Camp teaches students a healthier lifestyle - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Summer is winding down and for one group of school children, it's the end of a summer camp aimed at keeping them fit.

Statistics show as many as one in four American children are overweight and about one in six are obese. Despite the 90 degree temperatures, children at the Forever-Fit Summer Camp haven't stopped changing their daily habits.

"You might say weight loss, but lifestyle change is what we focus on. Behavioral changes that are necessary in order to take advantage of everything that we are offering in this camp," said camp director Joan SerVaas.

The camp sits on 24 acres, with a wide range of recreational activities and even a small farm featuring three pot-bellied pigs. Even the pigs get healthy snacks, munching on apples. There are chickens and roosters that campers can care for as well.

"We have chores in the house, we have a disciplined lifestyle, you take responsibility for yourself," SerVaas said.

"I think it's really cool, too, and also you can experience a lot of animals and stuff and chickens and they have different colors and stuff and they're really beautiful," said camper Nyree Tate.

"I think it's fun. You get to exercise and stuff, you experience new stuff," said 13-year-old Derrick Lewis.

This is the second consecutive year for the camp, which lasts six weeks and is designed for children ages 8-12.

While the focus outside is on exercise, the activity inside is centered on good nutrition. SerVaas says medical professionals will research whether this approach is a breakthrough.

"If your child can't exercise an hour a day, why not?" she said. "Let's peel the onion. What's wrong? It's not that hard for a child to play and that's the sedentary lifestyle that's the real key here."

Cool in School