪ ♪ Pour another shot of whatever you like ♪ ♪ Can't feel better than this ♪ - It hurt my thigh so badly. My arms were fine. My legs, on the other hand, felt like they were going to give out. - [Narrator] Too intense,
the exercise wears them out. - Good job so far. Listen, if you need to take a break, I want you to stand or
just walk a little bit because it's better for you, okay? - [Narrator] No rest is allowed. Most of the classes have
been developed by adults who used to suffer from
obesity as children. Carly herself was once a camper here. - I'm not perfectly fit yet. I'm still working on myself also. And that's probably the
greatest part of coming here is I get to work on myself
along with my campers and we get to be in it together, so they don't feel alone, because I feel like a
lot of kids feel like they're in this by themselves. And they really aren't,
there's people out there. There's adults out there
who are going through the exact same things as they are. And it's really important
that they know that. - You know the drill.
- On the other side of camp-- - [Leader] Hey, I want to be loud, man. We got a camera on us. What side?
- Boys' side! - What side?
- Boys' side! - One, two, three.
- Camp PT. - Good job, good job. - [Narrator] We find Zander taking on some military training. Regardless of weight or age, the program is the same for all the boys. - It's an epidemic in
this country right now. Kids are just sitting way too long. There's more of a focus on academics. Play is getting tossed to the side and we're forgetting to let kids be kids. (clapping) - [Narrator] The reason? Too much screen time. For the last few months, Zander has spent all his free time in front of his mobile phone. In two years, he has gained over 22 pounds and even suffers from high blood pressure. (muffled yelling) - [Interviewer] How do you feel right now? - Hot. It feels good to know that it's working. - [Trainer] All right,
everyone back, let's go. - Let's get everyone lined up.
- It's worth it. - Yeah. - [Narrator] Healthcare
for obese adolescents costs the country $17 billion annually. As well as his diabetes, Ian
suffers from joint problems. - Yeah, running always tends
to hurt this knee particularly. So I try to avoid doing it when I can. I'm here to do something, and doing something is
better than nothing. (coughs) It may be a bit on the hot side, but just drink some water. - [Narrator] Today, it's
100 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and some people are trying to get out
of doing any exercise. - Come on, everyone, come on. If you're not doing the activity, you gotta walk laps in the field. You gotta walk at least. - [Narrator] A group of campers wish to talk to us in private. - [Camper] Today, we have the weight room and we have the waterfront and we have, well, self-esteem, and I might do Zumba for a choice. Yeah, I feel like it is
a little bit too much. And yes, they're just trying
to push you to do your best, and that's sort of their job, so. - [Camper] Which is understandable, but sometimes they may just, sometimes they push it a little too far and then no one likes it 'cause they're pushing it way too far. - [Narrator] At 12 o'clock sharp, it's lunchtime for the whole camp. Most have fallen victim
to the lure of junk food. Addicted to sugar, salt and fat, the average American consumes
close to 4,000 calories a day. That's twice the recommended intake. So healthy food is the most
important weapon in this battle. (mellow music) - Everything is grilled, no fried food. Everything is freshly prepared. All good things, all good things. - [Narrator] And in charge of the kitchen is not your usual chef. - This is Roland, he's
the head chef right here. Roland Wilder, not only
a great chef, but also-- - Nice guy.
- A beast. Roland has his own gym called Wilder-- - Wilder Wellness. - Yo, you gotta get that down. Wilder Wellness, and he's a
very well-known weight trainer. - Train a lot of young people, yeah. - [Narrator] You won't find
any processed products here. Everything is cooked on the day. - Marsala, we saute on the
grill early in the day, finish it in the oven, and then
we finish it with our sauce. We make all our sauces here. We also have a grilled marsala option. - [Narrator] Roland has worked
in this kitchen for 10 years. - A lot of it is for the kids. You see the kids come back every year. They're happy, they're healthy. So that's really what it's
all about at the end of it. - [Interviewer] How many meals in a day? - They get five meals and two snacks every day.
