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Choosing the Right Weight Loss Program: How to Identify a Fat Camp
The phrases "fat camp" and "fat farm" have such negative connotations they are rarely used anymore. It can be difficult to distinguish between old-style fat camps that hurt children's self-image and result in long-term weight gain rather than loss and the new generation of weight loss camps. Sometimes called "fit camps," the modern weight loss camp offers a safe, nurturing environment where kids learn about physical fitness and nutrition and maintain their weight loss long after camp ends.
If you are considering a weight loss camp for your child, or if you're a teenager interested in attending a weight loss camp, you want to make sure to choose an authentic fit camp, not a fat camp. There are several red flags that suggest you are looking at a fat camp:
Red Flag #1: The emphasis is on weight loss only, not nutrition or overall health.
A true fit camp pays attention to the whole person. Losing weight doesn't automatically equate with being healthy - there are lots of unhealthy ways to lose weight. If a camp talks mostly about weight loss and very little about nutritional health or incorporating physical activity into daily life, it's not the right kind of camp.
Red Flag #2: The "diet" is extremely restrictive.
Because fat camps primarily emphasize weight loss, campers' daily caloric intake is extremely low - sometimes as low as 500-1,000 calories a day. This practice is not only unsafe, but works against the person who is trying to lose weight. When calories are restricted to such an extreme, the body goes into "starvation mode," where the metabolism slows down and the body begins storing more fat - both of which make weight loss very difficult.
Red Flag #3: Campers are required to eat the camp's "food packages."
Some fat camps have pre-packaged food that campers are required to eat. The problem is that even if the meals were healthy and sufficiently nutritious, campers don't have these pre-packaged foods at home. Pre-packaged food is an indication that the camp is concerned only with getting quick results during camp, not in any long-term benefits once the campers have returned to "real life" at home. Pre-packaged foods, and highly restricted diets that offer campers no options or alternatives, don't teach children how to make healthy food choices in a world full of food options.
Red Flag #4: The program doesn't require a doctor's approval or take any steps to determine the general health of the campers.
A physician should always be consulted before someone - whether teenager or adult - begins an exercise and/or weight loss program. Camps that require a doctor's approval or conduct their own screening at the start of the program show a genuine concern for their campers. Camps that don't require at least one of those steps are children people at risk.
Red Flag #5: Staff has no health- or nutrition-related credentials and offers no form of therapy.
A top-notch weight loss program will have experienced clinicians, counselors, and/or nutritionists on staff to address both physical and mental health. At fit camps, trained counselors or therapists will help children work through the issues underlying their weight problem. This goes back to the camp's central goal of helping campers learn how to live healthy lives, not just getting them to lose weight. Without these types of trained personnel, a camp can't offer the kind of help, guidance, and advice that campers need in order to make long-term changes.
Red Flag #6: Cookie-cutter diet and fitness plan.
A fat camp will force the same diet and fitness plan on every camper, regardless of their individual health or nutrition needs. Kids spend most of their time in the gym or participating in activities that they couldn't possibly continue at home. A fit camp or weight loss camp will develop personalized plans based on each camper's current health, long-term goals, and other factors. It will teach each child how to maintain their diet and fitness regimen at home.
Red Flag #7: No aftercare or follow-up plan.
Fit camps help campers and their families devise a plan for applying what they've learned in their everyday lives at home. Many offer continuing support months after camp has ended. Since fat camps are concerned only with touting their weight loss results to get more clients, children are on their own after camp, and most gain all of their weight back and more.
There are a lot of reputable weight loss and fit camps out there that change lives every day. The key is distinguishing fit camps from fat camps and finding the program that best suits your child.
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