In the study, children first played an online game. In half the instances of the game, the children were excluded from play. After playing online, they were allowed to choose a sedentary or physical activity while researchers analyzed data. In instances where children were deliberately left out of the online game, research showed they were more likely to choose a sedentary activity than the children who were not excluded from the online game.

The findings are a bit concerning and point to what could turn into a negative cycle for kids who are already overweight: if they are already excluded for being overweight, they may exercise less, causing them to remain overweight.

One way to break this cycle is a summer weight loss camp. Kids and teens who are overweight will find fun ways to exercise, and, perhaps more importantly, accepting friends who are working toward a common goal.

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!

While most kids do not worry about whether or not they are obese, all kids worry about what other kids think of them.  Therefore, obesity affects each child differently; some kids are outgoing enough that they are not teased about their weight, and are therefore not bothered by it, but many kids do suffer as a result of their condition.

However, it can be difficult for a parent to convince even a frequently-teased obese child to consider diet and exercise.  Kids often do not see the importance of restraint or how learning to restrain themselves could result in their leading happier lives.  For a child, habits are not a matter of choice, but a matter of the way things are and will always be.

The best time to introduce changes to your child’s habits and routines is when other changes are already occurring – between school years or when your child is getting ready to transition to a new school.  All the changes that will already be going on in your child’s life will make the new habit seem less intruding.

Perhaps as a parent you are worried about your obese child or teen suffering from the cruelty of his or her classmates?  Most parents can tell or at least get a feeling of when their child is not happy or is suffering from torments at school.  Such torments inevitably manifest themselves through changes in your child’s mood or disposition.  You know your child better than anyone else does; it is important to be perceptive.

High school in particular brings a lot of very difficult changes.  A high school student’s environment is completely different from that of any other environment he or she has ever encountered.  This is particularly terrifying for a person who is insecure about his or her weight and/or appearance.

Most teens use their summer break from school to improve their looks or otherwise increase their chances of being accepted when school starts back up again.  A weight loss camp is a great way to help your teen feel ready to start school confidently in the fall.

Not only do weight loss camps help kids lose weight while having fun, but they also give kids an opportunity to learn valuable information about nutrition that will serve them in planning healthy diets for the rest of their lives.

Additionally, the exercise habits adopted at teen weight loss camps are fun and will provide a foundation for a life full of confidence and good health that will help your teen see his or her life in a more positive way.

The summer is the perfect time for your child to make a decision either to start the next year the way he or she is, or to start changing for the better. Make the right decision; persuade your child to take this step toward a happier and more productive school year and a better, healthier life.

Everybody knows how important friendships are to a child.  Childhood is a very sensitive period during which the person you will be for the rest of your life is formed.  If your child is obese, it is likely he or she feels limited and trapped by the number of other kids at school struggling with weight loss.

Kids understand at a very early age their likelihood of being accepted among certain social groups.  There are two likely possibilities if your kid is overweight: he or she is quiet and withdrawn, or he or she acts out as an extreme extrovert, always goofing off or engaging in self-degradation.

Obese children often feel like they have to bring more to the table in order to be accepted and have issues with their self-esteem.  And, sadly, most children and teenagers are not accepting of obesity.

Most overweight kids, however, do not even bother trying to put forward the extra effort in order to be accepted by everybody; they will simply make friends with whoever is willing to accept them, and in some cases this is only other obese kids.  Weight loss camps for teens and kids provide a great atmosphere where kids do not have to worry about picking their friends with their weight in mind.

Most kids who spend their summers in our camps report a new-found sense of social freedom from judgment and criticism that they are able to carry over into their lives at school the next year.  The power of genuine friendship is truly amazing.

Most overweight kids are lucky to have one other kid in their class they can relate to.  If your kid is so lucky, he or she is doing better than most.  However, even if your kid has a close friend at school, you would be amazed to see the effects of adding another, or even two or three more close friends.  Not only do weight loss camps allow overweight kids to feel what it is like to have multiple genuine friends, but they also allow them to feel what it is like not to have to be friends with everyone who will accept them, and that will do wonders for their self esteem.

This aspect of weight loss camps is particularly helpful for girls.  The social pressure put on women by society is tremendous, and feeling relief from this pressure is tremendously helpful in losing weight.

Weight loss camps provide kids with an environment in which more importance is placed on their personality, as opposed to their appearance, than may ever have been before in their lives.  The absence of stress this creates will put your child in the perfect state of mind for losing weight and adopting healthier living habits.