Why Weight Loss Camps are More Successful that Restrictive Diets

March 25, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

Many parents are quick to forget what life is like as a teenager.  There are a number of academic and social pressures to deal with as well as some fairly major changes in hormone levels taking place.  Toss in the facts that the bodies of teenagers grow at the fastest rate that they have since birth and that critical decision making and problem solving abilities are being developed, and you remember how much a teenager has on his or her plate every day.  With so much going on and a society that worships physical fitness and beauty and you can see why it is often difficult for kids and teens to learn how to make good decisions when it comes to eating and exercising and how specialized the skill sets are of individuals that operate successful weight loss camps.

Teenagers are especially succeptable to getting too caught up in issues of personal image.  As a result, many teenagers these days regularly resort to restrictive diets and strive to maintain a “perfect” body.  We’re all aware that in a few years they will more than likey give up their pursuit for a perfect body as there is not really such a thing, yet more and more teens each year turn to dieting as a short term way to obtain a desired look.  (NOTE:  by “dieting” I am referring to restrictive ‘diets’ that should not be confused with healthy eating habits or a healthy ‘diet.’)

There are a number of reasons that strict diets typically fail in the short term and rarely, if ever, work in the long term for teenagers.  Even children that are overweight will not achieve long-term success from a restrictive diet.  Here’s why:

First, making abrupt changes to food intake by restricting how much food is eaten will disrupt a child’s energy balance and their natural ability to regulate food intake, leading to problems down the road.

Second, studies show that a majority of overweight adults who used dieting as their only weight control method in their teenage years gained that weight back.

Instead of restrictive dieting, kids and teens will be much more successful by eating healthy diets and exercising regularly

Instead of restrictive dieting, kids and teens will be much more successful by eating healthy diets and exercising regularly

Third, many “hot” diets that teens are drawn to are quick weight loss diets that limit the intake of certain food groups, nutrients, etc.  For a growing body, these restictions can be bad and can stunt growth or cause imbalances in their development which can affect their performance in school or other areas of life.  Bigger problems can develop later as a result.

Finally, some teenagers suffer from more serious conditions (e.g. depression) and use their weight issues and dieting as a means to hide or supress the true issues that the child feels they cannot control.  Since the true problem is never addressed with a diet, it never goes away and continues to cause problems for the child later in life.

For these reasons, parents should be wary if/when their child tells them they want to go on a diet.  The bottom line is that restrictive diets as a means to lose weight in teenagers are never worth it.  Their chances for short term success are slim and it is more likely that they are actually doing something that is worse for their body.

If the child needs to lose weight, parents should consider a weight loss program similar to those used at teen weight loss camps where healthy eating is combined with exercise via fun activities.  These fitness camps remove kids and teens from their regular lives and free them from having to deal with the extra pressures that teenagers struggle with.  At the weight loss camp, kids are able to focus on learning healthy living habits while not having to worry about everything else that they struggle with at home.  Once the good habits are developed at camp, they return home where the new habits become a part of their daily lives.

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Explaining Weight Loss Camp to your Child

March 18, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

If you’re considering sending your child to weight loss camp this summer and have not discussed it with them yet, you may be wondering what the best approach is to take in “breaking the news.”  Consider how this decision will be interpreted by your child.  They have likely heard the horror stories associated with “fat camps” and will probably be resistant to the idea.  It is also important that they understand that you’re sending them to camp out of love and care for them, not because you want to get rid of them or you do not like the person that they are.

In a child’s mind, especially younger children, it is difficult for them to understand that a fitness camp is something that is going to benefit them for the rest of their lives.  Instead, they may view it as “punishment” for being overweight.

Therefore, it is your responsibility as a parent to explain to your child why they will be attending.  You will know better than anyone else how well your child will be able to comprehend the potential health risks that are associated with obesity in children and whether or not it is even worth it to try and explain these things to your child.

In some cases, it is best to focus on the fun that your child will have when “selling” them on the idea.  Focusing on the fun will help to ease your child’s apprehension about the fitness camp.  And, of course, the less apprehensive your child is about going, the less you’ll be concerned about their success and less likely you will be to put unnecessary pressure on them.

The most important part about having this conversation with your child is making sure that your child does not feel like they’re being sent off as a form of punishment.  Yes, they are going because they need help getting the weight loss process started, but who was the parent that let them get overweight in the first place?  Frame the experience as an opportunity to spend a lot of time outside, meet new friends, and learn new fun games and activities that they enjoy.  Answer any questions that they have about the weight loss camp honestly and positively and work to build a sense of excitement about the program.  The bottom line is that the more excited and comfortable your child is, the more successful they will be.

