Frequently Asked Question

My child isn’t sure she wants to attend a fitness and weight loss camp this summer. What should I do?

Many children are hesitant about attending a fitness and weight loss camp because they have already tried other ways to lose weight (diets, fitness trainers, therapists, nutritionists) and have not been successful. While Wellspring is the most successful camp for initial and long-term results, with a proven, comprehensive, and integrated program, this may not be enough to convince some kids.

Encourage your child to review the Wellspring website and DVD, or ask a Wellspring admissions counselor about having your child speak with former Wellspring campers. While it is normal to be apprehensive, it is important to help your child make the critical decision to deal with his or her weight now. Research clearly states that overweight children are likely to become overweight adults, with the physical and emotional toll this brings.

For specific suggestions on how to talk to your child, click here.

In the end, our experience shows that children who attend Wellspring appreciate being in a supportive environment with others who share their background. Campers gain new skills, have fun, and make friends for life. Not only can campers achieve significant weight loss, but also dramatic changes in mood, outlook, and self-esteem. The opportunity to attend Wellspring Camps can be a transformative, life-changing experience – one that is extremely beneficial for overweight children, teens and young adults.

I am not sure if my child needs to lose weight?

Go to our BMI Calculator and enter your child’s height, weight, and age.  This will help you understand whether you have reason to be concerned and whether you should consider a weight loss program like Wellspring.

Can’t I help my child lose the weight at home?

Wellspring clinicians would ask: have you tried to help your child lose weight before and have these efforts been successful? The problem with diets is most are not based on scientific research and do not have any evidence of long-term effectiveness. Plus, most people view diets as a temporary change, and therefore only get temporary results.  Efforts with fitness trainers, dieticians, or nutritionists are not comprehensive or integrated and typically aren’t able to address the reasons your child gained weight in the first place.  Finally, many research studies have conclusively shown that simple education or increased awareness do not lead to weight loss.

Children need a complete program that helps them overcome and change their learned behaviors around diet and activity.  Once they experience the initial results at camp, Wellspring campers want more weight loss and begin embracing the self-regulatory behaviors they are trained on at camp.

I am not sure I can afford Wellspring’s weight loss camp.  What should I do?

In order to deliver an effective program, Wellspring employs experienced year-round, professionals and therapists who operate the most effective fitness and weight loss programs in a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment.  We work hard to deliver an effective program at an affordable price.

Thanks to the therapeutic component of Wellspring’s program, families with PPO plans may be reimbursed as much as $2,000 for a 4-week session and $1,500 for a second 4-week session).

Student loans are also available, which can reduce the monthly expense to as little as $55 per month.  These loans are similar to the loans you might use to pay for college, offering very low interest rates, up to 20 years for repayment, and deferral of payments up to 6 months.

If you are concerned about your child’s weight, it is important to take action now.  Research shows that overweight children are extremely likely to become overweight and obese adults, which brings a heightened risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and many forms of cancer.  In most cases, excess weight negatively impacts energy level, academic performance, mood and outlook and can contribute to further unhealthy behaviors. These behaviors tend to become self-reinforcing, leading to further weight gain – a cycle Wellspring can help break and reverse. 

My child went to a traditional diet camp and lost 20 pounds, but then gained the weight back in a few months? How is Wellspring any different?

None of the traditional diet camps or fat camps in the U.S. track or report post-camp outcomes. However, the New York Times reports that more than half of all campers attending these programs are repeat customers. This is consistent with anecdotal evidence indicating that the vast majority of campers who attend typical diet camps regain substantial amounts of weight within the first year. The Los Angeles Times quotes the Director of one of the largest traditional weight loss camps estimating only 10-15% of campers truly keep the weight off.

Prior to the establishment of Wellspring Camps in 2004, no weight loss camp provided a scientifically-based behavioral change program focused on long-term results.  Furthermore, traditional diet camps tend to confuse campers about diet and nutrition – serving small portions or calorie-dense, high-fat foods alongside more healthful fare. Do you think your son and daughter will maintain strict portion control when eating pizza and french fries with friends after such a camp? Wouldn’t a camp that offers only healthful and delicious low-density and low-fat foods help your child learn to eat more effectively?

