Camp New Heights: Our Difference Makes All The Difference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tJmyrsIFv8

Camp New Heights started as an idea by a mother to create a meaningful experience for her son. Born out of the ashes from the scars left behind by a horrendous weight loss camp experience, we set out to create a program to help kids on a holistic level that wasn't about the antiquated practices utilized by the decades old weight loss camp industry.

Weight loss camps have been around for decades. The traditional model was built on the idea of something being wrong with kids because they were overweight. The philosophy of these camps was calorie restriction and endless exercise. The idea of success being solely tied to the number on the scale was the currency in which these camps operated. Campers would brutalized themselves to hit arbitrary numbers and were encouraged by staff to achieve them by any means necessary. Devoid of the educational skills and tools, these campers left knowing one simple practice: if I essentially starve/deprive myself and exercise endlessly, I will lose weight.

Were these camps successful in having kids lose weight? Yes, but at what cost? Campers usually endured through these summers and leaned heavily into the magic of camp to bury the emotions of starvation and being overworked. Negative food associations were commonplace and lead to a detrimental relationship with food. Campers teetered on the edge of eating disorders. Campers left camp not necessarily equipped to be successful once they returned home. For weeks campers had been given food and told, "eat this, it's good for you." What did the camper learn from this experience? Unfortunately, most of the time they left camp knowing what foods were bad, but not what made them bad or how to establish a healthy diet and be able to build an adapt in any given situation. Campers left camp down many pounds, but completely empty handed on where to go from there.

Camp New Heights was born when a mother of one of these campers sought to build a program that avoided these pitfalls of the traditional weight loss camp. The idea was a to build a program that was focused on a holistic approach that prepared kids to leave camp with the necessary skills and tools to be successful at home. Making the priority less about the number on the scale and more about the preparedness of the camper. Built on the idea of giving exposure to campers to see what they are capable of when they are eating well and being in good physical shape. Empowering each individual to accomplish things that they never previously thought possible. Take the coach potato and show them that they can have athletic ability. That each camper is more capable than they ever previously thought. Give campers the roadmap to live and lead a healthy lifestyle at home that doesn't create negative associations with food or isn't obsessive about the scale. Allow campers to live and lead their best life through guidance and information.

How We Do Things Differently At Camp New Heights:

1. No weigh-ins. Campers may weigh themselves privately on Sundays if they choose, but there is no requirement to track weight at any point.

   
   

2. No before-and-after photos. We understand the anxiety of arriving at camp and immediately being asked to take swimsuit photos while strangers measure your waist. That’s a hard no from us.

   
   

3. No prescribed meals. Instead of rigid meal plans, we provide a template: a protein, a single serving of carbs, and the rest of the plate filled with dark leafy greens. This allows for countless combinations, giving campers control over their food choices, an essential skill for maintaining healthy habits at home.

   
   

4. Nutrition education. Campers learn about macronutrients and micronutrients to make informed choices. Simply handing them a plate and saying, “Eat this, it’s good for you,” teaches nothing. We want our campers to develop the knowledge to navigate grocery stores, dining halls, cafeterias, and restaurants confidently.

   
   

5. No strict calorie counting or limits. Our campers do not go to bed hungry. They get their first plate of food, then wait 25 minutes to assess whether they’re still hungry. If they choose to eat more, they must incorporate fruits and vegetables to help them feel full. This approach helps them recognize true hunger cues and build a healthier relationship with food.

   
   

The Bigger Picture:

Our goal is to help campers connect the dots between eating well and feeling good. When they experience how great they can feel and what they’re physically capable of, they gain the foundation for a truly healthy lifestyle.

Traditional weight loss camps marketed themselves with promises like “Come here and lose X pounds.” While that may appeal to those focused on quick results, it often fails to instill sustainable habits. Many of these camps simply restricted calories, cut out all salt, and pushed kids to exercise all day. While this led to rapid weight loss, it often did more harm than good.

I witnessed this firsthand at a traditional "fat camp." The first weigh-in would often show dramatic losses 10–15 pounds in a week, due to water weight from salt restriction. The second week, despite working harder in workouts, campers would lose only 2–3 pounds. Without education on how their bodies were responding, they would assume they were eating too much. This misunderstanding often led to disordered eating patterns and negative relationships with food.

The old model of weight loss camps is outdated and needs to end. At Camp New Heights, we take a more progressive and holistic approach, one that prioritizes long-term health over short-term weight loss. We're not here to "fix" kids, we're here to empower campers to live their best and most fulfilling life.

Ten years in and we feel like we're just getting started. We're excited to continue to evolve and provide our campers with an experience that provides them with not only an incredibly fun experience, but one that has the power to transform their lives for the better.