While we were featured in an MTV Documentary titled “Fat Camp,” we are most certainly NOT a fat camp.  We do not believe in a summer full of endless therapy sessions, rigorous workout routines, or unappetizing diets that will not easily transition to the real world.

Instead, our goal is to create a fun and exciting summer camp experience where our campers learn good nutritional habits and develop the self confidence they need to leave our camps prepared to make healthy lifestyle choices for the rest of their lives.

We don’t have to rely on busing campers to and from different activities and locations every day because we have one of the top facilities in the world.  This is a true summer camp atmosphere that staffs an experienced and handpicked group of directors and counselors (most have been with us for the past 10 years) who give each child or teen that attends our summer weight loss camps the personal attention they deserve.

Our camps are also accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), which sets us apart from most similar summer weight loss camps.  Why?  Because ACA accreditation means that parents can rest assured that our camp goes above and beyond state regulations to provide a safe and nurturing environment in a commitment to adhere to best practices as measured on a national scale.

Our size also gives us a big advantage.  We average about 30 kids in each age group in all of our summer sessions while still keeping a 4-1 camper to counselor ratio.  This ensures that your child will be engaging in age-appropriate activities and developing friendships with other campers in their age group.  Smaller programs that struggle to get 50 campers total often end up grouping everyone together for activities out of necessity, creating an unhealthy atmosphere.  Do you think your teenager wants to spend the summer hanging out with grade school children?  Do you want your 4th grader spending the summer with teenagers?  Of course not.

Our goal is to create a fun and exciting summer experience that your child will never forget, and based on the letters we’ve received and the number of children that come back every year, we know we do a great job.

You can request more information about our weight loss camps by filling out our contact form.  We look forward to seeing you this summer!

We all see advertisements for them everywhere – those fast weight loss diets, plans, pills, etc. that claim they’ll help users lose 20 pounds in a week.  Television is full of commercials and infomercials promoting these products and it seems like every third page on the internet has some sort of ad for a new, revolutionary product.  Some of these products claim to increase metabolism, others cut certain things out of your diet, some claim to be able to make you eat less…the list is endless.  In a society that is consumed with appearance, the fact that these products are so popular should be no surprise, but the real question is – Do They Work? And, perhaps more importantly – Are They Safe?

The simple answer to both of those questions is:  No. Sure, you may be able to lose some weight by taking a pill that increases your metabolism, but continuing to take that pill for the rest of your life is certainly not safe and doing so in the short term is not even healthy.  As a result, as soon as you stop taking the miracle drugs, you will quickly gain back all the weight that was just lost.  In other words, the plan might work in the very short term, but it is not a long term solution and is certainly not something that is healthy or sustainable.  The same can be said about diets tell you to stop eating carbs, insist that you eat only maple syrup, and so on.  The bottom line is that these things are not healthy (short or long term) and there are no long-term benefits from doing them.

At our weight loss camps, we take a healthy, life-long approach to weight loss.  We believe (as do thousands of doctors around the world) that the only way to truly lose weight and keep it off is to make changes to one’s personal diet and physical activity levels.  This is why we teach our campers about the importance of a healthy diet and give them the knowledge they need to make healthy eating choices for the rest of their lives.  We also provide fun physical activities for our campers to show kids and teens that “exercise” is not running on a treadmill but is something that should be fun.  The fact that it helps lose weight is a bonus, but the key is learning that exercise should be something that you enjoy.  Some people like to hike, others like to swim, and others like to play basketball.  It doesn’t matter which one you prefer, the key is finding the ones that you like so that it is enjoyable to add to your everyday life.

If you are a parent of an overweight child or teen that needs help losing weight, I encourage you to check out our programs.  Doing so will give them the tools they need to live a healthy life, will improve their self esteem, and will be a summer that they’ll never forget.

The increase in childhood obesity across the country has led to an increase in numerous health effects and diabetes.  If you are a parent of an overweight child or teen and are considering a summer weight loss camp, you may be looking for some things you can start doing now before they head off to camp for the summer.

