BEIJING: When Singaporean Alexis Tan booked a trip to China earlier this year, it was not for sightseeing.
The 32-year-old interior designer travelled to Guangdong province in May to spend two weeks at a residential weight-loss camp after coming across videos about similar programmes on social media.
Positive reviews from Malaysian participants on Chinese lifestyle platform RedNote convinced her to sign up for one in Dongguan.
By the time she joined the camp, Tan had already lost about 12kg on her own and reached what she described as a “plateau” at 78kg.
She wanted to lose a little more, but more importantly, hoped the experience would reshape her approach to health.
“If I can have a change of mindset, have a healthier … control towards my weight, towards my well-being, and towards my eating and exercise habits, I think that would be my best takeaway,” she told CNA.
After the two weeks, Tan had lost another 4kg.
She was one of only four foreigners among about 60 participants at the camp, but operators say overseas interest is growing.
To find out what draws people there, CNA visited a weight-loss camp in Beijing’s Miyun district, where participants follow a tightly structured routine of exercise, meals and rest.
Read the full article here
