What Can Weight Loss Camps Do for Tweens?
05.22.09
Children between the ages of 8 and 12, commonly referred to as “tweens,” are at a difficult transition as they lose the self confidence that seems to come naturally in childhood to the uncertainty of becoming a teenager. They may begin to wonder how they are perceived and worry that they won’t be popular. A teen weight loss camp may be the right step towards building self-esteem and avoiding some of the problems that lack of self-esteem can cause, such as materialism.
The Journal of Consumer Research shared a study that linked materialism and self-confidence and how this varies among age groups. The groups were asked to make collages of the things that bring pleasure to their lives. Tweens aged 11-12 placed more pictures of materialistic things on the collages than pictures of family or goals. The study found that younger children emphasized family-related pictures versus older teen who placed more emphasis on pictures of objects and futuristic goals.
A test group of tweens that read a positive message about themselves prior to making the collages ended up putting less material images in the collages suggesting that with improved confidence levels comes less materialism. Why?
When tweens lose self-confidence, they may turn toward material possessions to boost their image rather than relying on their personality. They feel that Nike shoes, Hollister jeans and techno gadgets such as iPods and iPhones might make them more acceptable to the popular crowds at school.
By helping your child improve their self confidence, you help them gain the tools they need to place less value on materialistic things. They will feel better about themselves and be more inclined to use their own natural talents and abilities to gain popularity at school. Most weight loss camps can help you achieve this in a number of ways.
For example, if you have a child that is overweight, they will benefit greatly from learning to exercise and eat properly. When kids gain weight during puberty, especially girls, they may not feel very confident about their image. A fitness camp can help them get control over their weight in a healthy manner.
Even if your tween is not overweight, a fitness camp geared towards athletic children may give them an edge in sports. When kids participate in sports, they often have a boost of self-confidence when they do well.
Understandably, many parents are hesitant to send their child to a camp because of the cost. However, if you spend the money now on a fitness camp, you might be able to avoid some of those materialistic expenses in the future. Sure, your tween might still want that iPhone or pair of $100 Nike’s, but they’ll be easier to persuade towards less expensive items because they aren’t relying so heavily on the materialistic purchase.
Last but not least, your child will also benefit from learning healthy habits that they will continue throughout their lives. A weight loss camp offers many healthy solutions!