Behavioral Change

The scientific research is clear that the best way to address overweight in younger children, and to prevent weight from becoming a serious health and emotional problem, is to foster a healthy lifestyle for all family members. Family Camp’s behavioral change program helps families achieve this goal.

The behavioral change program utilizes dietary therapy, physical activity and cognitive behavioral therapy to foster a healthy focus for all family members. Wellspring’s Behavioral Coaches (trained Masters- and Doctoral-level therapists) help campers and parents identify and address thinking and behaviors that have contributed to unhealthy eating and activity patterns.

The time to act is now. New research from top universities shows that overweight young children are 5x more likely to become obese adolescents, that children are likely to become more and more overweight, and that overweight teens are 17x more likely than their peers to become obese adults. In addition, overweight teenagers often face social and psychological challenges that can have permanent effects. The health risks associated with being overweight are well documented and include cardiovascular, orthopaedic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, hormonal, neurological, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that even if overweight adolescents lose their excess weight in adulthood, they are still at a significantly higher risk of heart disease later in life.  So an early intervention – while children are still young, or in their early adolescence – is imperative. 

Research involving adults shows that modest weight loss (a decrease of less than 10%) can produce beneficial health effects and that the heaviest people benefit most from modest weight loss.

Family Camp Behavioral Change Program for Campers

The behavioral change program for campers is age and developmentally appropriate. Younger campers (ages 5-9) are provided with group “play” sessions with their behavioral coaches. In these sessions, they are exposed to a number of fun activities that help them understand how to express their feelings more effectively as well as to manage stress adaptively. Through the daily routine, and the field trips to the grocery store and restaurant, they will also learn to make healthier choices and begin to understand why they have made unhealthy choices in the past. Throughout these sessions, campers have lots of fun and enjoy their new friends.

Older Family campers (10-14) work through a more extensive curriculum, starting with training on behaviors like self-monitoring, journaling, contracting and goal-setting, and then cognitive-behavioral therapy to reinforce these behaviors, which have been proven by research to sustain weight loss permanently. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy sessions utilize methods such as stimulus control, decision counseling, rational emotive therapy, relapse prevention training, positive focusing, and stress management.

Some campers will take to the new behaviors like fish to water. Others may have emotional or other issues to address and overcome before they can be successful. By meeting at least four times each week with Behavioral Coaches (twice in group and twice individually), campers learn the skills they need to become master weight controllers. The dramatic weight loss that occurs at camp is the catalyst that improves self-esteem, body image, energy, and creates excitement about committing to these new behaviors.

Family Camp Behavioral Change Program for Parents

Parents have cognitive-behavioral therapy group sessions twice per session and two individual CBT sessions during the week.
In these sessions, parents develop an understanding how their thinking and behavior might be impacting their own diet and activity patterns, as well as those of their child. Parents of younger children (ages 5-9) will also work on monitoring their child’s eating and activity level, to help guide them to learn to make much healthier decisions. Parents of older children (10-14) will focus on learning how to support their child, allowing the child to take much of the initiative in the process.

Behavioral Coaches at Family Camp are professional psychologists and social workers under the direct supervision of the Clinical Director of Wellspring Camps, nationally renowned weight control expert Dr. Daniel Kirschenbaum.

Educational Program

Throughout the session, parents also participate in daily small and large groups led by Wellspring Behavioral Coaches. Parents follow a curriculum designed to challenge and educate parents regarding lifelong weight control. The text is Dr. Dan Kirschenbaum’s book, The Healthy Obsession Program (HOP): Smart Weight Loss Instead of Low Carb Lunacy (BenBella Books, 2006).

HOP includes the following eight steps:

1. Make the Decision
2. Know the Enemy: Your Biology
3. Seven Elements of Eating to Lose:

  • Very Low Fat
  • Controlled Sugar
  • Frequent Protein
  • Low Density
  • High Fiber
  • Eat Your Calories – Don’t Drink Them
  • Calorie Consciousness

4. Find Lovable Foods that Love You Back
5. Move to Lose
6. Self-Monitor and Plan Very Consistently
7. Manage Stress - With and Without Food
8. Make HOP Last a Lifetime: Slumps and Slump-Busters