Weight loss camps help kids lose weight, gain skills

A weight loss camp is a type of program where overweight and obese children and teenagers are sent during the summer to lose weight. They are more gently referred to as a fitness camp.

These camps provide weight loss results of two to six pounds per week on average. The effectiveness of these camps varies widely and usually depends on the quality of the individual program and biochemistry of the attending campers.

This is a article from PolkOnline.com about Weight loss camps

When Tony Sparber started running weight loss camps 30 years ago, the campers were mostly teenage girls, 100 pounds plus overweight. The menu consisted of food like liver, fish and alfalfa sprouts and the exercise was running and sit-ups.

Weight loss camp for kids

A weight loss camp for kids.

The goal was to lose as much weight in as short amount of time as possible.

Now, things are a little less extreme: About 40 percent of the campers are boys. Most kids need to lose between 20 and 40 pounds. Menus offer a broader range of food, and exercise is downright fun, with activities such as tennis and kayaking. The camps emphasize healthy lifestyles and skills the kids can take home with them.

In short, so-called “fat camps” are more likely to resemble regular camps that just happen to specialize in teaching good decision-making techniques.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 percent of children ages 6-19 are overweight or obese – a number that has tripled since 1980.

The number of weight loss camps has remained relatively the same, says Jeff Solomon, executive director of the National Camp Association. There are about 15 to 20 out of a total of 10,000 camps in the organization. (Some camps have multiple locations.)

Sparber, who used to run Weight Watchers camps, says campers tend to be younger than they used to be. A large number of the 1,500 kids he expects will sign up for his three summer camps over the next few weeks will be between the ages of 7 and 12.

That age group tends to be more successful because parents have more input on the child’s eating and exercise habits, he says. Bad eating habits are also less ingrained in younger children.

And camps are all about building habits, not just handing out quick fixes. They offer classes about nutrition, portion control, emotional eating, dealing with situations like pizza and ice cream parties.

They also teach by example. Sparber said his menus used to offer 1,200 to 1,300 calories a day. Now they are sized more realistically, at 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, with hamburgers, pita pizzas, baked chips and low-fat baked goods.

“The biggest misconception about weight loss camp is that they don’t serve you enough food and that they overwork you,” says Daniel Kriss, 15, who was featured in the MTV documentary “Return to Fat Camp” based on New Image Camp Pocono Trails in Pennsylvania. He lost 40 pounds at the camp. “It’s the exact opposite. They feed you the right amount of food and work you out just enough.”

Weight loss camps for kids

A weight loss camp for kids

Changing behavior is key to sustaining weight loss, says Ryan Craig, president of Wellspring, which runs 11 weight loss summer programs around the world, including nine camps and two adult vacations, as well as programs at two boarding schools.

Wellspring participants learn to cook, shop, order at restaurants, and work with psychologists on stress management, frustration tolerance, and emotional eating.

“It’s not a lack of information,” says Craig, referring to the reason kids are overweight. “They know what it means to be healthy. They’re resorting to food as an unhealthy coping mechanism.”

Some campers want to be there, as opposed to years ago when their parents made them go.

Rod Rezvani, 20, who at one point weighed 440 pounds, says his father suggested attending Wellspring Camp last summer. But he says, it was “completely my decision.”

“I was happy I was finally making a change,” says Rezvani, who has lost 167 pounds and is enrolled in the Wellspring college program in Reedley, Calif.

Maya Murray, 8, of Long Island, N.Y. who was 112 pounds, attended New Image Weight Loss Camps last summer and came home 16 pounds slimmer, more confident and independent, and making healthier choices. She continued to lose weight, with her family’s support, and is now 76 pounds.

“I wanted to feel better and look better,” says Maya. “I couldn’t breathe that well. I couldn’t run fast. It was hard to be active.”

Wellspring makes sure that parents are part of the process, says Craig, offering family workshops the last two days of camp, a home-transition plan for each child and an after-care program.

Losing the weight does come at a price. New Image Weight Loss Camps cost about $1,100 a week; the camp does give out scholarships. Wellspring Camps cost about $5,950 for four weeks; but insurance covers some of that because of the therapy, says Craig.

Still, those costs may put some of these programs out of reach, especially for inner city youth, who have higher rates of obesity.

There are cheaper options, says Susan Blech, co-author of the weight loss memoir “Confessions of a Carb Queen” and the senior care coordinator at Brookdale Hospital’s childhood obesity program in Brooklyn, N.Y. She recommends parents look into schools or churches that run camps, sports activities, or a program similar to hers, which is free.

The important thing is to keep kids active in the summer, says Madelyn Fernstrom, founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center.

Solomon also says more traditional camps are now focused on children’s fitness and health, serving healthier fare and encouraging lots of exercise.

“Any camp is great because it will force the child to have structured time in the summer,” Fernstrom says. “You want to choose a camp even if it’s a special camp like arts or science that has some activity.”

Related information:

* Special Weight loss Boot Camps: Weightloss boot camps are special programs arranged for the people who want to keep their body fit and healthy.

* Low or high intensity exercising is good for weight loss: know benefit of low and high intensity exercising, especially for weight loss.

* Walking for weight loss: post about walking and how to walk effectively to lose weight.

* www.polkonline.com: A complete reflection of the news, events, entertainments, real estate and business community of Polk County Florida including Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Lake Wales and Haines City.

