Fat Camps: How Wellspring Wisconsin is Different
The term 'fat camp' is often used interchangeably with terms that more accurately describe Wellspring Wisconsin, such as weight loss camp or healthy living camp. However, there are several key differences between what we do at Wellspring Wisconsin and what happens at traditional fat camps. As a parent trying to find a permanent solution to your child's weight issue, it's important that you understand the differences.
Fat Camps Do Not Teach Sustainable Weight Loss
At Wellspring Wisconsin, campers learn 3 simple habits that they can use as guidelines for the rest of their lives: take at least 10,000 steps per day, eat fewer than 20 grams of fat per day, and self-monitor food and activity every day. These habits are easy to understand even for young campers, can easily be managed by campers with minimal input from parents, and are deeply ingrained in campers by the time they return home. Campers receive everything they need to follow through with this system right when they arrive at camp—a pedometer, calorie and fat guide, and a self-monitoring journal.
At fat camps, campers are active and lose weight, but don't have a concrete system to follow when they return home. Campers are often unaware of the nutritional information for the food they're eating, don't learn how to monitor their own activity, and leave camp without a concrete set of instructions for success at home. The result is often a regain of the weight that was lost, along with damaged self-esteem and even less motivation to try again.
Fat Camps Do Not Focus on Behavioral Change
Losing weight in the structured environment of a fat camp is not overly challenging. With food restrictions, enforced activity, and very little freedom for campers to make their own choices, weight often comes off over the summer. However, where fat camps fall short is in preparing campers to continue to lose weight once they return home. Old habits of overeating and being inactive tend to return quickly if there has not been behavioral intervention at camp.
At Wellspring Wisconsin, we focus on campers' return home from the very first day they arrive at camp, and it shows in our long-term weight loss results. Campers participate in 4 weekly sessions (2 group and 2 individual) with a Behavior Coach to work on the skills necessary for permanent change to food- and exercise-related behaviors. Campers work through some of the difficult issues of managing stress in healthy ways, identifying triggers to overeating, and learning to understand the connections between food, exercise, and emotions.
Fat Camps Do Not Involve Families
At traditional fat camps, families are not involved in their child's weight loss. Parents are unsure of what campers are learning, what their role will be when their camper returns home, and how best to support their camper in the months following camp. The result is that children return from fat camp and don't know how to relate the experience to their home environment.
At Wellspring Wisconsin, we make sure parents know exactly how to support their child after camp. In our Family Workshops, family members not only learn how to work with their child on continued weight loss, but also how to begin their own journey on the Wellspring Plan. We want our parents to be the best possible role models of healthy living for our campers, so we make sure they know how to follow every aspect of the Wellspring Plan, from low-fat, low-density cooking methods to setting up a healthy rewards structure at home. Because we believe so strongly in the importance of family involvement, we offer a $300 Family Workshop Award for sending at least one family member.
Wellspring is proud to have developed a program that differs from traditional fat camps in such fundamental ways. If you would like additional information about choosing the best weight loss solution for your child, please call us at 866.364.0808.
