That's Fit

My son often comes home with stories about kids teasing him or kids picking on another child during the school day. It was true when I was in school and it's still true today ... kids can be cruel. So I can only imagine how difficult life might be for a child or teenager who's morbidly obese. In addition to obvious health complications it creates, their self-esteem and social life are at risk as well.

Lifestyle habits are difficult to change. If losing weight was easy, then who would be overweight? It takes enormous commitment and a willingness to shake things up and substitute bad habits with healthier behaviors. The Wellspring Academy in a remote area of North Carolina seeks to help students (age 11 or older) lose weight and learn to live healthfully.

Students must be at least 30 pounds overweight to be accepted to the school which has a maximum enrollment of 50 students. One month's tuition costs $6,250; the required minimum length of stay is four months making the minimum investment $25,000. Participants undergo extensive behavior therapy and rapid weight loss. According to Wellspring's president, the average weight loss for students who stay for eight months is 81 pounds. He also states that the first class of 15 students maintained their weight loss for 10 months.

Wellspring has only published the results stated above. In my opinion, they sound like outdated and incomplete results. The first class was enrolled in 2004. It would be interesting to see what the school's current results are and what the long-term maintenance results have been.

At least one student has come forth with a disappointing result. 18-year-old Jahcobie Cosom of Massachusetts lost 167 pounds at the school and another 30 in his first month home. He later gained 260 pounds in the following year -- shooting his weight to 562.

Helping morbidly obese students to lose weight is a good goal. And, in my opinion, weight loss through exercise and diet is almost always a better option than invasive surgery. However, to lose weight and keep it off for the long-term, it's necessary to develop new habits that can last a lifetime. Losing weight rapidly, while effective for some people, is often difficult to maintain. Participants at the school may see rapid weight loss when in a controlled environment but the real test is when they return home and choices are more free. Did the school teach them lessons -- as all schools are supposed to do? What do you think?