- And how many meals do you prepare every day? - Oh God, we got to be doing close to 2000 meals a day
to get ready for this. Once you count the day
that we're actually on and the prep that we're
doing for the next day, probably 2000 to 2500 meals a day. - It's all made and--
- Oh yeah. Everything is good. - [Narrator] The portions
are then sized up and monitored by the camp counselors. A starter, main course, and dessert. The entire menu must
not exceed 700 calories. The equivalent of a single burger. (people chatting) Before coming here, Ian could eat more than
four in a single day. - Yeah, it's nice to have a good dinner at the end of that day. The dinners are usually really good. Occasionally they're eh,
but they're never bad. Bacon, I miss proper bacon. Proper bacon was good, but yeah. - [Narrator] There's no bacon, but sugar and fat are
not totally forbidden. At the end of their meal, the campers can help themselves to jelly or even vanilla ice cream. - I'm kinda surprised about the desserts, but the rest, I kind of expected. Because they were really big about having everything in proportion. So I thought it'd be normally just smaller and with more veggies. (mumbling)
Yeah. - [Interviewer] And you're
surprised about that? - Yeah. I thought I'd be kinda hungry, but no. We also get two snacks a
day, which was surprising. - [Narrator] The camp's key to success is serving everything but
in very small portions and at regular times. Learning to eat normally is
the reason Will came here. He is 20 years old, is five foot eight, and weighs 265 pounds. He suffers from obesity, which in turn, causes him acne
problems and low self-esteem. - I've always kind of known why. I think, my parents say
it's an eating disorder. I don't know. I mean, it's basically, yeah, I eat my feelings. I stress eat. I eat when I'm bored. I just eat whenever. Not whenever, but I eat a lot of junk food because it makes me feel good. I just kind of turn to food
for comfort, which is not good. I've been meaning to
do something about it. Just being away from all the junk food just really helped me. I started gaining weight in 11th grade but it really took a hit
first year of college. Made me insecure. I'm too ADHD for it. I have no patience. (laughs) - [Narrator] Will is single and thinks this may be
linked to his obesity. - It's a part of it, I'm not gonna lie. It's definitely a part of it. But it's also confident 'cause girls like confidence and I feel like if I had a good body, I'd be a lot more confident as well. I still struggle a little
bit with approaching them. I'm a lot better than I used to be but-- - [Interviewer] Maybe you
can meet someone here. - Maybe, yeah. (chuckles) You never know. (laughs) - [Narrator] At camp, the boys and girls can meet up during their free time. But for Will, this is
a challenge in itself. Ashamed of his body, he covers it up most of the time. For one hour each day, the campers can enjoy the various
water activities on offer. (soft music) - [Interviewer] How was it? - It was fun and wet. (people chatting) I liked it. - [Narrator] But for some, showing their skin can be difficult. - Or you don't care?
- It's like, I mean, everyone here is, well, except for the tech kids, everyone's here for the body issues, so I feel like it's not
that much of an issue. But I'm very insecure about
it when I'm in public. My gut used to be even bigger. So I feel like it's
teaching body confidence, I guess, in a way. But it's just, I don't
know if in the real world it'd be the same. I feel like I might put a shirt over it 'cause I know--
- You're not ready yet. You're not--
- Not ready yet, no. I hope to get a six
pack by the end of this, which would be pretty cool. - [Narrator] Improving body confidence-- - [Campers] Two, one, go! - [Narrator] Is the first step that everyone will take during
this first month of camp. - Pool party right now. I think we threw in some
balls, some beach balls, and some fun weights for the kids, and we're just really making
sure that they're staying cool. Got some more campers
coming on down and it's hot. (squealing) - [Narrator] Amanda,
Zander, Ian and Jaylynn have already lost between
four and eight kilograms in less than a month. (soft music) But the summer has only just begun, and some of them will
not make it to the end. (soft music) We return to the camp one month later and it seems to be riot day. (cheering) (chanting) Once a week, the kids are
given back their mobile phone for one call of no more than 15 minutes. - Senior girls.
- Kyle Gordon. - Where is Kyle Gordon?
