Common Questions

My child isn't interested in attending Wellspring Community Programs. What should I do?

It is not vital that participants in Wellspring Community Programs are excited about participating-rather, it is most important that they are willing to try. For many, the willingness to try is the most critical step in overcoming anxiety about our program. Once the teen or young adult enrolls, works with others struggling with the same issues, and begins to see the progress, often that person becomes very encouraged by this progress and looks forward to returning for further gains.

Many participants in our program arrive with some anxiety or resistance. This is quite normal. For many, the weight struggle has been constant, and they have tried diets, personal trainers, nutritionists, and other methods to lose weight. None have succeeded, and frustration has set in.

We encourage parents to discuss this frustration, recognize it, and help their child overcome it. Making the decision to attend Wellspring Community Programs is important for the long-term health of your child. The changes to body and self confidence participants in our program achieve are remarkable. It's an opportunity to gain new skills that parents and children can be excited to gain.

Is weight loss important for my child's health and happiness?

While some teens and young adults may already experience health issues related to their weight (e.g. insulin resistance, diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, orthopedic problems, gallstones), most are not. Health issues resulting from or exacerbated by excess weight typically develop later.

However, research clearly shows that overweight children are 17 times more likely to become obese or overweight adults than those that are not overweight. Research also clearly shows that weight problems can have serious complications for adults, with correlations between excess weight and diseases, including not only diabetes, but also coronary heart disease, a range of pulmonary diseases, hypertension, stroke, various dermatological conditions, liver diseases, cataracts, gynecological problems, as well as the following cancers: breast, prostate, colon, kidney, esophagus, uterus, cervix and pancreas.

Overweight children and adolescents often become very unhappy about their weight. They feel like they don't fit in; they are teased or excluded; they often have low self-esteem and even develop clinically significant levels of depression.

Although many overweight youngsters will retreat to more solitary pursuits, others may compensate by excelling in some area that provides refuge from criticism (e.g., academics, drama, running with the wrong crowd). In virtually all cases, however, the unhappiness caused by excess weight negatively impacts energy level, mood and outlook. This unhappiness can also trigger or contribute to a range of negative behaviors.

Researchers have established that overweight adolescents are less likely to graduate from high school and one study showed that the future outlook of overweight teens, compared with other teens with a range of medical conditions, was bleakest - alongside terminal cancer patients. We also know that overweight young adults are less likely to enter college, less likely to graduate from college, less likely to get married, and more likely to occupy a lower socioeconomic group.

Is there a connection between my child's weight and depression or low self-confidence?

Our culture is body conscious, and for many, the obsession with thinness gets internalized. Therefore, it is not uncommon for overweight adolescents to have a negative self image, low self confidence, and perhaps even depression. Coupled with generally low activity levels and smaller social circles, overweight teens often view their bodies and themselves as unacceptable.

Wellspring Community Programs provides children, teens, and young adults the opportunity for fitness and weight loss success that renews energy, enthusiasm, and self-confidence. The skills gained and the success earned often becomes self-reinforcing, leading to continued long-term weight control.

My child tried diets and weight loss camps, lost weight, and then regained all the weight back. Why?

You are not alone. The scientific literature reveals only two published studies that showed only modest benefits of weight loss camps when evaluated 1-5 years later. For example, a study reported by Braet and Winckel (Behavior Therapy, 2000) revealed that 82% of the campers were still obese several years after attending a specialized weight loss camp. Anecdotal evidence suggests well over 90% of campers who attend typical diet camps that do not include a scientifically-based behavioral-change program gain all the weight back and then some within the first year. It makes great business sense for the diet camps, who urge campers to return the following summer. However, it makes no sense for the campers, who experience years of successive failures.

Weight loss cannot be sustained until the "diet" becomes a permanent part of lifestyle change. And lifestyle change requires intensive training, as well as a clinical program to ensure that the training will translate into new thinking and behavior outside of camp. Research shows that cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective way to change critical eating, activity patterns, focusing, and emotional control.

Wellspring Community Programs, along with our Wellspring summer camps and Academy of the Sierras boarding schools, provide participants with a comprehensive and intensive program of low-fat diet, activity management, and lifestyle change for effective, proven, long-term weight control.

Is a low-fat diet healthy?

Weight loss and long-term weight control is a result of a simple equation: Intake of calories - Expenditure of calories. Many diets help participants meet this equation, but if the effort is temporary, so are the results. For any diet, it's important the diet is simple. Living with a low-fat diet is simple, and therefore sustainable for long after participating in a Wellspring Community Program.

Hundreds of studies over the past half century have clearly proven the superiority of a very low fat approach to weight loss. There are two primary reasons for this.

First, fat is more calorie-dense than the other types of food - carbs and proteins. Each gram of fat has 9 calories, while each gram of carb or protein has 4 calories. So by cutting out the fat, you're reducing the calorie-density of your diet, and almost certainly reducing calorie expenditure.

Second, the research shows that low-fat is simply easier to sustain over a period of years than a low-carb diet. Chances are you know a few people who "eat healthy all the time" i.e., no junk food, no fast food, lots of fruits and vegetables. And you probably don't know anyone who has lasted more than a year on a low-carb regimen.

This is why we train our adolescents to enjoy, understand and prepare very low-fat foods.