Weight loss cannot be sustained until the “diet” becomes a permanent part of lifestyle change. And lifestyle change requires intensive training, as well as a clinical program to ensure that the training will translate into new thinking and behavior outside of camp. Research shows that cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective way to change critical eating, activity patterns, focusing, and emotional control. The good news: the out-of-pocket cost of such a comprehensive camp program is likely to be lower than traditional diet camps, as your health insurance will probably cover some of the cost of the clinical program (time spent with therapists).

Are Wellspring campers limited to 1,200 calories a day? Will I starve?

It is not true that Wellspring campers are limited to 1,200 calories per day. Unlike traditional diet camps where food is limited, at Wellspring Camps campers are permitted to have as much “uncontrolled” food as they wish, as long as they measure and self-monitor their eating. Uncontrolled foods include fat-free yogurts, cottage cheese, egg salad, tuna salad, fresh fat-free soups, fruits, vegetables, salads, and more! Some campers choose 2,000 or more calories per day. We just strongly encourage campers to write down what they eat, so that they can learn how to focus on the details of weight control by discussing them with their behavioral coaches.

There is no calorie goal or limit at Wellspring. Deprivation doesn’t work; it’s just not sustainable. And every element of Wellspring’s program is directed towards ensuring successful long-term weight control.

I've heard that there are "cliques" at traditional weight loss camps, and that my child may have difficulty fitting in. Is this true?

While it's impossible to generalize about the experience of a new camper at a traditional weight loss camps or fat camps, the New York Times has reported that over 50% of campers at traditional weight loss camps return summer after summer.

As a result, it should not be surprising that cliques exist at traditional weight loss camps, and that it may be more challenging for a new camper to make friends - as would be the case at any traditional summer camp where campers attend year after year. In contrast, of the 800 campers who attended Wellspring Camps in the summer of 2007, only twenty had attended in a prior summer. This is because few Wellspring campers require a second summer of weight loss camp. As a result, nearly all Wellspring campers are new, and there are no issues with "cliques."

How do we know Wellspring is serious about long-term outcomes?

Unlike traditional weight loss camps or fat camps, Wellspring is a scientifically-based program focused on long-term weight loss results.  We care about our campers, and we want them to achieve a healthy lifestyle, for a long, long time.  Living a healthy lifestyle permanently is important to our campers’ physical and emotional health, and that is important to us.

Families know we are serious when they attend our 2-day family workshops at the end of each camp session and participate in all aspects of the program as they learn the science of weight control, and the key behaviors they can support at home. They also know we’re committed to the camper’s success because Wellspring Behavioral Coaches stay in contact with campers in our after-care program until the following summer.

Because we know that participation in the after-care program improves long-term outcomes, campers who remain consistently active in the after-care program for 3 months after completing camp will receive a full refund of the cost of the after-care program ($500). What this means is that if you son or daughter participates in the after-care program very consistently (i.e., self-monitoring and journaling 75% of the time), the after-care program will be completely free.  The after-care program continues beyond the 3-month mark until June 1, 2009 and campers will continue communicating with Behavioral Coaches about their progress.

In addition, Wellspring researchers follow up with former campers each year, checking on heights and weights so the results can be published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals.  So you should expect to be contacted by Wellspring researchers for years, unless and until you tell us you no longer wish to participate.

Ultimately, the best way to know we’re serious about long-term outcomes is to look at our results. They speak for themselves.

How can I control what my child eats?

Once your child has a few dollars to spend, you can only control some of what he or she eats. High-fat, high calorie-density foods are cheap and available everywhere. With adolescents, if you adopt the role of the “food police” you will provide another avenue for confrontation or rebellion. However, you can do quite a few things to encourage your child to eat well.

