Many parents have troubles convincing their obese children to go to fat camps for the first time. However, persisting is usually well worth your effort. Once overweight kids have been to a summer weight loss program, there is usually no problem convincing them to go the next summer.

Most overweight children and teenagers tend to be shy when it comes to interacting with other people, but this shyness almost always fades away within the first few days of arriving at camp. Suddenly your child will have no reason to feel inferior to his or her peers.

Feeling inferior is something that most obese children simply become familiar with and accept. Obese boys are likely to resort to several coping mechanisms, ranging from humor to cruelty to quietness and isolation, in response to the teasing they may encounter at school. Despite these coping mechanisms, feelings of inferiority still typically remain.

Obese girls are often even more sensitive to criticism and teasing than boys are. Society certainly puts a lot more pressure on women to be attractive and perfect. Overweight girls will often adopt overly nice or excessively mean personalities to compensate for what they feel they lack. It pains any parent to see his or her child feeling so inadequate. But even parents can overcompensate, and even the best of intentions can lead to comments made to the child that make the problem worse.

Weight loss camps for girls and boys of all ages help kids to find relief from the stress of feeling inferior for being obese and simply work on the problem. As a result, parents see their children’s personalities brighten noticeably.

The environment provided by a so-called fat camp is entirely positive. Everyone is there for the same reason and so nobody feels embarrassed. The counselors have excellent leadership abilities, and their positive attitude quickly spreads to the kids. This new attitude combined with the excitement of being able to express themselves without fear can drastically change a child’s life for the better.

In addition to providing goal-oriented encouragement to your child, the other kids at the camp will fulfill another important role: that of genuine friends. With so many similar people working together in a fun environment, the relationships formed at camp will likely be very important to your child’s life.

The sports played at camp often renew kids’ interest in sports because the playing field is evened; the obese kid at fat camp is not picked last for being the slowest kid on the team. Everyone is simply playing to have fun.

Many overweight kids feel isolated, particularly if they are the only person in their family or class who is obese. For these kids, spending time with people who understand them is one of the most valuable experiences they can have.

If you are persistent in convincing your overweight child of the benefits of signing up for a summer weight loss program, the rewards will be great, both for you and your child. Your child will get the benefit of a feeling of belonging and you will get the benefit of seeing your child truly happy.

Author Bio: Joe Busch specializes in writing articles related to healthy weight loss for kids. He focuses on proper diets, exercise, and weight loss camp. Parents with children that struggle with their weight should consider what used to be called a “fat camp” to jump start the process.

Category: Parenting
Keywords: obesity, children, kids, teens, family, self-esteem, weight loss, parenting