Because this criticism is b.s.:

"...they also tell children there's something wrong with them and imply that they don't deserve to have the kind of fun summers their peers are enjoying."

There is something wrong with them--with their weight, anyway. If kids are "desperate" to go to fat camp, they're more than just chubby. And there's no reason to think that "fat camp" can't be fun. It's camp!

Which peers are you talking about, anyway? The minority of kids whose parents can afford to send them to regular sleepaway camp, or the ones who are bored shitless trying to find something to do all summer?

I agree with the previous poster who noted that there is no reason to assume fat camp would be any less "fun" than what other kids do in the summer. And if these kids are writing essays in order to get in, then it seems that they think it is worthwhile.

I don't think we need to sugarcoat childhood obesity by pretending it is not a problem just because it might hurt someone's feelings. Apparently their feelings are already being hurt due to the obesity -- and more importantly, it is hurting their health. I would also imagine that these camps work on self-esteem issues as part of their programs as opposed to, say, telling the kids that they are inadequate because they are fat; I don't know why we should assume that the camps operate on the idea that the kids are defective people.

I'm also a little confused about the embarrassment issue. If being fat is nothing to be ashamed of, then what exactly is so terrible about the marketing? I could see a problem with it if the kids had no idea that their televised interviews were going to be, well, televised; or if Saul's interviewee didn't know that her essay and picture were going to be published in the paper. But that wasn't the impression I got from this piece. It seems like these kids understand that they have a problem that they want to rectify; I wouldn't assume that all of them are embarrassed to publicly admit it.

The girl who won the essay contest is 5 feet tall and weighed 354 lbs. before starting camp. Being that heavy is a serious medical issue--it's not a question of her being made ashamed because she's not a size 2. I am sure that for children who are extremely obese, the chance to swim and play sports without being laughed at is a positive experience. As far as being used for publicity goes, I'm pretty sure the children would have had to have their parent's permission to be interviewed, as well as be willing themselves.

"...[S]tudies have found that two-thirds of campers regain all or part of the weight they lost once they return home."

If that had read "all," rather than "all or part," then it would be a strong indictment (although a 33% success rate is not necessarily awful). But as written it gives us no useful information at all. I'd need more detailed statistical data before I could form an opinion.

As for "not buying" the idea that some of the kids are excited about being on TV or appearing in ads - I am no great fan of the Reality TV culture, but I'm not going to pretend it doesn't exist.

I agree with Ms. Berman that, if Ms. Saul's piece had (among other things) the intention of pointing out that exploiting fat kids for publicity is bad for them, then she should have refrained from using real names and photos.

Now, is there real exploitation there? I don't see it very clearly. It would seem to me that the children are very happy to be able to go to such camps and lose weight--I am also happy to see (in Ms. Saul's article) that some camps think it's good to work with the whole family, not only with the child (who will eventually go back to smorgasbord America). Without knowing how the children--and their parents--feel about the ads, the photos and the essay quotations, I'm not sure I see a big problem here. OK, being really obese creates--besides the health problems--a lot of self-esteem issues; but since you're doing something about it, then you're actually showing yourself under a good light. Or am I missing something here?

they also tell children there's something wrong with them and imply that they don't deserve to have the kind of fun summers their peers are enjoying.

Well, these kids do hear this every day. At school. And much less kindly than the counselors at fat camp. And changing your habits while you are young is the best way to ensure that the kids don't grow into their obesity.

I'm all for not discriminating against people who are overweight. Especially kids. It's mean, it's wrong, and it's petty. But a child who is over 300 pounds is not only not going to have the same kind of fun summer her peers are enjoying, she isn't going to have the same kind of life. Being fat is hard. It's esteem depleting unless you are extraordinary - and even then it's something you have to fight against.

I see several problems with the entire situation, but showing a young overweight girl in a bathing suit is hardly the greatest of them.

You excoriate the author of the NY Times piece for publishing the name and the picture of the girl featured in the article. You question her motives and call her hypocritical. Presumably this is because you are are so committed to the ethical principle that the privacy and anonymity of minors must be protected. But no, that can't be it, because you post a link to the offending article, thus increasing the amount of unethical exposure this little girl will be subjected to. If the NYT author is hypocritical, aren't you doubly so?

Considering that the vast majority of high-calorie meals come from the cheaper end of the food production line (McDonalds meals are still under five bucks while every other food product sees increases due to inflated commodity prices and currency declines, Betty Crocker's Chicken Helper has enough sodium to kill an average size mammal, etc. etc...), it's a good thing that those financially worse off have the opportunity to be in an environment that helps them make better dietary decisions.

That said, I agree with Ms. Berman that their words should not be used for marketing the camp without their prior consent (I assume their consent is implied when they submit the essays).

But now that I think about it, it doesn't cost a damn thing to turn off the tv and just go outside and walk.