As we discuss in much greater detail at the Wellspring family workshops, if you follow the suggestions listed below, you will make it much easier for your child to eat healthfully and lose weight:

General Attitude about Your Child’s Eating Decisions

• Avoid negative comments, criticism, and coercion.  Be positive. Convey to your child that even though it is very difficult to eat healthy foods consistently, you believe he or she can do it. This attitude will boost your child’s self-confidence while acknowledging the difficulties.
• Be reinforcing. Acknowledge your child’s accomplishments. Compliments, attention, encouragement, and tangible reinforcement (like small gifts, but not food) can help him or her stay motivated and adhere to the plan. Remember to be sincere; superficiality will be interpreted as condescending and aversive.
• Be realistic. Healthy eating requires conscious effort. People who are trying to lose weight, for example, must adopt eating and exercise patterns that are much more stringent than normal. Don't expect your child to be perfect, or even close to perfect. Occasional slips of overeating, inactivity, weight gain, and failure to adhere to plans will occur. Help your child learn from these experiences rather than dwell on them as “failures.” The key question to ask is “What could you do differently the next time a situation like this occurs?”
• Communicate. Occasionally inquire about your child’s progress. Ask how you can help. Be open to discussing the challenges of healthy eating and weight control and to assist in solving problems.

Managing Food

• Increase the amount of nutritious, low-fat foods available to your child.
• Eliminate all high-fat foods from your home. Although food is not technically addictive, many overweight teens have developed an unhealthful psychological dependence on food. And, in this respect, you would do well to manage this dependence in the same way as an addiction: If you had an alcoholic in the family, you wouldn’t have wine for dinner, would you?
• Do NOT encourage your child to eat foods that he or she is trying to avoid. For example, refrain from saying, “Let's go out for ice cream,” or “Oh, come on, a little bit isn't going to hurt you.”
• Ask your child to help prepare foods and recipes in a low-fat way. Encourage experimentation and adventure.  In fact, our website has many delicious recipes the whole family can cook and enjoy together.
• Adopt appropriate eating habits yourself. For example: avoid eating when full, eat appropriate portions, eat slowly and deliberately, eat regularly or on a schedule, limit snacking, and limit the number of eating situations. You may not have a weight problem, but better eating habits may improve your health and will support your child’s efforts.
• Plan activities with your child that do not revolve around food (for example, outdoor activities, sporting events, concerts, games).
• When you go to a restaurant with your child, select places that make low-fat/low-sugar eating as pleasant as possible.

What's the best way to encourage my child to be more active?

Here’s the short answer: You’ve got to move to lose!

The quest for increasing activity begins with understanding that weight loss requires a change in the balance of energy. People who want to lose weight must expend more energy than they take in. To maintain weight loss, energy expended must match energy consumed. Unfortunately, for your overweight child, he or she probably has a biology that makes the management of this energy balance quite difficult. Overweight people have bodies that resist weight loss by being very efficient at storing food taken in and stingy about expending energy.

Nonetheless, with lots of attention, the right information, and considerable dedication, even resistant biologies can be tamed. For example, did you know that by simply standing up you expend 20% more energy than sitting down? As soon as we start moving, we double or triple the energy expended when sitting down. This means that overweight children don’t have to begin training for triathlons to lose weight. A walk through a book store or to the corner to buy a paper will contribute to health, in contrast to playing video games. You can discuss this with you child and both of you can follow this key principle: You’ve got to move, to lose.

The following suggestions, which we review in detail at the Wellspring family workshops, focus on increasing movement along these lines:

• Buy pedometers for the family. A good one costs about $20 (e.g., Digiwalker; Accusplit).
• Set goals for steps walked per day. It takes about 2,000 steps to walk a mile and adults average about 4,000 steps per day. Several studies have shown that reaching 10,000 steps per day contributes to weight loss and the maintenance of weight loss over time.
• Post a chart on the refrigerator that allows all family members to record the number of steps walked each day.
• Consider creating a reward system in which steps walked and monitored get reinforced (e.g., make part of allowance contingent on reaching a step goal at least 5 days per week).
• Model movement. Walk instead of ride whenever possible. Park further away from destinations to get some extra steps in your daily life.
• Make vacations movement oriented. Many cities are great walking destinations and full of attractions for wide ranges of interests and ages (e.g., New York City, Washington, DC ; Boulder, CO). Of course, bike trips and hiking trips can work, as well.
• Remove TVs and even computers from your children’s rooms if possible.
• Limit TV and computer time to 2 hours per day.
• Provide active lessons for your children, including martial arts, fencing, and any sport which seems interesting to them (including golf).
• Become an exercise partner for your child. This could include walking, hiking or jogging together, taking lessons together, or going to a health club together.