Most people know what it takes to lose weight – eat a healthier diet and increase physical activity.  It sounds simple enough, but anyone that has ever tried to break some bad habits and lose weight knows that it is much easier said than done.  This is especially true for children who often do not have the motivation to do it all on their own.  As a responsible parent, the challenge often falls in to your lap.  So what can you do?

The first thing to keep in mind is that, despite numerous infomercials, ads, and websites out there, there is no “miracle pill” or quick remedy.  Some of these things might work in the short term, but they are not long term solutions that will benefit your child’s long term health.  It’s always best to take a long-term approach to weight loss and realize that it’s most important to teach children to live healthier for their entire life versus losing weight in two months that they’ll gain back.

Stick to the basics.  Don’t even worry about counting total calorie, carbohydrate, and/or fat intake every day or implementing a rigorous exercise routine immediately.  Instead, look for some easy changes to begin with and then increase the efforts as time progresses and your child gets more comfortable with a new diet and increased physical activity level.  If your child likes to snack, start with providing some healthier snack alternatives like carrots instead of potato chips.

If your child has been gaining weight consistently for a period of time, the first thing to do is stop the weight gain.  According to Keeping Kids Healthy, one pound of weight gain is equal to about 3500 calories.  So, if your kid is gaining a pound of weight every week, begin by cutting 3500 calories out of their weekly diet or about 500 calories a day.  The change might be as simple as switching to diet soda or non-fat milk.

For example, a can of Dr. Pepper has 100 calories.  A can of Diet Dr. Pepper has 0.  If your child drinks three cans of Dr. Pepper a day, switching to Diet Dr. Pepper will cut 300 calories out of their daily diet.  A simple, yet effective change.

Once your child’s weight has stabilized, you can begin the process of shedding weight.  Sticking with the above formula will help, but exercise will become more important here as well since increasing physical activity levels will increase the impact of eating healthier.  A 30-60 minute period of exercise every day can burn 50-100 calories in kids.  Combine this with a decrease in calories consumed, and the net impact on a daily basis is much bigger. Exercise can be as simple as something like walking the dog, shooting some hoops, or going for a bike ride around the neighborhood.

It is also important that parents serve as good role models.  Sticking with the Dr. Pepper example, if your child switches to Diet soda, you should do the same.  Don’t send them off to walk the dog every day by themselves – go with them.

Starting simple at home will set your child up for more success when they head off this summer to weight loss camp.

The holiday season is now in full swing, and with it comes a lot of struggles when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  I’ve been asked by a couple of parents of kids and teens that have attended our weight loss camps, or are thinking of attending one of our camps, about tips for the holiday season that they can use at home.

While it’s true that most of us (kids and adults) often feel like we gain weight over the holidays, studies have shown that less than 10% of us gain 5 pounds or more.  That is not to say that only gaining 5 pounds is a good thing.  In fact, it is not, and the goal should be to not gain any weight.

So what is the trick?  Not so surprisingly, there is no secret to maintaining a healthy weight during the holiday season – it’s the same as it is every other time of the year:  Diet and Excercise.  What makes the holidays more difficult, though, is that there is often so much going on that our normal routines get thrown off.  We quickly find ourselves forgoing the family hike on a Saturday afternoon because some friends are hosting a holiday party.  And it’s hard to go to any sort of holiday gathering without being presented with plate after plate of (usually) unhealthy appetizers, chips, dips, and so on.

So what can a parent that has a child struggling with weight issues do to maintain the consistency in diet and exercise that they’re striving for?

Here are a few suggestions that center on both sides of the healthy weight loss coin (diet and exercise).

