Parent Resources

Camper Resources

Our Blog

Contact Us


Despite Obesity Concerns, Schools are Cutting Physical Education

July 20, 2012 by

In a biennial survey of high school students in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly half said that they had no physical education classes in an average week.

New York City under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s push to increase awareness of childhood obesity has also seen a decrease in physical education classes from 14.4% a decade before now to the current 20.5% of students saying that they had no physical education in the past week.

Dr. John J. Ratey, a Harvard professor and author of “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” cited a 2010 study on the topic from the federal Health and Human Services Department.

“There is shrinking P.E. and recess time for our kids,” Dr. Ratey wrote. “P.E. teachers are fighting like cats and dogs to hold the line on their jobs and worth, at the same time as there is a dawning awareness that we have missed the boat.”

Despite the limited physical education classes Bloomberg has collected accolades from health advocates for recent anti-obesity programs, including calorie charts in chain restaurants, a ban on large drinks that contain sugar in certain settings, and limiting school vending machines based on calorie and sugar contents.

New Image Camps at Camp Pocono Trails has been a leader amongst promoting healthy habits through their summer weight loss camps for kids, New Image Camps is currently offering programs for kids and teenagers through the end of summer.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: ,

Morgan’s story

July 9, 2012 by

Morgan checked into New Image Camp’s Kids Weight Loss Camp at Camp Pocono at age 14, weighing 280 lbs. and since lost over 100 lbs.

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

Thank you for sharing your story with us Morgan!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: ,

Losing Weight and Gaining Self Confidence? Not Necessarily…

May 31, 2012 by

In a recent study conducted by Purdue sociology researcher Sarah Mustillo via the National Growth and Health Study it has been revealed that losing weight does not necessarily boost confidence and whether or not it does may depend on your race.

Mustillo analyzed ten years of data on upwards of 2,000 black and white girls.

Mustillo can’t say exactly why the effects of obesity-related stigma lingered for the white girls, but not the black. That’s a subject for future study.

New Image Camps makes self-esteem a top priority and focuses on making self-esteem an essential step in their four step summer teen weight loss camp.

New Image Camps philosophy:

From the moment campers arrive, they are treated with respect and caring
by our highly trained staff who are all devoted to the New Image philosophy:

1. Provide an environment where weight loss is an integral part of the summer camp experience

2. Promote health, wellness, integrity and learning

3. Build self-esteem and lasting friendships

4. Ensure individualized attention that yields results

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , ,

Kids Weight Loss Issues: How To Help Kids Who Find Comfort In Food

September 3, 2010 by

More and more kids are becoming overweight and obese, due to excessive eating and lack of mobility. Who can blame them, televisions and computers are beckoning them to sit down and watch, while they turn to food from the fridge when they’re sad, afraid or just plain bored and in need of some comfort.

So, if you’re worried about your child becoming overweight, then there are plenty of ways for you to intervene and help them eat healthier. Kids weight loss issues can be solved with proper guidance, and a little external help along the way.

Get Your Child Active
Another good way to address kids weight loss issues is to get your child healthy. There are plenty of sports activities that your son or daughter can engage in. During the summer, you can enroll your child in Kid’s Fitness camps such as Camp Pocono Trails in order to address any teen weight loss issues that your child may have.

Kids Fitness Camps are designed for children to go out, interact and keep active. There’s no denying that kids nowadays would rather spend their time eating and watching television. In summer fitness camps, however, they get the physical activity that they need – in a fun and non-restrictive method that’s designed especially for their age. Your child can meet with other children, and together they learn the importance of nutrition and physical activity. Camp Pocono Trails is just one example of summer fitness camps available all over the country.

Pick Healthy Comfort Foods
Aside from getting external help, it’s also very important to make some changes in the home. Let’s face it, as parents we usually aren’t at home most of the time, so we usually have no idea what our kids stuff inside their mouths while they’re out. But, as a parent you can change this picture completely.  Stocking your refrigerator or pantry with healthy snacks or comfort food is a good place to start. This may not immediately give immediate results in your kid’s weight loss issues, but it definitely is a start. Filling up your refrigerator with healthy snack items doesn’t stop your child from eating – but at least he gets to pick between healthier choices.

Spend Time With Your Child
Spending more time with your child allows you to have time to speak to him or her. Most children, especially those who usually don’t see their parents regularly due to work and other obligations, turn to food for comfort. By spending time with your child and talking to him or her on a daily basis, you establish a bond that will help your child feel more secure and less sad. Your time spent with your child may also be a great opportunity to talk to him or her about the importance of nutrition and proper eating. Just remember to practice what you preach, since children usually look up to their parents as examples as well.

With the right guidance, a little lifestyle change and some prodding here and there, you can help your child counter the common kids weight loss issues, allowing him or her to grow up into a healthy individual.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: ,

Weight Loss for Kids – The Best and Worst Environments

May 23, 2008 by

Childhood obesity is a serious problem because as parents try to figure out how to get their overweight son or daughter to lose weight, they often find dieting and enforcing a vigorous fitness routine doesn’t work well if at all. One sad trend is that despite knowing the health consequences of being overweight, children are still eating unhealthy foods and becoming less and less active as technology is readily available.

Many factors are influencing the trend of children becoming overweight in the US. One factor parents should definitely consider is how the social environment can be a negative or positive place of reinforcing healthy eating habits and being fit. For example, one might look at how the fact that many public schools are poorly funded and receive offers from vending machine companies to get thousands of dollars in exchange for placing their machines in the schools.

Photo by: arrrreffff

These machines often carry high calorie and nutrient deficient foods (or junk foods as we all know it), and because they are fast to eat and sweet tasting, many kids fall victim to consuming them daily. While some might argue that it is a personal decision whether or not to consume these foods, one must recall the fact that children and teenagers are still growing and often incapable of making the right decision all the time. This inability to often make the right decision for oneself, is why parents must consider how even the school environment can be a negative place for healthy eating habits.

In nutrition, vending machines serve as an especially dangerous exposure for children for many reasons. Everything in this country is fast paced. For example, many schools have a very short lunch break which leaves children just enough time to properly eat a healthy lunch and have time leftover to socialize through play or other means. This is a huge temptation for our kids because they will likely desire to quickly fill up on high calorie foods and sugary beverages so they can go outside and play or socialize with friends.

So, for as long as obesity trends are becoming worse and children must attend school, it is up to parents to try to structure their environment as much as possible so as to leave little room for them to give into their temptation. A positive environment for a child would be surrounding them with people who are all having fun by being active naturally. A summer fitness camp for kids fits this description perfectly because as a positive environment, it will reinforce being active as a natural way to have fun. At the same time it will also provide your child with a structure that prevents them from consuming junk food on a regular basis. They will be having too much fun to think about eating junk food!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: ,