Can Controversial TV Commercials End Childhood Obesity?

January 13, 2012 By julie Leave a Comment

A new ad campaign in Georgia urges residents to “stop sugarcoating” childhood obesity. The ads aim to raise awareness of the problem by saying things like, “WARNING: It’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not,” and by claiming that 75% of parents with overweight children don’t realize there’s a problem.

Are these striking commercials enough to make a difference in the childhood obesity epidemic? Raising awareness is one step, but being aware of the problem won’t stop it. True lifestyle changes are the only way to conquer childhood obesity once and for all.

Changing one’s lifestyle, or the lifestyle of one’s children can be an overwhelming task. Incorporating more exercise, healthier foods and less time being sedentary in front of the TV or video games requires true commitment and dedication, and often parents don’t know where to start.

Weight loss camps for kids, such as Camp Pocono Trails, are a great way to kick-off healthy lifestyle changes. Kids and teens are taken out of their current environment and routine for a summer to a place where they can play, learn about and experience the lifestyle changes it takes to be healthier.

Additionally, kids and teens have a chance to connect with others who are working toward the same goals as they are, leading to an environment of acceptance and lifelong friendships.

Is there a better way to spend a summer? It’s not too early to start planning. Check out our dates & rates page today to find the summer adventure of a lifetime.

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How to Turn Your Home into a Weight Loss Camp for Kids

May 15, 2010 By amy Leave a Comment

For many parents of overweight children, the desire to send their children to weight loss camp is overridden by the costs of weight loss camps for kids. It is true, that many of these sleep away camps and kids fitness camps can cost thousands of dollars that today’s parent just doesn’t have. Very few insurance companies pay for these beneficial programs, and parents are often left trying to deal with the problem in silence. Luckily, there are also many free resources that parents can use to turn their home in a private, mini weight loss camp that will help their child and their entire family.

Obesity normally runs in families. In order for the chain of obesity to be broken, one responsible adult must break from the pack and look for both realistic and proven tricks and tips to transforming the families lifestyle. But how?

If going to a full time weight loss camp for kids is not an option, then you can decide to empower yourself with knowledge and information (which is free) and make your home a weight loss camp of its own. All you need is the committal of every family member and a little bit of instruction. The first place to start is by visiting any of the sites offered by the CDC that discuss healthy weight loss for children.

Secondly, you may want to attend a two or three day course in nutrition so that you have accurate information to base your camp upon. The third step is to go through your home and remove all of the foods and items in your home that do not fit into your healthy lifestyle. Learn how to read food labels, and look for meal planning ideas from weight watchers or other online sites that specialize in healthy eating.

At first, the drastic change of your home becoming a weight loss camp will be met with hesitation. However, the end result is worth it. Each week begin implementing one new activity that will promote health and wellness. This can be as simple as taking a walk after dinner every night or limiting the amount of TV watching to an hour. You can also sign the family up for a fitness class or purchase a DVD exercise program that the family does together.

As the initial resistance tapers off, you will notice that being healthy and exercising really is fun. You and your entire family will feel better which will have you all looking for creative ideas to stay healthy. Allow your children to participate in the meal planning and shopping, and try to explain to them what makes food healthy or just ‘junk.’ Obviously, when you are dealing with children, they will feel punished if they are restricted from all sweet treats. For this reason, it is smart to come up with modified food choices that are slightly indulgent that your child can have from time to time.

Setting up a weight loss camp for kids in your own home should not just be a temporary adjustment. The truth is as you learn more about healthy living and eating and become a living example of just how transformational it can be to you and your child’s health, you are taking giant steps to making a positive change in your family. There are plenty of free resources to help you, many of which will help you overcome your emotional response to weight loss as well. Children are resilient and since you are introducing and enforcing the right and healthy way to live, they will naturally want to follow course.

If you can, you may want to find an affordable, temporary weight loss camp that you and your child can attend to gather ideas and get a boost towards your goals. However, just because you cannot afford it, doesn’t mean you can’t make it a reality in your own home.

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Weight Loss Camps and Positive Peer Pressure

March 3, 2010 By Joe Leave a Comment

Children may be resistant when a parent first proposes they attend a weight loss camp.  If parents are lucky, this will only happen the first time as one of the first things that the child notices when they get to camp is that they are surrounded by peers.

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.

