Need info. about a "fat farm".

[MelissaB]

This is for my brother who is 6'2" and weighs a lot(?). I'll start with these questions.

Did it "work" for the person you know? Did he/she gain the weight back immediately?

Did he/she get enough food to eat while there to feel satisfied?

My brother is looking into a place in Canada that involves hiking, and it looks like he will be eating 1,200 calories a day. That's not a lot for a big guy.

[Kali]

1. its not a lot of calories

but is the normal amount MANY mainstream sources recommend for males to lose waight at a reasonable rate (1 or 2 lbs per week). Now if his activity is going to be HUGELY increased he is likely to feel lightheaded and weak - and could be dangerous for some - is the place medically supervised etc?

Most of these places have the best results in motivating people to change behavior rather than what gets accomplished while they are actually there. And as usual eating is the one addiction you can't kick cold turkey.:(

[FloridaPat]

2. Problem is, if he doesn't keep up what he does up their the weight

will come back on. If it involves a lot of hiking, he is going to have to do a lot of exercise when he comes back.

How long does he think he will be there? How long is the program? Any idea how much it costs?

Every time I go overseas I loose a ton of weight because there is no garbage food around in other countries, I walk an awful lot, and the food I do get to eat doesn't have the crap in it that the food in this country has.

[Kali]

3. heh

So true! Plus everthing is uphill on cobbled streets! Went to Germany to visit a friend a few years ago and walked all over the place - cured a bad knee I had and lost a few lbs while just generally shaping up. And while eating what seemed like consantly and rich homemade foods. And here I live a pretty active outdoor life! (or so I thought till I think of how much time I spend sitting on my ass in a motor vehicle)

[MelissaB]

4. He is thinking about going for 3 weeks and the cost will be

about $10,000. He travels all the time around the world and still manages to maintain a high weight.

He is considering this drastic measure to help him change his behavior. Also, he is having health problems. He has been down with his back for a week and is supposed to leave for Brazil tomorrow. I'm very unsure about this whole thing. 1,200 is not a lot, and he needs medical supervision. If I can get the link to this place, I'll post it.

[Kali]

5. weight is a tough issue

and that is a lot of money. Does he have a regular doctor? Is the doctor behind this? The longer he is in an environment where the habits are different the more likely he will be able to make them his own, so the 3 weeks is good, but as before if the increased physical activity is really a drastic change from what he usually does he really needs to make sure a good doctor is involved, someone who will pay atention to him individually.

[DS1]

6. A personal trainer would likely be cheaper for three solid weeks

[tjdee]

7. And a dietician.

10,000 for three weeks seems very high to me.

For that much, I bet as DS1 says, he could hire a personal trainer and/or a dietician for that amount of time at least.

[FloridaPat]

8. It would be interesting to see. I would think a bike or hiking tour

of France or Germany for 3 weeks would be a lot more fun and a lot cheaper. But then no doctors around. Wish him the best of luck. 95% of people in this country who loose weight gain it back regardless of the type of diet.

[xmas74]

9. My local community center has sessions w/ a personal

trainer for $15 for a half an hour. And truthfully, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig both have programs that could teach him about weight control. Both would be much cheaper and last much longer than a three week camp. He might want to look into something like that instead (and the Weight Watchers does a program around here for men only).