Fat Camp Advice
If you're looking for a camp that will help your child lose weight and get healthier, the best thing you can do is explore weight-loss camps or fit camps, not fat camps.
Fat camps often focus strictly on weight loss, which works in the short-term but rarely in the long-term. A child may lose weight, but he won't learn how make the changes needed to keep the weight off. That's why - statistically - most people who use diets to lose weight regain the weight after just a few years, if not sooner; because "diets" and extreme weight-loss regimes aren't sustainable. If a person isn't taught how to change his habits, he'll fall back into the same ones that caused him to be overweight in the first place.
The best kind of weight-loss camp teaches kids how to make better food and exercise choices. Kids learn how to eat (and enjoy!) healthy foods, while learning the value of daily physical activity.
When researching potential camps, look for places that emphasize lasting lifestyle changes, not just weight loss. A good weight-loss camp will work with your child to determine his nutritional needs as well as appropriate levels of physical activity. Try to find a camp with a scientifically based program that has at least one nutritionist on staff and that offers a wide range of physical activities.
Also, look for a camp that has a good follow-up program. Habits are hard to change, but they'll need to change if your child is going to remain healthy and active into his adult years. An aftercare program will give your child (and often the whole family) the support needed to continue living a healthy lifestyle.
Try not to make any impulsive decisions when sending your child to a weight-loss camp. If your pediatrician indicates that weight is becoming a health risk for your son or daughter, don't panic. Begin doing your research and take the time to find a camp that will get real, lasting results for your child.
A weight-loss camp should also never be used as a punishment or threat. If your child struggles with his weight, he needs to know that you're on his side and that you're concerned about his health. If he feels like you're "sending him away" because you're frustrated or disgusted with him, the camp may not do him any good. Self-esteem is closely tied with health and fitness, and a child's self-esteem is closely tied with his parents' opinions of him.
Whatever decisions you make, make them together. Let your child have input, give him a chance to express his opinions about certain camps and try to come to an agreement about where he'll go and for how long. If he feels he has taken part in the decision, he's much more likely to participate once he's there.