Source: http://letdiet.blogspot.com



By: Joel Mark

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Burn the Fat!

Quick weight loss diets are popular due to the faster initial weight loss they can achieve and they are less harmful and more beneficial. You lose weight fast during the initial stages, due to the net loss of water weight since protein and carbohydrates both help hold water in body cells. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits.

Does this mean that quick weight loss diets dont work? They do, but only when you understand the role that quick weight loss diets play in your overall lifestyle. The important thing before starting any diet regimen is to ask, “Can I do this for the rest of my life? If the answer is no, then don’t try the diet; it will only harm you in the long run if you start a yo-yo cycle of weight loss-gain-loss again and again.

Quick weight loss diets are not intended for prolonged use. Although you may not notice a problem at first, your body will soon stop responding to the diet and the weight loss will reach a plateau. Quick weight loss diets, say professional dermatologists, often lack proper nutrition and rapid weight loss in itself can also trigger metabolism changes that affect hair growth. For the healthiest hair, physicians say that the best weight loss programs are reduced calorie diets that promote gradual weight loss and a healthy diet using foods from all the food groups.

Exercise and diet go hand in hand with a successful weight loss plan. Exercise should be enjoyable, otherwise you won’t continue. If you feel you don’t have time for anything, try jumping rope, or incorporate your exercise into something else you do, for example, if you work or live in a high rise building, take the stairs up and down. Exercising does you no good if you just go out and eat more when you are finished. Dieting is the first key to any truly successful weight loss, especially when you want to make sure that you not only get those pounds off, but that you keep them off, too.

Quick weight loss diets do work, but they work even better combined with regular sustained physical activity for forty-five minutes or more at least five days a week. Remember that it’s important to check with your physician if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, if you have any type of health condition, and/or you do not exercise on a regular basis or are sedentary.

Eating breakfast every day is contrary to the typical pattern for the average overweight person who is trying to diet. Then they get hungry and consume most of their calories late in the day. Eating right using pre-planned recipes that incorporate foods that strengthen rather than weaken and bloat your system is critical. Successful dieting is about being prepared with proper quantities of healthy food in all situations. Eat regular meals 5 times a day but not much.

Strive to eat balanced and healthy meals while still controlling your caloric intake. In this way you will be more likely to maintain your weight loss instead of gaining back the pounds. Instead of high-fat products, lower fat options are recommended. These diets also generally include such things as whole grain foods, plenty of water, low-fat proteins and more.

One tip to immediately cut down your calorie intake is by reducing your normal food portion in half. In most cases, the serving sizes you get in restaurants and fast food joints are more than what you need. By reducing your portion size, you still get to enjoy your normal foods and cut down your calorie intake immediately!

Quick weight loss diets abound, both online and locally in your city. While local weight loss programs are generally more expensive than online programs, the face-to-face support may be exactly what you need to help you take off the excess weight.

Permanent lifestyle changes are the only way to remain at your target weight once you reach it. Quick weight loss diets will help you lose weight, just remember to do it right, the healthy way.



By: Ryan Daniels Lee

About the Author:

Top Secret Fat Loss Secret!

There are many people in today’s world are looking for the best weight loss plan that will work for them. Today’s world is vision focused representing the idea that to be beautiful you have to be thin, and this goes for both men and women alike. So, this puts many people in the world searching for the best weight loss program. For many people the best weight loss plan will be one that allows them to lose weight in the shortest amount of time possible.

There are countless weight loss plans for a person to choose from all claiming to be the most effective, best weight loss program there is. Not all of these will be the best weight loss plans. There are many weight loss supplements, like weight loss pills, that have a variety of negative side effects. Diet pills can cause nausea, loose stool, constipation, dry mouth, trembling, urinary tract infections and other urinary tract disorders, heart palpitations, and even headaches. The best weight loss plan to look for is usually the ones that lead you down a more natural and healthier way of losing unwanted pounds. Surgical intervention is also another quick weight loss method that is most certainly not for everyone. Surgical procedures are usually not done unless a person is in the category of being morbidly obese.

Be judgmental and scrutinize the weight loss plan especially if there are weight loss supplements involved. Make a list of the pro and cons about the program and then make an informed decision. Please just do not jump into a weight loss program with checking out the product, the company, and the ingredients if a weight loss supplement is involved. You also must be fully committed to the weight loss program to succeed with weight loss.

Diets that concentrate on eating only particular types of food are usually a bad idea as well. For instance, the Atkins diet completely cut carbohydrates out of a person’s daily nutrition. This is a terrible thing to do. You do not want to take any important nutritional supplement out of your diet; rather you will want to limit its intake if anything. It is not a medical fact that being thin makes you healthy. As a matter of fact, that is very far from the truth. However, being obese is in general terrible for any person’s body. The best weight loss plan should not put your health at risk in any way. The best weight loss program should be the right balance of healthy foods and exercise. A weight loss plan that brings in some sort of balance will surely let a person attain their ideal body mass index.

When finding the best weight loss plan, it is a great idea to seek medical consultation. This should really be done before starting any diet plan to make sure that a particular weight loss plan suit’s the individual that is involved. The best weight loss program will involve a diet that includes food with all the nutrients in the food pyramid. The best weight loss plan will also involve the proper exercise and rest for your body to work properly. When you body is working properly it will burn excess fats more efficiently and allow you to succeed with weight loss.



By: Faye B. Roberts

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Top Secret Fat Loss Secret!