Times have changed and the problem of overweight kids is being recognized for the health hazards it presents.  Weight loss camps can help overweight children learn to make better food choices and also set them on a path of increased physical activity that will benefit them for a lifetime.

In our society, we’ve migrated to a different way of eating.   This is often due to busy schedules in homes where two parents work full time.  It is easy to pick up pizza or hamburgers or fried chicken on the way home from work.   Soft drinks are staples in most refrigerators and snack foods such as chips and cookies are regular fare rather than the treats they were for previous generations.

Overweight children suffer more health problems due to their weight and to the lack of activity that weight causes.  And, children aren’t long term planners.   They live in the present and cannot be counted on to eat less because they are told to.  Parents often have tried to limit the food intake and know how difficult it can be to deny a child his favorite snack foods.  The only way to even attempt to put a child on a diet is for the entire family to change regular eating habits.   Even then, determined kids will snack every chance they get.

When you register your child at a weight loss camps for kids, you are not giving a punishment.   You are giving your child a chance to start on a path to a happier life where he is not ridiculed or bullied.

Some people still call these resident facilities fat camps but they aren't - they offer children a place to be with others who have similar circumstances.   This allows the child to let his personality shine as he is accepted as he is without judgment.  Your child will eat the same healthy diet provided to all the campers.  The activities are designed to be fun and increase exercise without the children realizing it.  After two weeks or a month or more at a resident weight loss camp, the child you bring home will be happier, healthier and more comfortable in his own skin.  What greater gift could you offer a child?

In a camp atmosphere where all the kids are overweight, the children lose the hesitant approach they use in their daily life.  Unfortunately, a large percentage of overweight kids don’t know how they will be received in most situations and have learned to be cautious.

These kids are sometimes accustomed to being stared at in public and teased in school.  They hear whispers when they walk by a group of kids.   Overweight boys, for example, get used to being the last person picked for a game during exercise periods at school.  Some adapt by using humor; others will become bullies themselves.

Overweight girls can be deeply hurt by comments about their size and often become loners or find another overweight girl to befriend.  Nothing hurts a parent more than seeing their child unhappy, but many times parents don’t know what they can do to help.  Often, well-meaning parents encourage their children to make friends or to date without realizing the damaged self image their child suffers due to their weight problems.

When teens attend what is commonly called "fat camp" (click to see why our camp is NOT a fat camp) they quickly notice they are no longer “different”.   For the first time in their life many kids are able to let their personality shine without worrying about calling attention to themselves.

Because all the teens have the same weight issue, the element of judging others based on appearance no longer applies.  Following the example set by camp counselors, teens support each other and encourage.  They counsel a friends and provide positive reinforcement for each other.

The most effective "therapy" at weight loss camps for kids may be the other kids at the camp.  Friendships are formed and kids are free to share stories with those who have had the same experiences.

For children who are the only overweight person in their family, the experience of time spent with other similar kids is priceless.   The lone overweight child is often exposed to ridicule from his own siblings who don’t understand his weight problems.  At camp, children blossom when they are encouraged and join a group of kids who encourage each other.   This brings out the best in each child and helps improve their self confidence and give them a new sense of worth and self image.

It’s easy to place all the blame on childhood obesity on fast food and high calorie snacks but not only the calories damage the health of children.  The foods lack nutritional value.   Children are eating preservatives and chemical flavors, ingesting far more salt and sugar than nutritionists recommend and are filling their stomachs with food that does not efficiently fuel their body.

Obese children are seldom found eating a fresh vegetable or piece of fruit.  Too often, the options are choosing between cupcakes and cookies.  This new way of eating was enabled by advances in packaged foods.  There is no effort involved in providing high calorie snacks today as all of the foods that used to be treats made at home are now packaged in a way that encourages frequent consumption.

For generations, children in farming communities ate meals that would be considered unhealthy today.   Fried meats, creamed vegetables, plenty of carbohydrates and dessert once or twice a week was common fare in farm families.  Yet few children were overweight and even fewer suffered from childhood obesity.

Weight gain was not a problem because the caloric intake was quickly burned off by outdoor work and activities.   That is the missing element in society today.  Even young children are glued to TV watching a constant stream of rented movies.  Elementary school children play video games for hours and teens are updating MySpace and Facebook pages as they Twitter every few minutes.

Weight loss camps remove the sedentary activities children have so easily adapted to.

Outdoor activities are not only encouraged but are organized to include all the camp participants and provide physical activity.  Swimming, kayaking or canoeing, racing up hills, games of tag, dancing – these are activities that make up a typical day for many attending.

Exercise produces energy.   It raises the metabolism, burns fat, and tones muscles. The significant increase in exercise at weight loss camps for kids makes them feel better and also carries significant health benefits.

Children have food choices at camp but all choices are nutritionally sound.  Food is not used as a reward for behavior nor used to make a child feel better.  Positive reinforcement is never food based and exercise is not viewed as punishment - instead, "exercise" at camp is generally not what kids think of when you say the word "exercise" - it's fun, exciting, and the kind of thing that kids want to keep doing.

As we all know, losing weight comes down to two things - eating better and exercising more.  That is the formula that has worked for centuries and will continue to work for many more.  For parents of kids trying to lose weight, the common saying of "Do as I say, not as I do" will not work.  Put yourself in their shoes - would you want to sit down to a snack of carrots and celery while the rest of the people snacking with you ate cookies, chips, candy, etc?