- So crazy. Why? Because they don't get
to talk to their family and it's like the
teenagers with the phones. They just, they gotta have it. Gotta have it. - [Narrator] Amanda only
wants to ring one person. Her mother. - I'm legit about to
cry, I miss you so much. - [Narrator] But in fact, it's her mother who is feeling fed up. She is no longer exercising
and is only eating fast food. - [Mother] So much weight,
Amanda, it's not even funny. - How much are you?
- So you need to get back 'cause I need to hang out
with people and everything. - How much are you? - [Mother] Well, let's see. Before you went to the camp, I did stuff, so I was probably over 125. Now I'm almost 150. - Wait, really? - [Mother] Yeah, I do nothing besides eat in the house and do nothing 'cause I have nothing to do. No one, nothing. - Okay, when I come back,
I'm legit helping you 'cause there's a lot of
stuff that I know how to do. I really want you to come here or, it's either you come
here or I want to go home 'cause I miss you so much. And I haven't had time
to call you all day. - [Narrator] None of them have ever been away from their parents for this long. (people chatting) - [Zander] Hi, Mom. - Oh my God, look at you. You want to say hi to Daddy? - Hey, buddy.
- Hey, Dad. - [Narrator] As for Jaylynn,
despite numerous attempts, she has not been able to get
in touch with her mother. - Hey Mom, I hope you're doing well. And all of my friends know about you. Just want you to know that. And call the office back
when you have the chance. But I love you and I hope you get better. My mom's at the hospital. She won't be released until next Sunday. - [Interviewer] Are you stressed for her? Are you worried about her at all? - I don't really know,
it's mixed feelings. I just hope she's doing better. I know she's having surgery,
I just don't know when. - [Narrator] Worried,
Jaylynn is allowed to try and contact her mother again tomorrow. All contact with parents is managed here in the director's office. - He's realized that sometimes when the kids get on the
phone, they can get emotional. He was not yelled at. - [Narrator] For Tony,
it feels a little more like a complaints office. - You have to be respectful
to the parents but sometimes they really can be very intrusive. And once in awhile, there'll be conflict. This is very typical. So what happens is the child
has not spoken to their parents for three or four days. They get very emotional. They're like, oh Mommy, I miss you. I don't feel well, I
don't really like it here. I want to go home. And so then I get these emails. And then what I would tell her, 'cause I know this young man, and which I try to know
every child in the camp, he's fine, he's fine. He was fine on Monday. He was fine on Tuesday. He was fine on Wednesday. Then he gets on the phone on
Thursday and he breaks down. And so I call the parent and I tell him, tell her that he's fine, which he is. Got to have a hat on for
the sun, very important. - [Narrator] A few days later, the directors face one
of their tensest moments. Just once during the stay, a 24 hour visit is granted to the parents. But to get in, they
must first be searched. No food is allowed to be
brought in from outside camp. - It's right around there though, so you have to go to the boys' side. - I have not, I'm sorry,
it's just one these things because when we find stuff like this, we know that we're not
supposed to have that. So that's why we have
to do that, all right? - Hey.
- Hey, buddy. - Hey, how you doing?
- Hi, oh my gosh. - [Narrator] Will's parents
were able to make the journey. - How you doing?
- Good, how are you? I miss you guys. - I miss you too.
- Hi, I miss you too. Looks so good. Like I said, I didn't
recognize him at first. (laughs) - So proud of him and so happy for him. - Thank you. - A lot of hard work.
