Weight Loss Boot Camp For Kids?

Answer 1

Correctional boot camps for juvenile offenders began appearing in the United States in the early 1980’s as part of the penal system. The idea caught on and boot camps for troubled teens of all types soon littered the landscape. They are modeled after military boot camp training, like the type made famous at the Parris Island Marine Corps boot camp. Their highly structured and highly disciplined methods are meant to “break a man down and then build him back up again.” These camps have not been without controversy, as many youths have died while in attendance. Now the basics of the boot camp philosophy have been applied to other teen issues, like weight loss and fitness.

According to a recent estimate of obesity in children ages 6 to 17, 4.7 million can be classified as obese. Given the fact that today’s youth spend over 14 hours a week playing Video Games and countless hours chatting on the internet, these numbers should not be surprising. Parents, concerned about the safety of their children if they venture outside the home, go along with this rather than encourage the kinds of outdoor activities that used to keep our children in shape. Many older Americans are surprised to see how few children still get out and ride bikes, get together for neighborhood sports competition, or just get outside and “get dirty.”

If you have an obese child you can search the Internet and investigate the different Weight Loss and Fitness boot camps available. Although they include structure and discipline in their approach, they do not feature the “in your face” kind of confrontation typically found in boot camps for troubled teens. Most of the web sites from these Weight Loss Boot Camps include testimonials from both parents and past participating children that sound very reassuring and are generally very positive in their opinions about the boot camp program. When selecting a boot camp, pay particular attention to the kind of “after camp” support they offer. Permanent weight loss and ongoing fitness require life style changes. Children who come home from camp fitter and trimmer but return to their primarily sedentary lifestyle will revert to their former condition in the blink of an eye.