If you’re a parent to an overweight teen, you’re probably concerned about their health and emotional health, and are trying to figure out ways to help.  It’s great to get them exercising, and if you can monitor what they eat, even better.  But sometimes it just doesn’t seem like enough.

A weight loss camp for teens may seem like a drastic step, but it’s possible you’re thinking of a place that existed 30 years ago.  They got a bit of a bad reputation in the past when they were known as an extreme and ruthless way to lose some weight.  However, that’s not really the case today.

The teens at a weight loss camp don’t starve.  They’re usually allowed to eat a wide variety of food, but in the process, they learn portion control and what makes unhealthy food unhealthy.  True, they may eat smaller portion sizes than they’re used to, and it probably won’t be junk food, so there may be some adjustment time needed!

The type of exercise they do usually is a wide variety of sports that can be found everywhere, so that when they go back to school, perhaps they’ll be interested in joining in the athletics there.  As well, there may be really fun activities, based on where the camp is, like boating, horses, and hiking.

There are usually campfires and of course teens will form friendships that will last into the school year.  Some teens enjoy it as a yearly summer activity, and look forward to going every year.

There are different types of camps, too, based on what your teen may be interested in.  Look around and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.