- I think with the tan-- - I mean, actually to be honest, I was a lot bigger than, so I'm actually about the
same shape, just more toned. - [Narrator] This is a
test for the young man, because once outside of camp, you can eat what you want. And Will cannot resist ordering a burger. But his mother only lets him eat half. - We don't keep a bunch of
junk food around our house or eat totally unhealthy
all the time or anything. But he can go out and buy junk food or go out with friends and
go to a fast food restaurant. - It's kind of like, there's
no point in getting out of it. Once I got into the lifestyle, I don't want to get go back to where I was five and a half weeks ago. My acne was worse, I had a double chin. It was a lot. - [Narrator] Over the course of the meal, once we've moved away from the table, we realize that Will is
holding something back. In reality, Will is not
doing as well as he lets on and he finally admits it. He wants to quit camp. - I've never been this
homesick, it's weird. When I'm done, I'm done. And when I start going back,
I'm suddenly the bad guy. I don't know, I know they were bullied and that's why they do it. 'Cause I know they're not,
they're very antisocial. And they've called me stupid. They've called me a lot of stuff. And it just kinda messes
with my head mentally. 'Cause I know I'm not a stupid person. I know I just do stupid stuff sometimes. - [Mother] I know that's hard. I think it's good that
you recognize the fact. - [Narrator] Despite Will
confiding in his parents, his father doesn't think
it's anything to worry about. As soon as they finish their meal, his father decides to
take him back to camp. - I love you.
- I love you too, Dad. - All right, we'll see
you in a couple of weeks. - All right, see you then.
- I think it was pretty much exaggerated because he was so emotionally and physically spent. We talked about it a lot more. I mean, kids will be kids. - [Narrator] Will is forced
to stick with the program. He has two weeks still to go. In the evening, Mike, the head
of the boys' camp section, patrols around in his buggy. - [Mike] Everybody sneaking off? All right, boys, let's go. Back to bed, come on. It's curfew now, let's go, down the hill. - [Narrator] It is nine p.m. - [Mike] Guys, this is where
you say goodbye, right here. - [Narrator] Everyone must
return to their dormitories. He sees to it that there are no couples. The majority of campers are minors, so to avoid any problems, all physical contact
is strictly forbidden. - [Mike] Uh uh uh uh, come on, let's go. Let's go, high fives all around. - Goodnight, Mike.
- Let's go. - [Interviewer] Mike's
afraid to leave them alone. (laughs) - No touchy feely. Five feet, handshake. - [Narrator] Nighttime can be
nerve wracking for the staff. The children sometimes use it as an opportunity to escape camp. - We've had runaways definitely before. So finding lost kids. That's always scary. Especially if you feel
that the kid is at risk of hurting themselves or hurting others. That's definitely the scariest, I think. Kids from time to time that talk about suicide, talk
about harming themselves, and that's really tragic. And those types of things we follow up on, we take very seriously. - [Narrator] Obesity
doubles the likelihood of depression and suicide among teenagers. The following morning at the
girls' camp, the mood is tense. One camper is missing. Jaylynn. - Hi, it's Liz. Which campers do you
have with you right now? So you don't have Jaylynn? No, she didn't follow you? Okay. - [Narrator] Despite searching,
she is nowhere to be found. - If she's not there,
then we're gonna probably have to have the counselors
start splitting up, looking in bathrooms. It's probably just nothing big. I can't imagine it was her running away. She seems to be having a lot of fun, so. We'll stay tuned. (laughs) - [Narrator] The counselor
doesn't know it yet, but Jaylynn left camp in
the middle of the night. She had to leave urgently because her mother's health
conditions deteriorated. - [Campers] To the flag
of the United States-- - [Narrator] Once awake, Nina
breaks the news to everyone. - [Camper] To the Republic
for which it stands. - Jaylynn is not here this morning. She left camp early. There was something, a family situation. She had to leave. However, when campers have situations and they cannot finish out
their summer experience here, we give them a nutrition book and we give them support and ways so that they can transition from camp life to home life. - [Narrator] To make sure
that no one else is missing, Nina carries out an inspection. She checks every room
randomly and without warning. Drugs, alcohol, or any banned food leads to an immediate
expulsion without a refund. - All right, I'm gonna head on up. Let's see what's going on. - [Narrator] Now it's
time for Amanda's room. - Oh, got some shoes out here. Hey girls. Surprise! Time for a bunk inspection. How we doing, oh no. Let's see what's going on in here. Huh, well. - [Narrator] Campers are responsible for doing household chores. So Nina scrutinizes everything. - Girls, you need to
really straighten these out so that they get some air. Having them clumped is not gonna be good. We want to make sure that
they get air dried, okay? All right. - Three times per week. It happens very often. I'll be in the middle of eating lunch, Jenna gets a text. Okay guys, everyone needs to super clean the bunk after lunch, we
have bunk inspections. - [Narrator] In the next cabin along, we are not permitted to film. Nina has found illegal substances and sent the culprits
straight to the directors. - So why didn't you tell--
- What's the point? I did. I said, I know who it is, if he give me a chance. He was like, no, you've had
too much drama in the past. I was like, the drama that I had was me almost being beaten up. I didn't do anything. - [Interviewer] Apparently
you've been seen with something that you are not supposed
to have at the camp, right? Is it?
