Organisations called Healthy Living Centres which are funded by the National Lottery to the cost of £300 million are also helping the health of local communities, e.g. running diet and nutrition classes. (Government Teacher Training in Physical Education website.)
In the USA such things as ‘Fat Camps’ were set up for young people with obesity problems. They have even been known to help children lose up to 5 stone in eight weeks under strict diet and fitness regimes. (bbc homepage.) Then in 1998 the first one was set up in the u.k in Leeds Metropolitan University. (Taken from Advanced P.E for Edexcel (2000)) Their approach is to look at diet and avoid junk food, which is in abundance in today’s culture. They are trying to dismiss the ‘ eat less and exercise more ’ attitude which is sometimes portrayed by the USA’s camps. The u.k’s camps realise the psychological effects that being overweight has on people. They try and emphasize the importance of ‘family based activities such as going to the park, ice skating and swimming ’ (an article taken from the BBC homepage.) They combine exercise with lifestyle education. It includes a daily regime of exercise, sport and healthy eating.
From doing my research into the uk’s only weight loss camp, Carnegie International Camp at Leeds Metropolitan University if have found out lots of facts that contradict many of the health experts.
On arrival the youngsters who have been hand picked for suitability, have their height, weight and body fat measured. However all children will have to present doctors reports showing they are all clinically overweight.
Camp director Paul Gately is a former British junior athlete who has worked at similar camps in the US. His aim for every child is for them not necessarily to have lost “any weight but they will gain muscle and lost fat.” Carnegie aims to change the lifestyle of the children who visit them; it gives the kids the skills to enable them to achieve a permanent change.
Another of the problems, highlighted by the BBC hot topics website is keeping the lost weight off. If the child comes home and none of the family members have altered their eating habits, improvements may be difficult to sustain. They learn how food and exercise influences their weight and are given ways to cope with their problems. All meals are prepared by a qualified dietician to ensure that food intake is in line with the aims of the camp. The menu consists of a sensible low fat diet but also includes a wide range of foods that children eat on a daily basis. Portions are fully adequate for their needs to encourage and enable them to be active throughout the day. The students learn how to portion control, how to moderate their eating and how to select food which will be best for them.
A support pack is given once they have left the camp; it contains hints on exercise, food and a healthy lifestyle, together with information about themselves and charts to enable them keep a record of their progress. Plus it ensures that weight loss is maintained throughout the year.
Due to the huge success of the 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 programmes it will be run again this year. It is for children aged between 11 and 18 who want to lose weight, adopt a healthier lifestyle for the future and make new friends over the summer.
The workers at the camp have found that the children are confronted with psychological distress and have to fight against discrimination in all walks of life when they are large.
The camp believes that strong preventative treatment in childhood can reduce risks in later life. Not only does it help them lose the weight but also to give them the necessary skills to maintain that weight loss in the future.
All the children in the 2002 camp achieved weight loss, on average slimming down by approximately 4 pounds per week. . All this is achieved through a supervised programme of healthy eating, exercise and weight management. This also enables them to be more active and learn more.
A typical day involves a range of activities from basketball to rock climbing and mountain biking, all taught by qualified coaches. As a result of this, the students fitness levels increased by as much as 20%. On average 60-70% of children will continue to manage their weight following the camp. This compares with a 97% failure within three years with other conventional weight loss programmes. They aim to make sport enjoyable and give the children new confidence in their ability to take part. The students are also encouraged to participate in-group discussions where issues of body weight are discussed – this then gives them an opportunity to discuss ways of coping with their problem.
Independent research showed improved self-esteem and 70% of the kids were worrying less about weight, figure and appearance. Many of the 2002 children hope to attend the camp this summer as well. It has even attracted youngsters from as far away as Jordan, Italy and Saudi Arabia.
The success of the camp has led to an award from by the National Heart Research Fund. The award will enable them to provide support and advice for children in the 9 months following the summer camp.
The award is an official endorsement of the camp being ‘one of the leading nations organisations working for a healthy heart’. The National Heart Research Fund has also donated £25,ooo to enable further research to continue.
Darren Debono was 13 when he first attended the camp, and he weighed 20 stone. Then after a 6-week stay at the camp at the cost of £2000 he now weighs 16 stone. It has changed his attitude, now he goes to the gym, circuit trains and exercises at home before, and after school. He also made lots of friends which he keeps in contact with throughout the year.
