This is her story and a brief question and answer post.

Thank you for sharing your story with us Morgan!

Looking for a solution to this epidemic, some teens are turning to drastic measures normally reserved for adults. Teens are pursuing bariatric surgery—a variety of procedures that includes gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic gastric banding, commonly known as lap band.

These extreme measures have drastic results, but also require some very intense lifestyle changes. The surgery forces people to permanently give up caffeine sources such as pop and coffee, to eat much smaller portions and often take a variety of vitamin supplements. In addition, not a lot is known about the long-term effects of the surgery, so if adverse effects occur, teens could be especially vulnerable later in life.

Before considering such major life changes, teens should try exercise and healthy diet to combat their obesity problem. Changing daily habits takes time, and may not have the quick results that bariatric surgery has. However, healthy eating and exercise is actually less restrictive and much less dangerous than surgery. Caffeine and other treats can continue to be enjoyed, in moderation, and vitamin deficiencies (as long as a variety of healthful foods are eaten) are not a concern.

One way to jump start weight loss for teens is to send them to a weight loss camp, such as Camp Pocono Trails. At camp, teens learn healthy habits, discover new ways to be active and make lifelong friends. One summer can make a dramatic difference in teen weight loss success!

Unlike some weight-loss camps that focus on education for weight-loss success, Camp Pocono Trails focuses on fun and friendships to build healthy new habits along with self-esteem. The best summer ever? We think so!

There’s no limit to the fun outdoor activities your child can enjoy, thanks to Camp Pocono Trails’ own private lake front and TWO swimming pools (one for boys and one for girls) and the outstanding amenities our camp features.

Here are just a few of the many activity choices campers can enjoy:

• Water skiing
• Kayaking
• Swimming
• Basketball
• Floor hockey
• Golf driving range
• Dance
• Yoga
• Nature hikes
• Plays
• Climbing wall

What activity will your child discover that helps him or her make a step toward a healthier future?

Additionally, you can have peace of mind about your child’s well-being at our camp because we are accredited by the American Camp Association! Not all camps are accredited.

ACA accreditation goes a step further than state and federal regulations to ensure safety in all aspects of camp operation: site/food service, transportation, health care, management, staffing and program. So you can feel good about the safety of your child while he or she is having the summer of a lifetime!

If your family’s goals include weight loss for your kids, learning to live a healthy lifestyle, building self-esteem and creating lasting friendships then Camp Pocono Trails is the place for you! The 2012 Dates & Rates are now posted so you can find and register for the perfect weight loss adventure for you this summer!

Remember: Campers traveling from west of the Mississippi River to Camp Pocono Trails in Pennsylvania get FREE AIRFARE for a minimum 4-week stay! For details call 1-800-365-0056.

Nothing builds self-esteem like accomplishment. Nothing builds confidence like learning new skills. Nothing builds friendship like a common goal.

Imagine a fun-filled, life-changing summer for kids ages 7-19 filled with sports, cultural activities and outdoor adventures. Weight loss success, self-esteem and lasting friendships await you at Camp Pocono Trails!

By Sarah Sobel

Simply stated: Camp Pocono Trails weight loss camp changed my life!

