Wellspring camps

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Wellspring Camps were based on their Wellspring Plan. The goal of the Wellspring Plan was to help campers gain skills and motivation for lifelong healthy living.^[3]

Typically, the only doctors on staff at the Wellspring camp were clinical psychologists that had been personally trained by Dr. Kirschenbaum.^[4]

The Wellspring Plan was based on the belief that simple, clear, and easily measured goals helped clients stay focused.^[5] The plan involved 10,000 steps of activity, on the premise that this increases a person's metabolic rate and accelerate the metabolism of fat.

Wellspring's nutrition plan was based on a low-fat, low-calorie diet: specifically, campers ate a strictly regulated diet of around 1,200 calories per day with fewer than 12 grams of fat.^[6] Wellspring claimed that this was achieved by teaching campers to cook, order, and identify healthy food choices.^{[citation needed]} Wellspring campers were permitted to have as much "uncontrolled" food as they wished, as long as they measured and self-monitored their eating.^{[7][clarification needed]}

Wellspring's fitness and weight loss camps provided cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for campers.^[8] Wellspring employed Masters- and Doctoral-level therapists (called behavioral coaches) to provide both one-on-one and group therapy sessions for campers.^[9] Behavioral Coaches also stayed in regular contact with families and campers for the year following camp as part of Wellspring's Continuing Care Program.^[10]

Two-day family workshops were scheduled at the end of each camp session. Attending families participated in all aspects of the program and learned the details of the Wellspring Plan and how they could be supported at home.^[10]

Wellspring's long-term outcomes and approach were brought into question by the medical community. Many physicians and dietitians, including the director of the obesity program at Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. Robert Ludwig, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist, criticized their low to zero fat approach and questioned how successful Wellspring was in creating long term weight loss results. The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that children and adolescents must have a minimum of 20 grams of fat per day, but not to exceed 30 grams of fat, to maintain healthy brain growth. Wellspring taught its campers and families that this is not necessary.^[6] Additionally, Ludwig said that he was particularly worried about the effect on vulnerable teenagers who regain weight after their families have sacrificed so much financially to send them to Wellspring.^[6]

One of the more high-profile cases for Wellspring was Georgia Davis, who gained more than 500 pounds after leaving Wellspring.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Wellspring disputed these views, publishing their own study claiming weight loss maintenance for the majority of campers.^[15]

• Weight loss camp