Weight Loss Camps Address The Emotional Side Of Obesity

What were once called 'fat camps' are now weight loss or fitness camps according to brochures. The goal of such residence camps is to help teens learn how to balance diet with exercise to achieve weight loss. The focus is on strategies to maintain a healthy diet and on teaching the benefits of regular exercise in a weight loss plan.

The overweight kid at school often gets teased. This can make them feel much more self conscious when exercising which can in turn put off the idea of doing any exercise. Registering for a weight loss camp though is great because they don't have to worry about being teased. Everyone else is a similar weight and knows what each other are going through.

Teenagers often have excuses as to why they become obese. Some include the following: they are big-boned, genetics play a part in weight and size just does not matter. Teenagers often learn these things from their overweight/obese parents, who are also unhappy with their weight but lack the willpower to do anything about it.

Time spent at weight loss camp allows obese teens to be open about their feelings and frustrations. Others at the camp face the same challenges and can be quick to tear down the excuses offered by another camp member.

Being overweight is something that is very uncomfortable, especially as teenagers. Teenagers are always very conscious about their appearance and being overweight can cause nothing but problems. These excuses that people use are just a way of removing the blame from yourself. Many teens will try and say that they are big boned and that obesity runs in their family. They try to convince themselves that low metabolism is the reason that they are unable to lose weight so that they feel better. They don't believe the excuses, but are looking for a way to prevent people challenging them.

However, teen weight loss camps will address these issues right away. Teenagers, who claim genetics is the cause behind their obesity, are often asked if the entire family is overweight. If they say they have a low metabolism, the teenagers will be challenged to raise their metabolism by exercising. If they say big is beautiful, they'll be asked why they are at weight loss camp. When teenagers face other overweight/obese teenagers who have said all the same excuses, it's only a matter of time that being honest and facing their insecurities is the only choice.

Defensiveness is no longer needed when teens are among friends who understand the problems associated with being obese. Free of worries about how you look to others, they can be themselves and let their personality and humor show.

Teens are fully aware that being overweight can affect their health and cause damage to it, however many fail to understand the emotional problems that they are causing to their body. Discussing your problem somewhere you can trust people is the first step on the road to getting better.

Weight loss camps want to teens to be truthful and sincere about how they are feeling...as it helps them realize why they are overweight/obese and that it isn't who they are inside. It also helps them to get control of the weight so they can be the person they always wanted to be.