Are Weight Loss Camps for Kids the Answer to Obesity?

Everyone’s heard of weight loss camps for kids — “fat camp” as they’re often called. But would you ever consider sending your child to one? Many parents don’t, because they’re afraid their child will take it as a criticism: “You’re fat, and we’re embarrassed, so we’re sending you away.” But the children who go to weight-loss camps usually love it, and the parents are glad they went.

A weight-loss camp isn’t all about losing weight. It’s not a “boot camp” full of rigorous exercise and physical punishment. It’s a regular summer camp, with all the traditional summer-camp activities. The difference is that the food served in the dining hall is healthy and nutritious, and there are some additional classes on nutrition and self-esteem.

So, why not send your child to a regular summer camp? After all, there’s lots of hiking, swimming and other physical activities at camp. Your kid is bound to lose a few pounds, and without the stigma of going to a “fat camp.”

The crucial difference is that a regular camp would have the same mix of kids who might be teasing your overweight child already. At a weight-loss camp, there’s no teasing or making fun. Everyone’s in the same boat, so no one points fingers. Your overweight son might refuse to go swimming at a regular camp because he’s embarrassed to take his shirt off. At a weight-loss camp, he’ll feel more comfortable and accepted. Thus, he’s more likely to exercise and enjoy himself.

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At a regular summer camp, the camp counselors might single out overweight children too. They’ll be dragging up in the rear on the hikes, unable to perform some of the physical tasks that the other kids do. At a weight-loss camp, the playing field is leveled.

Many overweight kids often don’t have a lot of friends among their peers. They can become shy and withdrawn — or, the opposite, overly goofy and attention seeking, desperate to earn praise. Weight-loss camps introduce them to children who can relate to their specific problems, children who suffer the same taunts and cruelties back in the “real world.” It can work as a sort of support group, and everyone knows moral support is one of the most crucial things in losing weight and getting in shape.

It is important to note that weight loss camps for kids won’t solve your child’s weight problem all by itself. It took a lifetime to develop his or her eating habits, so it will take more than a few weeks at summer camp to change them. And while weight loss might be rapid in the active, healthy environment of camp, it may not be possible or indeed healthy to lose ALL the excess weight in just one summer. It can be a good start, though!

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