- Yes but that wasn't ours. - [Interviewer] What was it? - [Camper] Do not even. - [Narrator] They are
not going to confess. Even so, they will be
expelled from the program. For Zander, it is time for
some dialogue and reflection. Once a week, the camp helps them regain some self-confidence. Because despite being one of
the leaner boys of the group, he is one of the most affected by it. He must therefore express his feelings by writing them all down. - [Camper] What else? - Ian over there, he has no self-esteem issues at all. Yeah, and he probably
weighs more than all of us. - [Interviewer] Why? - I don't know why, he just
doesn't have any issues. - [Interviewer] How do you know? - Well, he's really outgoing, and always telling jokes
and is always happy. - I do feel good about
myself most of the time. - Put some stuff down
for, what's that say? - Having a nice family definitely helps. - Put a lot of
self-deprecating jokes, yeah. - [Narrator] Will has
been trying to communicate his feelings since returning to camp. - [Will] Constant need of approval. Puts down others for own ego, anti-social. - [Interviewer] Are
your self-esteem issues because of your weight? - I don't think it's as much
my weight as other stuff. I was just, I have Tourette's
and stuff like that. So I was bullied as a kid. But I kind of turned it
around as I got older. My weight hasn't, my weight's been kind
of a confidence issue, but it's only been the
past couple of years. So I was actually really
skinny for awhile. - Poor body image.
- But I've actually gotten a lot more confident. I just didn't get out much as a kid. - [Narrator] But this class was not enough to make him feel better. We caught up with him
in the nurse's office. He can no longer stand
the camp and the bullying. His mental health is suffering
and he is becoming withdrawn. His fellow camp mates have ostracized him. - They call me stupid and stuff
like that, which gets on me. I mean, once again, I feel
like it was heightened. Those emotions were heightened because of my state I was in
and just seeing my parents. So I feel better about it, but I mean, there are some people who've
said rude things to me that I don't appreciate. But I mean, there's always been people that have said rude things to me. I'm usually able to brush it off easier, but being here for some reason, when you hear it more and
a lot more constantly, it gets to you, for sure. I don't know, maybe I over, I don't know. I feel like just the
physically, I'm exhausted, I'm mentally exhausted, and seeing my parents,
it was all just too much. - [Narrator] That same evening, Will packed up and left without
saying goodbye to anyone, just two weeks before
the end of the program. (soft music) - Welcome to the CPT 5K. - [Narrator] It's the final day. 300 participants are lined up
for a race through the camp. - Slow and steady, slow and steady. You've got this, right
this way, looking great. - [Narrator] It's the ultimate challenge. Run three miles in less than an hour. Not an easy task if you're obese. But everyone is determined to succeed. - [Leader] Come back, let's hustle. 16 minute pace, let's
do it out of my earshot. - [Narrator] It's a big day for Zander. - I'm almost done. - [Narrator] It's one of
the tests you have to pass to get onto the football team. - 41:49, nice job. - [Narrator] Despite some campers struggling more than others, everyone will reach the end
and cross the finish line. A real achievement for those
unable to run a few weeks ago. Zander was one of the
first to finish the race. - I'm actually gonna
start these 5Ks back home. Then I'm gonna move on to
half-marathons, to marathons. Yeah, probably not gonna get to marathons 'til I'm 16 though. But I'm gonna keep working on my running. Yeah, I never could have
done that before this camp. I'm doing way better, I think. - So you're really happy.
