The phrase fat camps can create a stigma that makes kids feel bad about attending a fitness or weight loss camp. Parents can help their child avoid falling into this trap of negative thinking that will keep them from getting the help they need to lose weight. Encourage other family members and siblings to be supportive of the choice. Do not tease the child, even if it is to joke that they are going to "fat camp." Your overweight child may already be feeling isolated, depressed, and frustrated. Many adults forget how sensitive children are to their negative comments. The strategy of shaming a child into losing weight rarely works. Have a positive outlook and encourage your child to participate in the decision to attend a weight loss camp. Ask the child what types of activities he or she would enjoy. If the child is embarrassed or frightened, let them ask questions and answer them honestly. Compassion for your child's struggle will help them feel that you care about their feelings. Rarely is an overweight child "happy" being fat, so there is no need to make them feel bad about it as this tactic is usually counterproductive.
To avoid the "fat camp" stigma, choose a camp that emphasizes fun, fitness, and outdoor activities. The teen can come home to say I went mountain climbing, backpacking, and white water rafting this summer. Frankly, many teens may wish they had such an exciting summer vacation! The old "fat camps" of the past are not the way to achieve permanent lifestyle changes. Adventure camps such as Wellspring Adventure Camp in North Carolina or Western Adventure Camp in California emphasize fun, adventurous activities with the goal of teaching a love of being active. For older teen girls and college-age women, weight loss camps located on a college campus, such as Camp Wellspring in New York, helps them to feel they are doing something fun, new, and interesting.
When looking into a summer weight loss camp, pay attention to the diet plans, diet counseling and specific diet programs, weight loss tips, personal fitness philosophy, healthy living activities, the use of hard-to find diet foods vs. foods that make for a healthy diet, how they teach your teen or child meal planning and weight loss maintenance, whether they offer diet support in the form of an after-care program , and what the qualifications of the clinical staff are.
If you are the parent of an overweight teen who would like to lose weight this summer, or if you are an overweight teen who believes a summer camp will afford you the best opportunity to lose weight, there are many weight loss camps out there to investigate. Be sure you pick the camp that treats the whole person, not just the fat.
If the weight loss camp offers follow-up, such as online journals or diet trackers, this will help you continue to progress when you return home. Ask about follow-up programs and support.
If you are concerned about the idea of fat camps, know that in the end the top weight loss camps are highly supportive environments where students can feel secure, supported, and understood. For some extremely overweight kids, a weight loss summer camp is an incredible experience: for the first time they are with people who understand their struggle and will not mock or tease them. The supportive weight loss camp environment helps build self-esteem, yet another tool to help you achieve permanent lifestyle changes.