If you think you have taken all possible measures to help your teenager lose weight and not succeeded much, then perhaps you should seriously consider sending him or her to a teen weight loss camp. According U.S. medical findings, overweight teens run a 70% risk of becoming overweight as an adult, and the Center for Disease Control has identified obesity to be major health hazard for growing children. So you can ill-afford to turn a blind eye to the problem if your own child needs to lose weight. Most people are under a misconception that a ten weight loss camp is some kind of a punishment. Please remember you are not sending them to a rigorous military boot camp or to a fat farm where they will be made to nearly starve. Most teen weight loss camps are like an exciting adventure vacation camp, where the emphasis is on more on play and fun, healthy physical activity, and learning about sensible weight control methods.

The National Academy of Fitness (NAF) offers a four-week teen weight loss summer camp in the canyon lands of Utah that is positive and enjoyed by all campers. The participants are always off adventuring, having fun, and exploring the nearby trails and canyons. At California's Western Wellspring Adventure Camp near the State Park and Carmel, the kids meaningfully lose an average while they are at camp. They also enjoy a daily routine of backpacking, surfing, and white-water rafting. They learn about healthy nutrition and cooking, and develop a healthy obsession about food that will help them maintain their weight control habits even after they leave the camp. The camp counselors, in these teen weight loss camps, are nutrition experts who meet individually with each teenager to develop a customized weight control program that will help them lose weight permanently.

When scouting for weight loss summer camps, make sure to avoid the old-fashioned diet camp or fat camp approach. This type of camp relies on sharply limiting the consumption of calories, and increasing calorie burning through strenuous exercise. This will lead to short-term weight loss, but most campers put the weight right back on after they leave. Instead, find a teen weight loss camp where the philosophy is to teach the teenagers how to manage weight permanently.

Most teens resent going to summer camps, no matter what the theme or location of the camp because of probable home sickness, interacting with new people, enforced discipline and lack of freedom to do their own activities. You can allay the misapprehensions of your teen age children by properly preparing for them for the camp. Involve your child or teen in researching the project, decisions about which camp to choose, when to go, what to pack. It will help to overcome fears and objections if you have ready answers for some common questions that you can expect.

Today's camps are designed to be fun and exciting vacations, as well as life-changing learning experiences. For example, the Wellspring teen weight loss camps for girls in New York and California are packed with outdoor adventure, ranging from hiking and rock climbing, to ropes challenge courses. The sports and fun go along with culinary classes, nutritional counseling and healthy weight loss planning.

At teen weight loss camps in particular, the staff and counselors are trained to help the campers with gaining self esteem, team building and positive social experiences. These are key issues for many overweight children, and part of the program. As well, you will have experiences in common with the other obese teens and that could lead to friendship and fellow-feeling.