- Yeah. - I feel like my legs are gonna fall off. I want to go back to bed. I just want to huddle under
all of my covers and sleep. - [Narrator] And today, Amanda is shining in a different sport, Zumba. (clapping) She has taken to the stage. No more awkward or
uncoordinated movements. She is the one leading the dance. (upbeat music) - [Interviewer] Did you imagine yourself dancing in front of 50 people? - Not at all. And this is the most
hardworking song, this is scary. (interviewer mumbling) I think I look gorgeous, not gonna lie. - [Narrator] It's the final class. Time for the campers
to say their goodbyes. In three months, Amanda
has become one of the most popular girls at camp. - Yes I am, I have to.
- Don't you dare. - I will make you unpack your things. I will unpack your things for you.
- All of my stuff is already packed.
- I will unpack your stuff. - [Narrator] Ian leaves camp
as quietly as he arrived. Reserved throughout his stay here, he took the program in his stride. - Had some fun with some friends and did a lot of running around. And lost 26 pounds as of Sunday, so I'm gonna guess 32
pounds overall, maybe. Just after the camp,
I'm going to get a job for a little while, and then I'm going to move
in with my boyfriend once. This feels like a good way
to get a new start sort of. - [Narrator] He has gone
from weighing 408 pounds to 375 pounds. It's still not enough
to regain his health, so he will need to lose some
weight once he gets home. Before leaving, everyone takes
the final test, the weighing. Amanda has no idea how much weight she has lost since arriving. - [Tony] How you doing today? - Good.
- Good. You excited to go home? - [Amanda] Kind of, not really. - Yeah, you're gonna miss camp? - Yeah, I like it here. Before, she weighed 194 pounds. - [Tony] So your final weight is 166.4. We're gonna call it
166, you lost 30 pounds. Great job. Great, great job. - I lost the exact amount, 4.5, which was what I was really hoping for. That's just really exciting for me. - [Interviewer] And what is
it gonna change in your life? - It's probably gonna change a lot. I'm not sure what, but it's
probably gonna be a lot. - I can tell you what's gonna change. When she goes home, her friends, her family are gonna be like, wow. They get the wow factor. Zander, you lost another pound. You got 18 pounds, good job. - Thank you.
- Had a great summer. Congratulations.
- How do you feel? - Thank you.
- All right, man. Congratulations.
- How do you feel, Zander, about that? - Good, I guess. - [Interviewer] What was your expectation? - I don't know. Well, I expect to lose more. And so yeah. - [Interviewer] Why do
you want to lose more? - So my goal is to make it to 110 to 120. I'm almost at 120. So I've almost made my goal, but I just need to lose five or six pounds for me to be about where I want. - [Narrator] The time
has come for the campers to reunite with their families. Ian's mother has made the trip here. - [Mother] You look good with a tan. Oh, I love you. - I need to breathe still,
I do need to breathe still. - No, you don't. Wow, you look amazing. - You did amazing this summer. - [Narrator] Amanda has not
seen her mom for three months. - [Amanda] Mom! (sobbing) Oh my God, I missed you so much! - [Narrator] Every parent is
amazed by the transformation. - Oh, my baby. Yeah, great experience? I mean, you're taller than me. (laughing) She's taller than me. She grew an inch. Oh yeah, you're taller than me. - Yes! I did it. - So Brenda, how do you--
- Finally taller than you. - She looks amazing. - [Narrator] Zander flew home by himself. At Phoenix Airport, his mother
can't hide her emotions. (soft music) - [Worker] Guys, don't leave. Hey, ma'am?
- Sorry. - [Worker] Just a minute,
let me get everybody's name. (muffled announcing) - Oh my God, I just can't get enough pictures of you right now. - [Interviewer] He's very different? - Huge, huge difference. - [Narrator] Six months on since camp, Zander has kept in good shape. He has even made the
American football team. Ian's health is improving by the day. Jaylynn has not lost weight, but her mother is out of
hospital and she's doing better. Amanda is continuing her diet. She has blossomed into
a fashionable young girl and wants to be a pop star. Will lost 30 pounds at camp. Now he works out and
is studying psychology. - My name is Will. - [Narrator] But for many, obesity still remains a daily struggle. (laughs) (soft music)