Is my child at risk for developing diabetes?

Many more cases of Type II Diabetes (non-insulin dependent, what used to be called “Adult Onset Diabetes) have been diagnosed in children (beginning at age 8) in the past few years compared to ten years ago. This is a very serious disease that will, if your child develops it and doesn’t cure it, reduce your child’s lifespan by 20 years or more and also create serious quality-of-life issues.

The good news is that Type II Diabetes is almost completely preventable. The major risk factors for developing Type II Diabetes are:

• Excess weight. Assess your child’s weight with the BMI calculator used in pediatrician offices around the United States. Click here and enter your child’s height, weight, and age to see if your child has a weight issue that needs to be addressed.
• Does anyone in your child’s family have diabetes? Family history is another risk factor. However, keep in mind that many people don’t know they have diabetes.
• Ethnicity is another risk factor. The following ethnic groups develop diabetes more frequently than other ethnicities: African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.

Family history and ethnicity are uncontrollable risk factors. Weight status, on the other hand, can be changed via concerted efforts to modify eating and activity patterns. If your child has a controllable risk factor (i.e., excess weight), then you can take action to help him or her lead a better, healthier, and longer life.

One of the diet camps told me that Wellspring campers are “crazy” or have “behavioral issues.” Is that why Wellspring provides therapy?

Wellspring’s fitness and weight loss camps provide cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for every camper because CBT has been proven in many scientific studies to help children, teens, and adults change diet and activity behaviors far better than providing just education or advice. Specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy involves goal-setting and tracking, problem solving, and stress management training to help weight controllers change permanently. It’s not “lie on the couch and talk about your mom” therapy. It’s about changing motivations, habits, and lifestyles.

Wellspring campers aren’t crazy. Wellspring campers are no different from campers who attend traditional diet camps. Wellspring campers are typical kids and young adults who are struggling with their weight, and who are serious about solving the problem once and for all.\

I’ve heard that Wellspring Camps are “serious” and that campers don’t have fun.

If Wellspring camps weren’t amazingly fun, they wouldn’t be effective. There’s simply no way to engage an adolescent or young adult for a period of 4 or 8 weeks unless they’re having a great time.

The way we think about it is like this: if campers aren’t having a great time, they’re not engaged in the program. If they’re not doing the program, they won’t be successful at camp or after they return home. So FUN is a prerequisite for long-term success.

Each of our programs has a set of core activities that campers love. Whether it’s whitewater rafting at Wellspring Adventure Camp North Carolina, aerobic kick boxing and mountain climbing at Wellspring New York, surfing and sea kayaking at Wellspring California, tubing at Wellspring Texas, outrigger canoe racing at Wellspring Hawaii, scavenger hunts at Wellspring Wisconsin, personal training at Wellspring Family Camp, or ghyll scrambling at Wellspring UK, Wellspring’s fun is second to none.

Does my child have a food addiction?

Technically, your child does not have a food addiction. However, your overweight child may well have a psychological dependence on food – a relationship with food that is quite unhealthy both physically and emotionally.

Has eating become your child’s comforting, reliable friend? Is eating a “coping mechanism” to which your child resorts when faced with stress at home or at school? Has eating become your child’s source of primary interest and amusement? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then your child’s growth in many key areas of life may have become stymied as a result of an unhealthful psychological dependence on food.

We all seek comfort and joy from food, sometimes. That’s very normal and a wonderful part of being human. We also function best when we have strong interests in learning, growing, and creating. If your child’s world has narrowed in focus to the simple pleasures of food, then he or she has a major problem.

In order for your child to reach his or her true social, intellectual, and physical potential, he or she must change from “living to eat” to “eating to live.” Food can still be an important and pleasurable part of life, just not the primary focus.

Here’s the good news: With the right kind of help, change and tremendous growth can happen. More healthful coping skills will evolve to replace the domination of food. Eating will become a happier experience, and other interests and people will re-emerge in exciting ways.