Though Camp Shane is falling apart, kids still love spending their summers there, largely because of the limited parental supervision and endless romantic opportunities. Some counselors do their best to stop the hookups. Others manipulate naive teens for their personal gain. Camp Shane is quickly losing its status as a refuge for overweight kids and becoming a place full of secrets that will haunt campers for decades to come. And one camper is ready to come forward. If you or someone you know needs support, please visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at https://rainn.org/. References: Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Traumatic Events The Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment Why many sexual assault survivors may not come forward for years The abuser’s playbook: the weaponization of mental health What We Don’t Talk about When We Talk about Fat Why Don’t We Hear Fat Women’s #MeToo Stories? Weight-Based Discrimination of Rape Victims Camp Shane—one of America’s longest running weight loss camps for kids—promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane’s facade of happy, transformed children. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. More than 50 years after its founding, host Kelsey Snelling is bringing the real story of Camp Shane to light. In this eight-episode series, she unpacks and investigates stories of mistreatment and reexamines the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. Along the way, she reveals and weighs the heavy price of shame. Subscribe to Camp Shame so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Instagram @CampShameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
42:51
--------
42:51
Episode 6: When the Sh*t Hits the Fan
By the mid 2010s, things at Camp Shane are going downhill: campers are arriving with serious mental health needs, counselors are stretched thin, and untrained “health experts” are running the show. When a key staffer finally leaves, the cracks in the camp’s foundation burst wide open. Facilities are falling apart, oversight is non-existent, and then in a moment that's both unforgettable and disgusting — shit finally hits the fan. References: The Epic Family Feud Behind an Iconic American Weight-Loss Camp for Kids Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Eating Disorders Camp Shane—one of America’s longest running weight loss camps for kids—promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane’s facade of happy, transformed children. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. More than 50 years after its founding, host Kelsey Snelling is bringing the real story of Camp Shane to light. In this eight-episode series, she unpacks and investigates stories of mistreatment and reexamines the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. Along the way, she reveals and weighs the heavy price of shame. Subscribe to Camp Shame so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Instagram @CampShameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
36:29
--------
36:29
Episode 5: Live, Laugh, Lose
What do you get when you mix disordered eating, soap-laced Jell-O, and a diet camp stuck in the past? A summer from hell. In this episode, Kelsey returns to 2011, her first and only summer at Camp Shane — where the dysfunction runs deep and the cost is more than anyone bargained for. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, you can call 988 for free and confidential support, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. 988lifeline.org References: The biggest (and weirdest) wellness trends we all witnessed in the 2010s The history of the ‘ideal’ woman and where that has left us What is Laxative Abuse? Rethinking Anorexia Treatment Requires Clinician Collaboration, End-of-Life Care Options Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison National Eating Disorders Association Camp Shane—one of America’s longest running weight loss camps for kids—promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane’s facade of happy, transformed children. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. More than 50 years after its founding, host Kelsey Snelling is bringing the real story of Camp Shane to light. In this eight-episode series, she unpacks and investigates stories of mistreatment and reexamines the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. Along the way, she reveals and weighs the heavy price of shame. Subscribe to Camp Shame so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Instagram @CampShameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
50:00
--------
50:00
Episode 4: As Big as it Gets
The new millennium brings new trends, new technologies and new ways to spread toxic beauty standards. And Camp Shane is reaping the benefits. The camp grows to new heights and capitalizes on positive press, but a record number of campers puts serious strain on the staff and facilities. Can the camp handle the influx? References: The Epic Family Feud Behind an Iconic American Weight-Loss Camp for Kids Teenage Waistland by Abby Ellin NOVA - The Truth About Fat Fearing the Black Body The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings Belly of the Beast : The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da’Shaun L. Harrison Owner of weight-loss camp admits to evading taxes Camp Shane—one of America’s longest running weight loss camps for kids—promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane’s facade of happy, transformed children. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. More than 50 years after its founding, host Kelsey Snelling is bringing the real story of Camp Shane to light. In this eight-episode series, she unpacks and investigates stories of mistreatment and reexamines the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. Along the way, she reveals and weighs the heavy price of shame. Subscribe to Camp Shame so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Instagram @CampShameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
47:00
--------
47:00
Episode 3: The Real Heavyweights
Camp Shane is under new leadership: Selma’s son, David Ettenberg. In the 1990s, David’s reign brings with it more campers, more money, and even a Disney movie inspired by the camp itself. But as diet culture and fat phobia grips the decade, life at Shane gets stricter, stranger, and more dangerous. Selma struggles to hand over control, a disastrous Heavyweights screening becomes legend, and cracks in the camp’s foundation begin to show. Camp Shane—one of America’s longest running weight loss camps for kids—promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane’s facade of happy, transformed children. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. More than 50 years after its founding, host Kelsey Snelling is bringing the real story of Camp Shane to light. In this eight-episode series, she unpacks and investigates stories of mistreatment and reexamines the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. Along the way, she reveals and weighs the heavy price of shame. Subscribe to Camp Shame so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Instagram @CampShameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Camp Shane—one of America’s longest running weight loss camps for kids—promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution.
But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane’s facade of happy, transformed children. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. More than 50 years after its founding, host Kelsey Snelling is bringing the real story of Camp Shane to light.
In this eight-episode series, she unpacks and investigates stories of mistreatment and reexamines the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. Along the way, she reveals and weighs the heavy price of shame.
Subscribe to Camp Shame so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Instagram @CampShame
Canada - english