Go to the web and type in weight loss camps in a search engine. You will be given the websites for countless camps for teens and children. But how do you know which is the right one for your child? How do you go about choosing from all of those camps?

To help you make a wise decision, we’ve put together a few points to keep in mind when you are considering your options:

Leadership – First, you should look for leaders at fat camps with backgrounds in clinical and behavioral weight loss, education, psychology, and outdoor education. If your child will not be in the hands of people that are competent in these areas, you should look elsewhere.

Clinical Program – A well-defined clinical intervention program should be focused on intensive cognitive-behavior therapy conducted by appropriately trained and supervised staff.

Nutritional Education Program – A good fat camp will have a clearly designed nutrition plan that will help them learn the long-term physical and mental health benefits that are obtained by eating a nutritionally sound diet. It should help your children learn to make healthy eating choices and feel good about it.

Food – The food served at the camp should be healthy and balanced; but also tasty and fun enough to teach campers that eating well isn’t as boring as it sounds. Meals should be focused on low fat meals that are enjoyable and should also include snacks since we all know that most children snack on a daily basis. If a camp does not provide you with sample menus, ask.

Diet Uncontrolled Foods – Foods that are not portioned out or controlled should be served with every meal. This teaches children about taking their own portions and that some foods are smarter options, if they are still hungry.

Exercise – Diet AND exercise are the key to losing weight. There should be a wide array of activities to choose from at the fat camp so that you child can find some sort of physical activity they enjoy and stick with it throughout the camp. Ideally, the camp will offer several activities that can be continued after camp.

Family Support – Family will play a crucial role in the ultimate success of a summer weight loss camp. Kids will get a good start over the summer, but if they are going to be 100% successful, they will need a supportive environment to welcome them back home. Therefore, it is important that camps involve families from the beginning.

Success Stories – Of course, you should look for a camp that has a track record of being successful. Look for a camp that uses a variety of measures to track success and regularly monitors your kids progress to get them feeling successful.

Facilities – The facilities should be comfortable and well maintained.

Doing due diligence up front to select the right fat camp for your child is extremely important. If you have the ability, take a tour of the camp before you sign up and search online for reviews, videos, and any other pieces of knowledge that can help you make the right decision.

Finally, keep in mind that a good teen weight loss camp should be a fun place where you happen to learn healthy living skills. However, keep in mind that it is only the beginning. A summer spent at weight loss camp is no good if the same bad habits are resumed upon returning home.

 

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