The pilot episode of ABC Family’s Huge introduced overweight teenager Willamina Raeder, played by Hairspray’s Nikki Blonksy, as she starts her first day at Camp Victory, a weight loss camp. Willamina, who prefers to be called Will, quickly meets second-timer Becca during the first day ritual of swimsuit pictures.

Will initially refuses to remove her clothing and expose her swimsuit-clad body to her peers; however, when pressed, she performs an empowering striptease of her clothing that impresses fellow camp-goers, but garners unhappy looks from the camp director Dr. Rand, as well as committed camp-attendee Amber, played by Hayley Hasselhoff. From the start, it is clear there will be trouble with Will for both Dr. Rand and Amber, especially as Will makes it her goal to gain as much weight as she can at Camp Victory.

Poppy, a super enthusiastic camp counselor, welcomes the girls to their room where Will and Amber must bunk together. Poppy also introduces a very important camp rule – no outside foods allowed, including sugar-free gum, cough drops, and certain types of lip gloss. The counselor’s rudimentary search of Will’s belongings misses her hidden snacks and candies, cleverly disguised in a shampoo bottle and under a false bottom in the suitcase. This stash of food makes Will a fat-camp food dealer, peddling sandwich baggies full of caloric treats. Her first customer, Caitlyn, approaches her after dinner – and the arrival of new cook Chef Joe – jumpstarting Will’s sabotage of her own weight-loss and of the food-loving campers.

At a group therapy session, Will reveals that she doesn’t really buy what these camp counselors are selling. She claims to be happy with her weight and won’t hate her body because others think she should. Dr. Rand combats Will’s negative attitude by stating that the camp isn’t about breeding hate, but about getting healthy. Will deflects this point by indicating something secretive about Amber’s motives for attending camp.

Shortly after, Dr. Rand reveals that she is aware of Will’s side job as well as the consequences for getting kicked out of this camp – Will’s parents will send her to boot camp. Will is convinced that Amber ratted her out to Dr. Rand and shrinks her favorite pair shorts, causing an embarrassing scene at physical training with the requisite hot assistant coach, George. Although ashamed of splitting her shorts in front of her crush, Amber lets George comfort her with his own embarrassing story and the two share an intimate moment of understanding.

It is revealed that Caitlyn was sent home due to “vomiting” (code for bulimia), and the girls erupt into argument, each blaming each other for causing Caitlyn’s problem and expulsion from camp. Will decides to leave, but runs into Dr. Rand at a diner, where the doctor has a personal conversation with her father, Chef Joe. After speaking with Will, Dr. Rand convinces the teenager to stay by revealing that she used to attend the camp. Will returns to her cabin and begins trying to befriend Amber, although she still rejects the notion that she should be ashamed of her body.