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Weight Loss Camp Counselors Address 10 Reasons Teens Tend To Overeat

November 4, 2009 By Joe Leave a Comment

Any kind of weight loss for teens can be a challenge for all involved especially for counselors at teen weight loss camps. Why is that? Counselors have to deal with the eating issues that teenagers face along with their hormonal lows and highs.

Doctors often recommend additional counseling for obese teenagers, as this may establish a reason why the child is suffering from the weight problem. Obviously, overeating is a key problem but the reason behind the weight gain itself may be complicated.

There are 10 big reasons as to why obesity occurs. They are:

  • Depression
  • Family issues
  • Genetics
  • Lack of exercise
  • Low self-esteem
  • Medical conditions
  • Medications
  • Overeating
  • Peer issues
  • Poor eating habits

Some teens are being lazy, eating whatever and whenever they want; really obese teens tend to have an underlying factor or two behind their excessive weight. However, it’s not known whether the factors cause the child to become obese or if the obesity caused the factors.

The majority of overweight teens want to lose weight but they have a misconception that losing weight gets quick results. However, teen weight loss camps like ours help them understand the truths and myths on weight loss along with setting realistic goals and developing exercise and nutritional plans. Besides doing all this, weight loss camp will help tackle the emotional characteristics facing teens and their weight loss.

Through the use of counseling, teens are able to recognize the underlying issues that causes them to eat more than they should and address them head on. If a teenager eats lots of food when his/her parents are fighting, they can discover a different method that allows him/her to deal with those emotions, all without picking up a lick of food.

When teens tackle the problems of unhealthy food choices and lack of exercise, they can begin to meet their weight loss goals. However, parents play a big role in their teenagers weight and health by making health food choices of their own. Some well-meaning parents have thwarted their teenagers weight loss plans because they’re afraid their child isn’t eating enough. It’s hard enough to diet but for obese children, it’s even worse when parents are trying to force more food into them. Sometimes, it’s more than just the fear of them not eating enough food but the fear that the child will accomplish their weight loss goals, something the parents have been unable to do themselves.

Teenagers who can recognize their overeating triggers will succeed in losing weight. Under a substitution method, they can do exercises instead of eating junk food.

Another big reason for teenagers to overeat is boredom. Boredom isn’t classified as an emotion but it’s the lack of having something worthwhile to do. Teens will use the emotional terms to clarify why they overeat. However, by substituting these emotional responses from eating to exercise, they can begin to tackle their weight problem.

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Weight Loss Camps Today

October 27, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

For years weight loss camps for kids were filled will teen age boys and girls who were willing to eat sparingly and exercise dutifully for a few weeks in exchange for quick weight loss. These programs were often advertised as “diet camps” and nothing more.

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically in the past twenty years. Children haven’t changed but their eating habits and activity levels have undergone drastic changes. Fast food has become a way of life for many time stressed families and sugar laden drinks are no longer a treat but have become part of the daily diet. Video games and computers have replaced outdoor activities and children are delivered to and from school and activities by car even for distances of a few blocks.

The results of this lifestyle are obvious. Chubby toddlers turn into pudgy kids then become overweight teens and obese young adults. The new weight loss camps are designed to break this cycle. They reject the title “fat camps” and describe their programs as “lifestyle weight loss” or “fitness camps“.

The best weight loss camp for any child is the one where he will become engaged in the process and learn to change his eating habits and his exercise routine in a way that will benefit him long after camp is over. The goal of fitness camp is to teach kids the relationships between eating and exercise. Weight loss is about calories taken in versus calories expended and understanding that relationship is crucial to establishing a healthier lifestyle.

One big advantage of time spent in a fitness focused “fat camp” for kids is the ability to exercise with others who have the same limitations. It’s difficult for an overweight child to keep up with normal weight friends in a typical gym class and often he doesn’t try. In a group of kids with the same weight problems he lives with, the obese child is more likely to expend effort and try to do as much as he can. The fear of being ridiculed or of appearing clumsy is gone and the only competition is with others who are struggling just as he is.

Physical activities are no longer a source of fear and shame. They become real competitions when all participants are well matched. Rude comments and pitying looks are replaced with encouragement and the excitement of other kids cheering you on.

Nothing makes a child feel more self confident than knowing he tried hard and did his best – and it was good enough. A week, a month, or a summer at a weight loss camp will not undo years of overeating and sedentary behavior but it can start an obese child or teen on the path to a healthier future.

