Kids Weight Loss Camp

Weight loss camps for kids are becoming ever more popular with adults and parents. Childhood obesity is a problem in the United States and in other countries. Children who are obese are more likely to be picked on by their peers and experience medical problems, such as diabetes, relating to their weight. There are several weight loss camps for children in the United States.

Benefits

• There are many benefits associated with a weight loss camp for kids, including the possibility of making them feel better and happier with themselves. Kids also learn decision-making skills that stick with them for the rest of their lives. Many of the camps offer cooking classes that teach kids how to make their favorite foods more healthy. Children also learn how to make the right food choices when dining out or at home, and make friendships that can last for years.

Warning

• Not all kids are ready or willing to attend weight loss camp, so parents should talk things through with their child early on. The best way to go about making the camp seem more fun and less like a "fat camp" is by emphasizing the activities that don't relate to weight loss, such as arts and crafts, swimming and white-water rafting. Parents can also point out how the other children at the camp are there to lose weight, too, and that everyone there shares the same experiences.

Camp Shane

• Camp Shane is the oldest continually operating weight loss camp for kids, dating back to the 1950s. The camp offers programs for children age 17 or under and females up to age 25. The focus of the camp is on making weight loss fun, by offering activities like horseback riding and paintball. The camp also teaches kids proper nutrition through cooking courses using their favorite foods, like pizza and French fries, but while showing them how to make those choices more healthy.

New Image

• New Image offers several weight loss camps for kids across the United States. Each camp offers water and land activities that get the children's heart rate up and help them lose weight in the process. The camp also includes more traditional activities, including arts and crafts and putting on plays. The camp encourages kids to have fun and feel at home, which they believe helps in the weight loss.

Wellspring Camps

• Wellspring Camps offer a variety of different programs every summer, with some programs lasting up to eight weeks. Kids eat a diet that's low in fat and calories and balance what they eat with the right amount of exercise. The program believes in teaching kids skills that they can use at home to not only keep the weight off, but also lose even more weight.