I know that line sounds very cliché… but it’s so true. I do not even know where I would be right now if it was not for camp. I am now 16 in 11^th grade. I have had weight problems all my life. It never really affected my life though, until about 8^th grade. Although I had a lot of friends, I still didn’t really feel that I was “one of them.” The guys didn’t talk to me, and I wasn’t invited to parties. I knew it was because of my weight. 9^th grade came, and it was the same story. I was in high school, expecting to have a blast and have a boyfriend, it didn’t happen. I knew it was because of my weight. I would sit in my seat in school, and feel like the biggest person in the class. I hated that feeling every day, but I never did anything about it. Then 10^th grade rolled around, which was probably the hardest year of my life. At the end of 10^th grade, the scale hit the highest number I had ever seen, 236lbs. Looking at that number, it didn’t really hit me that I was obese. While I knew I had to lose weight, it didn’t really faze me that I needed to lose over 80lbs. Every day I would go into school and wear the same clothes… a black shirt and stretchy black pants… and the outfit needed some color, so I brightened it up by wearing a colored tank top underneath the black shirt. Every day was a struggle. Just walking up the stairs to get to class was hard. By the top of the steps I was out of breath. Even after making my bed in the morning, I was out of breath. When the temperature was below freezing, I would sweat as if it was 100 degrees outside. Not even those physical problems, but the worst was going shopping. I could not fit into a pair of jeans if my life depended on it. I tried on a size 12, nope. 14, nope. 16, nope. I really didn’t want to try on an 18… I just could not take that reality that I was a size 18… So I never wore jeans. It was ok not wearing jeans… I didn’t need them. Until at the end of the year, I needed to wear jeans for a concert. Uh oh. This was a problem. No jeans fit me. So I decided to secretly order a pair of size 18 jeans online and have it shipped to my house. I made sure that I would be the one to get the package when it came. A few weeks after they were ordered, a package came to my door with the size 18 jeans. So I go to try them on… and THEY DID NOT FIT. They zippered, but they didn’t exactly flatter me in any way… and I couldn’t really breath in them too well. Talk about muffin top. What was I going to do… I was NEVER going to buy a pair of size 20 jeans… I could not do that and I had to wear them for this concert… so I just sucked in and dealt with it.

Before Camp

All of these things plus many more added up to me deciding that I needed to change this. I could not live like this any more. I heard from a friend about Camp Pocono Trails weight loss camp. I decided to give it a shot. At this point, between just the way I felt about myself, oh and what the doctor said (basically, I was going to get diabetes if I didn’t do something about this) … I signed up. Let’s keep in mind that I had never been to sleep away camp before, and I have never even been away from my home for more than 5 days at a time.

So I packed my bags and got to the camp. The first day of camp was probably the hardest thing I ever did. The kids and the counselors in my bunk were extremely nice and welcoming. Even though I knew it would be fine, and I was in a very safe and warm environment, I just couldn’t believe I was going to be away from home for 8 weeks. After only a couple of days however, I got used to the atmosphere and I loved it. While it was hard work, I knew that my job was to lose weight and come back a healthier and happier person. Every week, I lost around 4 or 5 lbs, which was amazing. Every week I would call my mom and tell her my good news about the weigh in, and I have never heard a happier response from her. It was just so exciting every day to have more energy and just know that I was headed in the right direction. By the end of the summer, my life was completely changed. For one thing, I made some of the most amazing friends anyone could ever ask for. Everyone is just so supportive of each other, and you really will not find that at any other camp. Surprisingly, I was chosen as the general during color war. This leadership role really opened my eyes to so many things I never knew I could do. It really helped me so much to build strength and character, and show me how to be a leader and to believe more in myself. The last and most important accomplishment was that I lost a total of 37lbs by the end of the summer! I could not believe what a great achievement this was for being away for one summer.

After!

Then the hardest part came. Coming home. What was I going to do? Going from all structure to absolutely no structure at all. That was going to be my greatest challenge. However, with the support from Weight Watchers, who would have known that I would be sitting here today having lost over 65lbs. I now weight 169lbs. How you might ask how?  Well, lots of exercise, and a lot of celery…. just kidding. Truthfully, Camp Pocono Trails taught me that you can really eat anything that you want. As long as it’s in moderation and you make smart decisions. I have made it my routine every day to go to the gym. I learned that no matter how hard you try, you really can’t lose weight without exercising. All of my hard work has really been paying off, and every single day I wake up to a new, better me.

When beginning this whole journey, I never ever thought that I could have an impact on others. I really never believed that I could influence and affect so many people. Everyday people tell me how proud they are of me and my accomplishments. What a feeling that is to have people I never thought even look at me, compliment me. I have influenced my friends and family to lose weight, which is the greatest gift of all. It is so important to keep a healthy lifestyle… and I am so happy that I was able to affect others so greatly as to help them become healthier too.

I really do not know where I would be today if I did not go to Camp Pocono Trails. Who would have thought that just one summer could change my entire life and help me become an entirely different, healthier, happier, and more successful person.

If you have any questions about my experiences at New Image’s Camp Pocono Trails, you can register and comment on our blog or you can send me an email: xosobes91ox @ gmail dot com or my facebook page