Camp Shame

Camp Shane is back… and as dysfunctional as ever. Kids are running around unsupervised, counselors are dropping out like flies, and medical supervision is pretty much nonexistent. After an accident that leaves a child in critical condition, Camp Shane’s cover is blown. A state investigation reveals what Shaners have known all along, and this time, David won’t get away with it.
References:
The Epic Family Feud Behind an Iconic American Weight-Loss Camp for Kids
‘Hoping for a good summer’: Emails give insight into state office’s investigation of weight-loss camp
Connecticut weight-loss camp surrenders license after state investigation
Camp Investigation Finds Serious Health, Safety Issues
State Investigating Youth Weight Loss Camp in Kent After Abrupt Closure
Fat Talk: Parenting in the age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith
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
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 @CampShame
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 @CampShame
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**Audio Updated 7/17/25
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 @CampShame
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 @CampShame
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.