So, if you're making efforts to change the diet of your child, make sure you make similar changes in your diet.  As I mentioned previously, if your kid switches to diet soda or low fat milk, don't keep regular soda and milk around the house for the rest of the family.  Prepare healthy meals for the entire family and don't make the diet of one child "special."  The support you provide by making the same changes as your child will go a long way…and it will benefit your personal health (and the health of the rest of the family) as well.

Since exercise and increased activity levels are equally important, you also need to be a good role model here too.  Set aside more time to play with your kids - take them to the park for a walk or to play on the playground if they're still at that age.  If they're a bit older, try things like hikes or playing a game of catch in the back yard.  Or you can do things like go to the local museum or zoo - though not really thought of as forms of exercise, these activities involve a lot of walking around to view the different exhibits - and they can be educational.

Televisions, computers, video games, and other "screens" are also an area where changes will likely need to be made.  Kids today spend more time than ever sitting down playing games, surfing the web, or watching television.  You can make this a family event with things like the Wii Fit that are video games that involve physical activity.  Additionally, be aware of how much time you spend watching TV or using the computer.  Your child will not feel very supported if you tell them they need to go play outside instead of watching TV if they know that you're just going to watch TV while they're outside.

Finally, encourage your kids to get involved in activities like organized sports and be supportive by attending their practices and games and providing encouragement.  Also, don't limit them to the sports that you are familiar with or that you played when you were growing up.  If your kid expresses an interest in something that you've never heard of or know little about, make it a learning experience for everyone.

The key is to remain positive.  Summer weight loss camps are successful because they do a great job of removing kids from their "normal" routine, introducing new and fun activities, serving healthy foods, and creating a healthy and supportive environment where making some changes is easy.  With the right mindset and role modeling, parents can be an equally important part of helping their child develop a healthy lifestyle.

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!

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.

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.

Let's first look at lunch time. The food that most cafeterias offer is generally poor quality and not nutritious. It's often made with refined carbohydrates and a lot of fat. Popular kid's meals at school include: pizza, instant mashed potatoes, french fries, battered fish, tacos, and chicken nuggets. Kids undoubtedly love these kinds of meals, but they do nothing for helping to contribute to a healthy diet. As a parent, you can do things like send your child to school with a healthy lunch that you prepare, but ultimately they will be the one that decides whether or not to eat the lunch you prepare.

Second, consider physical education classes and recess. Schools have had their budgets cut and this has meant that school children no longer have physical education every day. The educational demands on our kids have also increased and this has resulted in recess times that have shrunk. Most schools have physical education lessons once or twice a week and each session typically only lasts 20 minutes - a far cry from the hour long sessions I remember from grade school and the daily P.E. classes I took in middle school.

To be fair, schools are not entirely to blame. Budget cuts have literally forced their hand in some of these cases. However, a combination of sitting at a desk for the majority of the day with little to no exercise and very, very few healthy eating choices in the cafeteria is not a good one.

While most parents cannot do much to control what goes on in the day-to-day activities of school, steps can be taken at home and within the family to make some changes. A weight loss camp for kids is a great way to help your child learn about the dangers associated with obesity, learn how to enjoy eating healthily, and give them the self confidence to get more involved in active events like organized sports or even informal activities with friends. Make sure that your kids eat a healthy breakfast and dinner every day, and encourage them to do something active every day after school instead of watching TV or playing video games. A family walk after dinner every night is another excellent idea.

Dealing with an obese child as a parent is not an easy task, especially when outside factors like time spent at school are considered. However, it is possible to make progress. For more information about the strategies used at Camp Pocono Trails or to learn more about our programs, check out our weight loss camps site.

Get your kids excited about eating better by involving them in meal planning, shopping, and cooking. This gives your kids less of a feeling that a diet is being "forced" on them and gets them more invested in the efforts.

Try increasing their exercise levels with incentives or by finding fun activities that they will not consider "exercise." Most kids (even kids that are not overweight) cringe when they hear the word "exercise." If your kid would rather spend hours watching TV, make them "earn" some TV time by exercising. Also keep in mind that "exercise" doesn't have to be things like jumping rope, doing sit-ups, and so on - anything that gets kids active is exercise. Taking a bike ride, jumping on a trampoline, throwing a football around, even vacuuming the house!

The key is to get your kids invested in the weight loss effort and creating a supportive environment. This is what makes our weight loss camps so successful, but is also the kinds of things that can be done at home. Fun exercise. Healthy dieting. It really is that simple.

Many people begin a new year by making some sort of resolution to improve their quality of life. A common resolution is to lose some weight, change a diet, etc. To help those of you that make similar resolutions, we've compiled a list of some entries from our blog this year that might be beneficial:

• Weight Loss Strategies Used at Weight Loss Camps
• The Factors, Risks, and Solutions to Childhood Obesity
• Weight Loss Camps and Other Solutions for Parents of Overweight Kids
• Why Weight Loss Camps are More Successful than Restrictive Diets
• Parents Must Do Their Part at Home, Too
• Why our Weight Loss Camps are Successful

Moving in to a new year, you may finally decide that attending a weight loss camp for kids is the solution that your family needs. If so, we look forward to hearing from you!

We are excited for another successful year full of helping kids and teens create a New Image for themselves and starting on the path to healthier living in 2010!