Abstract
Evidence exists about the effectiveness of residential summer weight-loss camps for initiating or supporting small changes in childhood obesity. This report describes the development and evaluation of a nutrition-education program for overweight adolescents attending a 3-week healthy lifestyle camp. Campers were given a diet prescription based on MyPyramid and then self-selected their meals and snacks in a family-style service format. The curriculum included eating strategies known to contribute to healthy weights in youth. Campers demonstrated an improved ability to estimate portion sizes. Thirty-four campers completed the 3-week experience with a weight loss considered to be safe.