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Making Weight Loss a Family Affair – Part II

October 22, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

Parents who want to help their child lose weight at home before or after the child attends a weight loss camp must often undo problems they (the parent) caused. If they allowed the child to dictate what he ate without restriction it will take time to establish nutritional rules. It may also require the full cooperation of every member of the family. A child who is not allowed to have sweets will feel only frustration if he knows a locked cabinet is filled with sweet snacks that other family members are eating. He feels deprived, unloved and mistreated and will not be able to focus on solving his own weight problem.

The first step to establishing a good diet is to toss out all foods that do not contribute to the nutritional plan for your child. Most of that junk food isn’t healthy for anyone in the family and if necessary can be eaten away from the home. If your overweight child is demanding on a grocery trip, don’t take him with you. Older children might benefit from a grocery buying trip where you explain and compare ingredients and labels (and calories, sugar and sodium).

Establish family meals where healthy foods are served. No one in the family will suffer because food is not fried or sauced. Instead, the entire family will receive positive health benefits from eating a balanced low fat diet. Changing the eating habits of the entire family will provide the overweight child with the greatest chance of success.

Instead of watching television or playing video games with your obese child, go for a walk with him. If you drive your child to school, drop him off at the curb rather than at the front door of the school. Take your child places where walking is required such as a zoo or aquarium. Organize family weekend activities of swimming or camping. Children are easily motivated to participate in a project to “improve our family’s health” but may drag their feet reluctantly when the subject is “you need to lose weight”.

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Reality TV Show Films at Camp Pocono Trails

September 15, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

Our weight loss camp hosted the popular shows on MTV – “Fat Camp” and “Return to Fat Camp” in 2006 and 2007. We’ve also been featured on Good Morning America. This year, we were happy to be featured on the Style Network’s show “Ruby.” Michael Sadowski of the Pocono Record had a featured story about Ruby’s visit to our camp:

Workers at Camp Pocono Trails know the drill when it comes to having television cameras on their grounds.

The camp has been featured in MTV documentaries and on “Good Morning America” in recent years.

So when weight-loss hopeful and reality show star Ruby Gettinger brought her show to the Reeders camp in June, it was business as usual for camp director and founder Tony Sparber.

“We’re not strangers to having cameras at the camp,” he said. “We’re very media-friendly, we’re very proud of what we do. We’ve had times where we’ve had cameras on us from eight in the morning to 10 at night, so we’re used to it.”

And for someone bringing a message like Ruby — whose self-titled reality show just wrapped up its second season on the Style Network — Sparber was happy to bring the cameras back for another taping.

You can read the entire article here.

If you’d like more information about our successful weight loss camps, please feel free to contact us.

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The Factors, Risks, and Solutions to Childhood Obesity

June 25, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

“Over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years. At present, approximately nine million children over 6 years of age are considered obese.”
– Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2004)

How can you not read the above statement and not find it alarming? For the past 30 years, the number of overweight and obese children in America has climbed. Steadily. This is a complex problem, as there are a number of contributing factors to this problem. Additionally, there are a growing number of known long-term health risks associated with obesity in children and teens. Here, I’d like to briefly discuss some of the more common factors that contribute, some of the risks that obesity presents, and how one of our weight loss camps can be an ideal solution.

Contributing Factors

Poor lifestyle habits is one of the biggest contributing factors. Children today are less active than children from generations past. Consider the “average day” of a child today: They roll out of bed and sit down to eat breakfast. After breakfast, they either ride the bus, drive, or get a ride to school. At school, the spend 90% of their day sitting at a desk. They then ride home from school and sit down at home to do homework. After homework, they sit down for dinner, then spend the evening watching TV, playing video games, doing more homework, or playing on the internet. After that, they go to bed. Where is the activity? How are they expected to burn calories when they spend the majority of their day sitting down?

Toss an increasingly unhealthy diet in there, born out of our modern need for convenience over health, and it should be no surprise that we have more obese children than ever before. Further, consider the kinds of foods that we’re constantly bombarded with via advertising. When was the last time you saw a commercial encouraging you to eat more fruits and vegetables? I can’t remember either. But, I can tell you all about the commercials for candy bars, junk food, super-sized fast food, and so on that I see every day. Given how much TV children watch these days, it comes as no surprise that kids typically choose these kinds of foods over healthier alternatives.

