Health Camps for Kids
Informing children about their health and preparing them for the consequences of health ignorance is the first step in establishing a healthy lifestyle throughout adulthood. Health camps are available across the country catering to specific health needs and meeting the goals of parents and children alike.
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General Health
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A number of camps established across the country are designed to encourage healthy habits. These camps are for children whose ultimate goal is not to lose weight, but to learn about nutrition and the body, creating healthy eating habits and maintaining an active lifestyle. The children entering these camps may be at risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, or some may have one of those conditions. Some camps are centered on a specific sport or fitness activity such as running and provide nutritional counseling to teach the children about how certain foods affect the body's ability to perform.
Weight Loss
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The American Camp Association database lists 16 available weight loss camps across the country. The camps can be filtered to suit individual needs such as a family's financial obligation, age range and those that are gender specific. Though most camps advertise a fun environment where overweight children can learn healthy lifestyles and lose weight, many of the camps also promote additional results such as increased self-esteem, independence and lifelong friendships.
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Illness Specific
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With so many children battling specific illnesses and diseases, many camps have been launched to help children battle and cope through group efforts. By working with people who have an understanding of the specific problem, children learn alternative ways of dealing and get support from peers and counselors. The camps provide fun environments where children can make friendships, overcome challenges and improve self-perception. Camps are available for a number of illnesses, including cancer, kidney disease, celiac disease, skin disease and heart disease.
Mental Health
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With increased diagnosis of children with mental disorders such as ADD, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, anxiety and social anxiety, camps have been launched to provide group support and activities catering to each child's specific abilities and strengths. The goals of these camps include building relationships between children with alike disorders and providing them with a better understanding of their individual difficulties. Typically children attending these camps have opportunities to participate in sports, games and crafts while learning skills for studying and social interaction. Some camps designed for mental disorders are sleep-away camps, and others are day camps that allow for parental interaction and daily assessment.
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References
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