REEDLEY, CA (PRWEB) January 22, 2007 -- In Consumers Digest Magazine's first-ever review of weight loss camps Wellspring Camps were rated as the best weight loss camps and substantially superior to traditional weight loss camps.

"We're honored that Consumers Digest has recognized Wellspring as the most effective weight loss programs for children and adolescents," said Wellspring Clinical Director Daniel S. Kirschenbaum, Ph.D. "The unprecedented outcomes achieved by Wellspring campers clearly differentiate our programs from traditional weight loss camps."

Consumers Digest cites as evidence a study showing that in the summer of 2005, Wellspring Campers averaged weight loss of 21 lbs. at camp, and in the 6-9 months following camp not only maintained this weight loss, but averaged an additional weight loss of 5 lbs. No other weight loss program for children, adolescents, or adults has demonstrated comparable outcomes.

According to Consumers Digest these results provide a stark contrast with traditional weight loss camps, which the magazine says produce only "revolving door results." Consumers Digest explains that the results achieved by traditional weight loss camps are called "revolving door" because participants often lose weight at camp but then regain it at home."

Consumers Digest attributes Wellspring's remarkable outcomes to incorporating "intensive behavioral modification therapy along with education about diet and fitness." In addition, in contrast to traditional weight loss camps which have "minimal follow-up programs… Wellspring [provides a 3-month after-camp program that features online counseling, through which campers continue to keep food diaries and monitor their weight. Parents pay for the follow-up in advance, but the money is refunded if children participate."

In the review, Consumers Digest profiles a 12-year-old girl who attended the Wellspring New York program in the summer of 2005. This camper lost 20 lbs. at camp and, after returning home, lost another 20 lbs. over the next 3 months.

"Results like this are quite typical for Wellspring Campers," explains Dr. Kirschenbaum. "Wellspring Campers learn the core self-regulatory skills demonstrated by science to be required for successful long-term weight control, and work through a comprehensive program of cognitive-behavioral therapy to change the way they think about diet and activity. The typical result is a new lifestyle once campers get home."

Wellspring Camps are the summer programs of Healthy Living Academies. Healthy Living Academies operates residential schools and summer programs addressing America's crisis of pediatric and adolescent obesity. Healthy Living Academies programs include Academy of the Sierras California, Academy of the Sierras North Carolina, Wellspring New York, Wellspring Adventure Camp, Wellspring Adventure Camp California, Wellspring Texas, Wellspring Hawaii, Wellspring Family Camp in Michigan, and Wellspring UK. To learn more about Academy of the Sierras, Wellspring Camps or Healthy Living Academies, visit www.healthylivingacademies.com or call 866-364-0808.

Healthy Living Academies is a division of Aspen Education Group, the nation's leading provider of education programs for struggling or underachieving young people. With over 30 programs in 12 states and the United Kingdom, Aspen provides to students and families a comprehensive range of therapeutic interventions, including boarding schools, residential treatment and wilderness therapy. Aspen Education Group is a division of CRC Health Group, the nation's largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. For more information, visit www.aspeneducation.com or call 888-972-7736


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