A residential camp experience as an approach to adolescent weight management

A five day weight management camp for adolescents is described. Three components of weight management comprise of the camp's educational basis: 1) Nutrition Education, 2) Behavior Modeling, and 3) Physical Activity. Program planning and organizational methods are described. Thirty-five teenagers, age 13-17, attended the program. The mean weight loss for camp participants, measured at six months after camp, was 3.3 pounds. Triceps skinfold measurements showed an average decrease of 3.6mm after three months. The Wahler Self-Description Inventory was administered to measure favorable and unfavorable attributes through a self-evaluation process. Results showed a steady and continuous increase in favorable scores through the course of the camp and at the time of follow-up. Unfavorable scores were high prior to camp, followed by a sudden drop in unfavorable scores after the week of supportive therapy, followed by a leaving off effect of the 3-month follow-up session. A program evaluation by camp participants revealed that the residential camp environment was a useful approach to adolescent weight management therapy.