Exercise

This is one of the hardest part of the holidays as exercise/activities are often pushed aside in favor of party planning, shopping, decorating, and everything else that makes this time of year so busy.  So, instead of simply forgetting about having your child exercise for the next month, the trick is to have them make the most of the activities that they are doing.  Such as:

• Decorating – get your kids to help out hanging decorations and/or cleaning the house.  Things like climbing ladders, moving boxes of lights, getting decorations from storage, etc. are all forms of exercise.
• Take advantage of the opportunities you have – If you get a big snowstorm, encourage the kids to go sledding, have a snowball fight, or whatever else they like to do in the snow.  They won’t realize it, but all the running around, walking up and down the hill, etc. are fantastic forms of exercise.
• Shopping – Yes, even the very act of shopping can be used as a form of exercise.  If you don’t have time to go for a walk with your kids after dinner but still need to find that gift for your sister, take the kids to the mall with you and walk around there instead.

Diet

Many people often feel that they eat far too much and far too often during the holidays.  If you have kids that struggle with weight issues, this can be especially problematic.  Here are some tips for helping to keep your child’s diet in focus during this time of year.

• Start the day off right – make sure you start each day by giving them a healthy and wholesome breakfast.  This will help prevent them from feeling hungry all day and being tempted to fill themselves on junk food, cookies, etc.
• Keep a close eye at any parties – if you go to holiday parties where there are a lot of kids, chances are there will also be a lot of “kids snacks” – things like cookies, candy, and all sorts of junk food that a lot of parents feed their kids without thinking twice.  Unfortunately, these are probably the kinds of things that you and your child are trying to avoid.  So, encourage them to snack on veggies instead.  You can also have them eat a nice healthy meal before going to the party, which will curb their desire to fill up on snacks at the party.  Finally, it’s not realistic to ask anyone to completely avoid the food at any party, so tell your kids to only take one item at a time and have them wait 20-30 minutes before returning to the snack table.

It’s true that this time of year can be challenging for people (kids and adults) trying to lose weight or trying to avoid gaining weight, but by following some of these simple steps, you can ensure that the lessons learned this past summer at weight loss camp do not go to waste.

There’s not much debate about the statistical numbers of overweight/obese children in the United States. In fact, according to statistics, one in five children are overweight but the real reality is that the number is greater than this; one in three children are overweight or obese in the U.S. Due to this alarming number of children who are overweight or obese, weight loss camps (also known as fat camps) have increased in their popularity. Bear in mind that science data shows that kids who are obese will suffer from very adult-like diseases, another reason for the popularity in these types of camps.

Obviously there’s emotional turmoil for kids who are overweight but the serious health issues are a more pressing concern. A serious health risk many children suffer with is Type 2 diabetes. More and more young obese adults are being diagnosed with this condition now that there’s a connection between the two.

In the past, adults were generally diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes but many pediatricians are diagnosing teenagers with the condition as well. This disease can be managed but any effects from it are serious. Over time, Type 2 diabetes causes damage to the kidneys, blood vessels and may even lead to limb amputations and blindness. Type 2 diabetes is often spoken about at weight loss camps for kids.

When a child is overweight, there’s additional stress on the body’s joints, which boosts the chances of joint and muscles problems. For younger obese children, it’s not uncommon for the cartilage to become damaged from the additional weight. Many obese children have poor sleeping habits since they are unable to find a good sleeping position along with breathing problems that are related with their high weight.

Do overweight children have other health risks connected to their extra body weight? They do, in fact. Obese children can suffer with cholesterol and heart disease problems, much like an adult. Obese children are two times more likely to deal with high cholesterol problems than kids of average weight. It is greatly feared among the medical community that obese children will suffer heart attacks; another big reason for the push for weight loss camps.

Many obese children live inactive lifestyles, boosting their chances of developing asthma or other breathing disorders.  While lack of exercise is one reason for the problem, it’s also thought that constant exposure to dust mites and household chemicals can lead to the problem as well for the couch potatoes.

Weight loss camps for kids and teen weight loss camps greatly highlight the health problems that are associated with the extra weight. While teens and younger children may feel invincible, they are not. Obese children must know the health risks and while some do, they focus more on the emotional settings of weight loss. Weight loss camps will help your child understand the risks but as parents, it’s your duty to help them stay focused on losing weight.