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Parents Must Do Their Part at Home, Too

March 12, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

Children that live over their healthy weight are 70% more likely to become overweight adults later in life and often suffer from self-esteem and self-worth issues.  Today, the numbers have grown a staggering amount from where they were in 1999 when over 13% of the children in the US were overweight.  High cholosterol and blood pressure are more common in young adults than ever before, leading to increased risk of heart disease.  Further, Type II Diabetes is now being found in overweight children – a disease that was once thought to only affect adults.

The numbers are not pretty and as concerned adults, it is time that we step in to do something about it.  We operate our weight loss camps as an alternative solution, but parents need to make changes at home if they want long-term results.  The obvious culprits for weight gain are unhealthy diets and lack of excercise.  There is a genetic influence, but more often than not an overweight child gets that way due to eating improperly and not getting enough exercise.

What, exactly, does it mean to be “overweight?”  I am not a doctor and will not pretent to be one here, but if you are concerned about your child’s weight you need to see a doctor.  They will be able to measure your kid’s body mass index (BMI) and determine if your child is on an unhealthy path.

Since many overweight children suffer from self esteem or other emotional problems, it is incredibly important that you provide love, care, and support for your child, unconditionally.  Do not make them feel ostracized because of their weight.  Instead, try to incorporate gradual changes in to their diet.  For best results, incorporate these changes in to the entire family’s diet as your child will feel like less of an outsider.

Most doctors recommend that children be active for at least 60 minutes of each day.  As a parent, you can help your child by planning physical activities for your entire family or a group of your child’s friends.  Make sure that you have a safe environment where the children will feel comfortable participating in the activities, regardless of their skill or physical fitness level.

Start simple at home.  If you try to get your child to make too many changes at once, you will not be successful.  If you feel like your household environment is not the best place to begin making some of these changes, you may want to consider sending your child to a summer weight loss camp.  Often, removing a child from their normal surroundings is the best thing for them.

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Reasons That your Child Is Not as Active as They Should Be

March 3, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

If you have an overweight child, chances are good that their activity level is well below what it should be.  One of the biggest contributing factors to a more inactive lifestyle among today’s youth is our growing use and dependence on technology.  With nearly 20% of America’s youth being overweight, something must be done.  At our weight loss camps for teens, we promote a healthy and active lifestyle, but we also have the luxury of being separated from a lot of the technology that contributes to the problem.  While at home, here are some things for parents to be aware of that lead to their children not getting enough exercise and gaining weight as a result.

First and foremost, it is important to be aware that all kids are different.  Some simply enjoy indoor activities like reading and coloring more than playing outside.  This is not necessarily bad.  If your child fits this bill, do not keep them from the things they enjoy, but try to make the activity more active.  For example, if they like to draw, have them hike to a pretty place and then sit down and draw a picture of it.

Self-esteem also plays a role in not being active enough.  Some children are afraid that they are no good at certain activities and make excuses not to participate or ignore them outright.  Finding things they enjoy is key here.

Schoolwork and computer time is another thing to consider.  Many kids these days have hours of homework every night, which takes time away from other activities.  Teaching your kids effective study habits to make their study time more efficient is a good way to free up some of this time.

At the same time, parents also play a role in their children being less active than they should.  For example, some parents punish kids by forcing them to stay inside the house for weeks at a time.

Another way that parents contribute to their children’s inactivity is by allowing them to have a TV or computer in their bedroom.  While this may help maintain peace in the living room, it also encourages your child to spend time in their room sitting around.

Finally, parents must remember to lead by example.  If the adults in a child’s life spend all of their time watching TV, chances are good that their children will grow up with the same habits.  The more active you are, the more likely your child is to get involved in some of the things you do.

Addressing all these issues at once is hard for a parent to do and can cause more problems than it solves.  If you find all of the above to be representative of your child’s lifestyle, you may want to consider a weight loss camp as a stepping-off point for your child’s weight loss.  After spending time at a camp, the changes at home will seem less extreme and will be much more likely to have long-term results.

The goal of a weight loss camp is to show kids how to live healthily and show them that many of the activities they thought were no fun or that they were no good at can be enjoyed.  Your child will also receive the professional and peer-based emotional support that they need.

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