By Jeffrey Allen Federowicz
Habits we develop today could be the same ones that need to be kicked years from now. This can be especially true for habits developed as an adolescent.
One of the biggest health issues facing Americans, especially rural adolescents, is obesity caused from poor eating and exercise habits. For young people who live in rural counties surrounding the Geisinger Medical center in Danville, this summer might be the chance to break some bad habits, make some new friends and get energized with Camp ENERGY.
“We wanted to create something fun and different that helped address the problem with obesity with rural teens. This isn’t just any type of camp, it combines many different activities where teens can come together in order to learn and relate to a common experience,” said Jerry Foley, camp founder and staff recruiter for the Geisinger Center for Health Research.
Held at Camp Victory in Millville, which covers 100 wooded acres, Camp ENERGY starts May 29 with a Friday night kickoff and runs until May 31. The camp resumes Oct. 16-18 with a roundup weekend where campers will share their experiences with becoming healthier from the summer session.
A parent or guardian must attend the Friday night kickoff in May and the Sunday afternoon send-off in October. During the time in between camps, participants in the program will keep track of their progress and lifestyle changes in addition to working on a specially designed 12-part lifestyle lesson.
In for the long haul
“Campers will learn about making healthy decisions and how to deal with setbacks and other problems that might arise,” Foley said. “This is about the entire family being more informed. It’s about leading a healthier lifestyle which is what everyone should be doing.”
Adolescent obesity can lead to numerous health issues, including premature death in adulthood, diabetes and heart disease. Young people living in a rural environment also tend to be more at risk for becoming overweight or obese since they tend to have higher fat and calorie intakes, lower levels of physical activity, and are more likely to be uninsured and lack the proper preventive services to modify their condition.
“Practicing healthy habits is a long-term process and developing good habits as teens will help them become healthier adults,” said Rachel Bastian, camp co-founder and senior research assistant at the Geisinger Center for Health Research. “As people become older, they become more set in their ways and it becomes even harder to lose weight as an adult.”
Images and emotions
Funded by grants from the Geisinger Foundation, the Auxiliary at Geisinger Medical Center and Children’s Miracle Network, Camp ENERGY (which stands for exercise, nutrition, emotions, record, goals, you) is designed for ages 14-17 with a BMI in the 85th percentile or above for age, height and weight.
“We deal with problems teens might have with their image or emotional issues from being overweight,” Bastian said. “Geisinger physicians will provide medical supervision for campers, who also need a permission slip from their own physician to attend the camp.”
While many diets will help shed a few pounds, the key to long-term success is with healthy eating habits and getting active. Camp Energy hopes to get adolescents involved with the program, fit and energized.
