Have you tried other methods to lose weight?  Maybe you’ve taken your child to a nutritionist, to a gym, or to a personal trainer?  Perhaps you’ve even tried a traditional weight loss camp, diet camp, fat camp or boot camp.  Have these methods worked?

For many families, these efforts have proven unsuccessful. In many cases parents have even seen their child’s situation worsen (in terms of weight, mood, self-esteem) after their attempts at weight loss have not been successful.  Your child may not want to try something else when he or she feels further failure is likely.

The good news is that Wellspring Hawaii is a comprehensive, scientifically based approach that has worked for thousands who have lost weight and kept it off. Wellspring Camps are among the most effective weight loss programs available for children, teens and young adults. Wellspring’s programs are based on decades pf scientific research and the expertise of researchers who have dedicated their lives to the study of what works for weight loss.

How Wellspring Compares?

The average weight loss at an outpatient (hospital- or clinic-based) weight loss program is 1/2 lb. per week. The average weight loss at Wellspring’s summer immersion programs is 4.0 lbs. per week. No other traditional weight loss camp or fat camps has ever reported comparable weight loss.

Most important, Wellspring campers don’t just lose weight at camp, they continue to lose weight or maintain their weight loss once they return home. Studies show that 70% of campers maintain or continue losing weight at home.

Other weight loss camps, commonly referred to as fat camps or diet camps, do not track their campers in follow up studies.  Typically, campers at traditional weight loss camps experience weight regain in the months after leaving camp.. In contrast, Wellspring stays in contact with campers through our unique year-long Continuing Care program. Wellspring wants campers to succeed and we provide the skills and motivation for this to occur.

In February 2007, the magazine Consumers Digest described Wellspring Camps as the most effective summer programs for weight loss. Click here to read the article.

10 Questions to Ask if You’re Considering Weight Loss Camp

If you’re thinking about weight loss camp this summer, think about asking these questions:

1. What was last year’s average weekly weight loss at Camp?
2. What are the camp’s long-term result?
3. What percentage of campers maintain or continue weight loss at home?
4. Who designed the weight loss program? What are their credentials? Is the program design scientifically based?  Or is it simply another fat camp or diet camp?
5. Is counseling or behavior modification offered? By credentialed therapists?
6. If so, do the therapists work full time at the camp during the summer? Does each camper have an individual therapist assigned to him or her? Do therapists continue to work with campers after campers return home?
7. How are families involved?
8. How many campers return each year? Did they regain weight? Will new campers feel left out because of cliques from prior years?
9. How large is the Camp? Is it a manageable size where the Camp Director knows each and every camper?
10. Can we talk to several families of campers who have maintained or continued weight loss from last summer?