Risks that Childhood Obesity Present

With each passing year, more and more studies are released that confirm connections between childhood obesity and some pretty serious, potentially fatal, health concerns. Worse is the fact that the long-term results of these issues haven’t been completely realized yet since obesity is a relatively recent big problem that warranted scientific studies. Some examples of the kinds of diseases and conditions that have been linked to childhood obesity are: Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, mycardial infaction, Type II Diabetes, joint problems, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and several others.

The Solutions

Today, the solution to obesity is no different than it was 100 years ago – people need to eat well and exercise often. It’s as simple as that, in most cases (genetic causes aside). Instead of allowing children to spend an entire day playing on their Playstation, we need to encourage them to go outside and kick the soccer ball around with some friends. Instead of eating fast food three times a week for dinner, families need to find a way to eat healthier.

At our weight loss camps, we provide the perfect environment to develop those healthy habits. Our meals are well planned and healthy. Children have plenty of fun ways to exercise, and they are surrounded by a staff of caring individuals and peers that are going through the same struggle that they are. Many families report that changes are much easier to make at home when their child returns from camp and is motivated to make some changes on their own instead of doing so because Mom and Dad say so. Our camps are also nationally accredited, which not all weight loss summer camps are, meaning you know you’re making a sound investment.

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Weight Loss Camps Benefit Parents As Well

May 28, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

If you’re a parent of an overweight child and are considering a summer weight loss camp to help them, you’ve made a good choice. Weight loss camps can be extremely beneficial for children in helping them learn ways to eat healthier and find exercise activities that they enjoy. However, what some parents don’t realize is that they can also benefit from sending their kids to a weight loss camp.

Many parents of overweight children do not consider weight loss camps as their first option. In most cases, they try to do things at home to help their children – forcing them to diet, signing them up for sports teams, and so on. These things are good, and can be effective, but often are not.

The reason that a number of these strategies do not work is because kids learn more from what they see their parents do versus what their parents tell them to do. A few years ago, after witnessing one of my superiors at my job make a critical mistake, he pulled me aside and said “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Unfortunately, this is how too many parents live with their children. It’s difficult to enforce a diet or exercise routine on your children if you don’t “walk the walk” yourself. This is where parents can benefit from sending their kids to weight loss camp.

At camp, your kids will learn how to “walk the walk” in an environment that isn’t home, which is why they can be so successful. A change in scenery is a great way to make dramatic changes in your lifestyle, and many parents of past campers report that they’ve learned from their children who have returned home.

Additionally, families can use the time that their child is away to make some changes at home. They can begin eating better and exercising more, which will benefit their personal health as well as make a more comfortable and supportive environment for their child to return to.

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Can Weight Loss Camps Save You Money?

May 19, 2009 By matt Leave a Comment

Though weight loss camps for kids may seem like an expense you can avoid, you might reconsider when take into account the rest of the factors.

Food Costs for Your Overweight or Obese Child

It’s difficult enough to keep up with the rising costs of groceries, but when your child has eating issues, they may literally eat you out of house and home. In this regard, a weight loss camp can help your child control his or her eating.

A parent once told me how her grocery bill went down after her daughter attended our weight loss and fitness camp last summer. The daughter had been sneaking food and the weight loss camp empowered her to make better choices. Instead of filling your pantry with inexpensive food to keep up, you’ll be able to buy less, save and even make healthier purchases.

Medical Bills

It’s hard to say exactly when your child’s weight troubles will begin to cost you or your child (if it happens when they are older) money in the medical department. Rest assured, it will eventually. Type II diabetes is affecting more and more children and adolescents. The medical expenses for diabetes are outrageous!

Your child will learn how to get their weight under control at our weight loss camp. With every step they take, their risks for developing heart disease and other weight related health issues will diminish. Besides, we all want our children to be healthy!

Entertainment Costs

Trying to find things to occupy your child can be quite expensive, especially if your child enjoys sedentary activities such as gaming or computers. Games are extremely pricey and trying to keep up with these costs can be crazy! Summer weight loss camps can help your child learn to enjoy activities that involve more exercise and less cost such as riding their bikes, swimming, or just playing around outside.  They’ll also get to try some new activities that they haven’t experienced – like hitting golf balls on our driving range or climbing on our ropes course.

When you consider these costs and also account for the fact that your child will have an opportunity to make some great strides in their struggle to live at a healthy weight for the rest of their life – a summer weight loss camp doesn’t sound like a bad investment after all, does it?

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