Why Do Weight Loss Camps Work For Kids, Teens and Young People?

Losing weight can be a really big challenge for our youth. They need a lot of help, support and motivation. And sometimes even a new environment! That's why a weight loss camp can be the ideal solution for kids, teens and young people who want to lose weight and keep it off.

If health camps are correctly managed, they can be a really great weight loss aid for youngsters. One of the main hurdles is the negativity associated with being overweight in the first place. Once campers get over their fear of going to a fit camp that doesn't automatically label them 'fat', they make stunning strides.

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The path to self-improvement is fraught with peril. Give in to your cravings, and all your hard work seems like wasted effort. Weight loss camps work because they provide youngsters with the opportunity to lose weight under friendly observation without forfeiting their sense of personal responsibility.

If a young person doesn't feel like she is in control, her weight loss will probably be temporary at best. What's the use of a fat camp program that puts her through a boot camp style regimen? Sure, it may look successful on paper and she may lose weight while she's there, but tough training like this hardly translates into everyday life.

Weight loss camps work well when they break free of the fat camp mold. Kids' boot camps, being built around military regimens, are hardly tailored to the individual.

So, fat camps are out, and boot camps are out. What about the alternatives? Fun immersion weight loss camps are the answer.

In a study of 130 girls and 64 boys aged 10-15 who attended a two month weight loss camp, 89 percent showed reduced BMI 9 months after the camp was finished. (Gately, Cooke, Butterly, Mackreth, Carroll 2000)

Research has shown that it's a lot easier for kids and teens to eat right when they aren't surrounded by peers who routinely gorge themselves on whatever junk food is close at hand. Weight loss camps make it easy to socialize (in real life, NOT online) with other young folks just like them.

According to Hass (2006), "The most effective way to get kids to eat healthfully is to set a good example."

So, what about kids who really love junk food? Well, it's not as if they were born that way, although habits do develop early on and become harder to change later. The good news is-kids and teens can be trained to enjoy healthy food just as much, but this can't be done without a smart, nutritionally balanced plan. Everyone has to eat to survive. Effective weight loss camps will encourage your child to upgrade his or her mindset, starting with a lifestyle reset that works wonders.

SOURCES:
Haas, E. M., & Levin, B. (2006). Nourishing Our Children. Staying healthy with nutrition: the complete guide to diet and nutritional medicine (21st-century ed., p. 410). Berkeley: Celestial Arts.

Gately PJ, Cooke CB, Butterly RJ, Mackreth P, Carroll S. Int J Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders. 2000 Nov; 24(11):1445-52.