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RSS FeedAre weight loss camps appropriate for children under 10?
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| Yes | 21% | 51 votes | Total: 246 votes | |
| No | 79% | 195 votes |
Yes
by Roisi Proven
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Add to FavoritesAlthough I am writing for the "yes" side of this debate, there are so many sensitive factors to be considered. The answer is most certainly not written in black and white.
The most important point that must be addressed is how overweight the child is in the first place. I certainly don't think that sending a child to a weight loss camp at such a young age is appropriate if they are only marginally overweight. Everyone has a different metabolism, especially when young, and the body has not fully developed, so there is always the issue of what is commonly called "puppy fat". A child as young as this will quite often be a little on the heavy side, however active or healthy they are.
However, when weight becomes a health issue for a child, avenues such as weight loss camps should be considered. In many ways, it would be better for a child to nip the problem of clinical obesity in the bud early, before the health problems and social problems they may face in later life really take hold. Although it may be difficult for a child to understand why they are there at the time, training their minds and their bodies to look at food and activity in a healthy way is a very important lesson and one that can be so much more useful when learned early.
Also, although weight loss camps seem like an extreme measure, it is far less extreme than the worrying trend of gastric bypass surgery we are seeing currently. Younger and younger people are having this potentially fatal operation because they see no other route to weight loss. I feel that helping a child to healthily lose weight early on in life is a far better route to take than potentially risk thier life for an operation which could do their body far more harm than good.
So, in conclusion, I feel that although weight loss camps should not be the first port of call for parents who feel their children are "a little chunky", if a young child shows signs of major health issues from extreme weight gain, going to a weight loss camp could be a life saving decision.
Learn more about this author, Roisi Proven.
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No
Weight losing is the common trend nowadays. Everyone, young to old, both males and females, are talking about losing weight, be it the best way to lose weight, the benefits of weight loss or even effortless weight loss. These trends originate mainly from the media where slim is defined as beautiful. Also, having a healthy weight, as defined using the Body Mass Index (BMI), would render one to lower risks of diseases like diabetes, which has caused much loss of income in most countries with large proportion of their population troubled by these diseases. Even though there are many health benefits from having a healthy weight, I feel that it is not recommended for young children to join weight loss camps.
Though many people might say that we should start young so that there would be any health problems when these children grow old, I feel that children are supposed to be able to eat as they like. They are in the stage of growth and should take in as much nutrients as their body requires. Weight loss camps may not be the way to help them control their weights and might in fact cause the reverse. They might secretly eat those forbidden stuff and in the end, cause much more weight gain. Children has minds that are easily impressionable. Hence I believe that there are other more effective and fun methods to help these children lose their weight and achieve their target weights. For example, parents can devise recipes which would allow their child to take in the necessary nutrients but not in excess. There are also many such freely available recipes on the net for parents that want to try them. Organizing fun trips outdoors would also help children achieve their exercise. Even an evening walk around the park would also benefit them in a way. However, plain walks might sound boring to the children, however, if parents are able to include neighbours and make it a fun activity to do in the parks, the children would definitely look forward to these activities each day.
Childhood is a time for enjoyment. To me, these weight loss camps seem like a scary encounter. I do not think we should take any of the enjoyment away from these children, even though we should still watch their diet in order to prevent any debilitating diseases in their future years, or even when they are old.
Learn more about this author, Gue Xuan.
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