His mother said, “Paul Gately has been criticised because the camp is so expensive, but there isn’t any amount of money great enough that I could bestow on him because he has been my family’s saviour.”
One problem that the camp does find is funding – a place on the course costs just under £2000 for six weeks and £795 for two weeks, but at the moment the NHS sponsors only 16 out of 75 applicants.
Similar camps in the US have helped children lose up to five stone in eight weeks under strict diet and fitness regimes. Children in these camps are only allowed 1000 calories while the Uk camps allow their students between 1300 and 2300 a day. Their menu includes roast beef, chicken fajitas and cottage pie.
Conclusion
I do realise that the subject is a very delicate one, however as a result of not discussing it there are far worse repercussions. If something is not done then these same children will appear again with heart disease and diabetes in 30 years time. I don’t expect these overweight children to suddenly change into svelte figures but I do think they need help to understand how this excess of weight is harming them.
Even though the course is very expensive, surely its more effective than surgery at a cost of many thousands of pounds, it must make more sense to invest in a childs health now, rather than in the future. For example, having to ask the NHS to pay for joint replacements in 40 years time. Mr Gately is currently campaigning for funding to be put forward so that the cost of the course can be reduced. To me price seems to be the most obvious barrier, in that only 40 places were filled last year when 150 were offered. This is a problem that most definitely needs to be tackled.
I think that it is brilliant that the children are not put under strict rules; they can make conscious decisions and work out if they do really need that ‘last cake’. For example Paul Gately explains that “Its not about saying you cannt eat chocolate, its about saying here is a range of chocolate deserts, as well as non-chocolate deserts, some much higher fat than others. After that they are given the choice.”
Another reason that I believe the camp is so effective compared to the US camps where weight loss is the main objective, is that it works to find out the reasons why a child has developed an eating problem. Gatley explains, “If a child is going to succeed in losing weight permanently, it is crucial that the whole family is involved- rather than it being solely the child’s ‘problem’”. Sometimes the children even end up educating the parents.
From further research I have found out that type 2 diabetes, which was once commonly associated with middle age is now being seen among young children. I also know that this country cannot afford an epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Its now becoming a serious concern that children will die before their parents. So now our society is becoming more geared up to making everybody overweight. Without places like the Leeds camp obesity really will become a major epidemic.
Even though I have carried out extensive research over the last three months I can never be entirely sure to what degree the Leeds weight loss camp is effectively helping its pupils lose weight. If I was to carry on my study even further I would like to visit the camp and personally encounter how it works. Also I would find it very interesting to talk to some of its previous students and get first hand opinions from them. I do know that at the university they are carrying out further research into the camps effectiveness and I would be very interested to look into it. I would also like to study the US camps way of achieving weight loss and then compare it to the UK’s way. From there I could try and find if just one weight loss camp in the UK is satisfactory, and maybe if another were needed, where in the country would it be situated. My final question would be to try and find out how more funding could be provided- maybe even look at the less wealthy families being subsidised from the Government.
Bibliography:
BBC News website, ‘UK Fat Camp Opens Its Doors’
Leeds Metropolitan Press Release, ‘Government Ministers Consider The Risks Of Obesity.’
Leeds Metropolitan Press Release, ‘NHS Weight Experts At A Loss.’
The Times website, , ‘A Fat Lot Of Harm.’
BBC News website, ‘Health Summer Camp For The Overweight.’
The Guardian website, ‘Fat Chance.’
BBC News website, ‘Fighting Back Against Fat.’
Health Spectrum website, ‘Why Fat Camps Should Be Paid For By NHS.’
Carnegie International Camp website,
Physical activity webpage
BBC Health,
Department Of Health website,
Advanced Physical Education and Sport for AS Level – John Honeybourne, Michael Hill and Helen Moors, 1996
The World of Sport Examined – Paul Beashel and John Taylor, 1997
Sport and PE a Complete Guide to Advanced Level Study – Kevin Wesson, Nesta Wiggins, Graham Thompson and Sue Hartigan, 2000.
Advanced PE for Edexcel - Frank Galligan, Colin Maskery, Jon Spence, David Howe, Tim Barry, Andy Ruston and Dee Crawford
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